-(Real Clear Defenses) South China Sea: Beijing Raises the Temperature Again: China’s ongoing maritime activity around Thitu is worrisome in its own right because it is coercive in nature.

2012-09-20_100737.jpg-(Lawfareblog 20/2) U.S. FONOP Continues to Ripple Through South China Sea Dispute

-(SCMP 19/2) China’s rising challenge to US raises risk of SCS conflict, Philippines warns: Manila’s top envoy says contested waters are not yet ‘a Chinese lake’ but balance of power shifting as Beijing extends its reach.

-(The National Interest 18/2) Are China's South China Sea Bases Pointless? The islands of the SCS have some military relevance, but are more important as a political claim to waterways and undersea resources.