- (Inquirer 1/12) Philippines’ new warship to be commissioned mid-December: “She is already armed so she is combat-ready,”

- (Jakarta Post 1/12) US ‘the lesser evil’ to ASEAN: Malaysian scholar: ASEAN should not feel threatened by the establishment of the US military base in Darwin, Australia, because if anything, it could be beneficial to the 10 member states that see China as a bigger threat, a Malaysian scholar suggested here on Wednesday.

- (Taipei Times 29/11) South China Sea all PRC’s, op-ed claims: “An op-ed in the Chinese-language editions of People’s Daily and Global Times says there are no international waters in the South China Sea and that China should act with strength to repel US interference in the contested area.”

- (Project Syndicate 29/11) A Shift from the Middle East to the Pacific: For two years, President Barack Obama’s administration has tried to convey a narrative in which it is winding up wars in Southwest Asia and turning America’s attention to its longer-term – and arguably more important – relationships in East Asia and the Pacific; (Financial Times 29/11) The US navy fostered globalisation: we still need it; (Washington Post 29/11) How much defense is enough in the Asia-Pacific region?; (Daily Beast 28/11) Obama's Foreign Policy Doctrine Finally Emerges With 'Offshore Balancing'; (Slouching Columbia 25/11) Onshore warfare and offshore balancing

- (Japan Times 30/11) Realpolitik drama unfolds in the South China Sea: The main protagonist was China, which was bedeviled by several nymphs — the counter claimants to the South China Sea islands and maritime space.

- (Daily Times 30/11) China’s first aircraft carrier starts second trial: Defence ministry says work carried out for relevant scientific and research experiments; TPP: APEC's anti-China son?: "The more something changes, the more it remains the same thing."

- (The Hindu 30/11) Behind postponed talks, China sees a newly assertive India: “The country appears to be highly interested in facing off with China,” the newspaper said, however adding that China needed “to treat [India] seriously.”

- (Diplomat 26/11) Chinese Aftershock: In September, Vietnam boosted its defense ties with Germany, before deepening strategic relations with India, Russia, the UK, and the United States in October and November. It’s easy to see China’s outline through this flurry of diplomatic activity. 

- (Washington Post 27/11) China, India perform dangerous new dance of encircler, counter-encircler: it was also a sign of rising frictions between India and China, and of what experts see as a dangerous new game between the world’s most populous nations.

- (Canberra Times 28/11) US lines up against China: Asian nations - and Australia - are in the middle as these two economic giants battle for dominance.

-(Nation 28/11) India and the South China Sea: The South china sea is far away from India and its oil exploratory expertise is nascent, yet New Delhi plans to collaborate with Vietnam for jointly undertaking oil exploration in disputed areas, is loaded with mischief

-(Bworldonline 28/11) ASEAN, China to set ground rules on sea issues in January: A meeting between ASEAN and China will be held by January… to identify the main elements in crafting the Code of Conduct (COC)

-(Canberratimes 28/11) US lines up against China: Asian nations - and Australia - are in the middle as these two economic giants battle for dominance.

-(Post-gazette 27/11) China, India play dangerous new game:Threatened by China's rapidly growing ties with its South Asian neighbors, India is increasingly trying to penetrate Beijing's traditional sphere of influence, and the mutual irritations are beginning to show.

-(FT 27/11) America is back in the Pacific and will uphold the rules: At the East Asia Summit in Bali, the US president laid out guiding principles for dealing with challenges such as maritime security, including in the South China Sea.

-(SCMP 26/11) Goodwill is not weakness, general warns: Luo Yuan, a military strategist, hints at regional armed conflict if countries vying to claim the South China Sea mistake Beijing's self-restraint for softness