-(Abs-cbnnews 2/8) PH asks China: Don't escalate sea row: Malacañang asked China not to undertake actions that will raise tensions in the South China Sea, following reports that China is inviting bids on oil blocks in disputed territory.

-(Atimes 2/8) Philippines arms itself with new pacts: The Philippines has in recent weeks forged new pacts with non-regional allies Australia and Japan to hedge its bets.

-(Reuters 1/8) China unveils oil offensive in South China Sea squabble: First came the diplomatic offensive, then the flexing of military muscle.

-(Eurasia Review 1/8) China’s Forward Policy In The South China Sea: It is still not too late for the Chinese to realise their folly and withdraw from these uninhabited islands and seek a peaceful solution in line with the UN Law of the Sea.

-(BBC 1/8) Philippines and Cambodia in South China Sea row: The Philippines has summoned Cambodia's ambassador over comments linked to Manila's territorial row with Beijing.

-(Xinhua 1/8) South China Sea fishing ban lifted: Nearly 9,000 fishing boats were getting ready to sail in south China's Hainan province as a seasonal fishing ban in the South China Sea was lifted Wednesday.

-(Reuters 1/8) ASEAN path to economic union muddied by South China Sea: Discord in Southeast Asia over how to deal with Beijing's claims in the South China Sea comes as the region struggles to overcome competing national interests and form a European Union-style economic community by 2015.

-(Abs-cbnnews 31/7) PH gets 4 bids for disputed South China Sea oil, gas blocks: The Philippines accepted on Tuesday four bids for three oil and gas exploration blocks in the South China Sea, including two prospects in waters claimed by China.

-(Indianexpress 31/7) Respond strongly to India's move in South China Sea: An article in the state-run Global Times titled 'India's sea oil push politically motivated' said the change of mind to return Block 128 possibly related to China's decision to offer nine blocks including the same block in the South China Sea for joint exploration with foreign companies.

-(BBC 31/7) Philippines to auction South China Sea exploration blocks: The Philippine government is set to auction off three areas in the South China Sea for oil and gas exploration that are also claimed by China.

-(WSJ 30/7) A War Footing in the South China Sea? If Beijing thought that its new garrison would lead other nations to roll over, it has miscalculated.

-(Crisisgroup 30/7) High Stakes in the South China Sea: Coverage of the South China Sea territorial dispute has tended to paint the story as that of a giant China flexing its muscle over a handful of smaller Southeast Asian states.

-(WSJ 30/7) Beijing Crosses a Line: The PLA's garrison in the South China Sea could further inflame tensions

-(Eastasia Forum 30/7) ASEAN and the South China Sea: There has been much ado about the nothing-joint communiqué from the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ summit in Phnom Penh the week before last and what it means for the future of ASEAN and relations between China, ASEAN and the United States.

-(Japan Times 30/7) China's gunboat diplomacy: What the South China Sea needs is a cooling off period in which rival claimants step back from confrontation and consider how to manage and resolve disputes peacefully, based on international law.

-(Straits Times 30/7) Calming the South China Sea: China can and should lower the temperature by re-embracing the modest set of risk-reduction and confidence-building measures that it agreed with Asean in 2002 - and building upon them in a new, multilateral code of conduct.

-(Malaya 30/7) US dilemma in China moves in South China Sea: How to respond? Criticize Beijing too strongly and the Obama administration will strain its relationship with the emerging superpower.

-(Canberratime 30/7) Gunboat diplomacy, China-style, only heightens tensions: All parties with claims to areas in the South China Sea need to take a deep breath.

-(Nationmultimedia 30/7) South China Sea: Asean's exit strategies: Asean must find a new bottle to put the Genie back. Otherwise, the tension in this rich maritime region will increase further leading to confrontation - a lose-lose situation the region cannot afford to have.

-(Theaustralian 30/7) Awash on a sea of trouble: TWO-thirds of Australia's exports and almost half of its imports, about $273 billion worth of goods, are carried through the South China Sea, a stretch of water that has become the freight freeway between the world and its new centre of global economic gravity, east Asia.