- (Washington Times 10/8) HOLMES: South China Sea: It’s not Beijing’s lake: Whether China’s claims to its “near seas” will put us on a collision course is an open question. But Beijing should know that any attempt to change the rules and make that area the maritime equivalent of its exclusive backyard will meet with U.S. resistance.

- (The West Australian 11/8) US Senator Webb to visit Asia: Democratic US Senator Jim Webb, a critic of China and champion of engaging Myanmar, will visit Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam on an August 12-25 trip.

- (Journal Online 10/8) Vietnam warns Beijing of violating its sovereignty with a scientific survey in waters around two disputed island chains in the South China Sea.

- (Financial Times 10/8) China’s first aircraft carrier takes to sea  in a sign of the country’s burgeoning naval power.

- (New York Times 10/8) China Begins Sea Trials of Its First Aircraft Carrier, a highly symbolic step in what is certain to be an effort of many years to create a carrier presence in the Pacific waters off its coast.

- (Defense News 7/8) Andrew Yang: “China, which continues to threaten to impose unification by force, has more than 1,400 short-range ballistic missiles aimed at Taiwan.”

- (Focus Taiwan 9/8) Taiwan urges U.S. to approve F16s sale to avoid conflict: Taiwanese Deputy Defense Minister Andrew Yang said Tuesday. 

-  (World Politics Review 10/8) China, Taiwan Warming to Military Cooperation in the South China Sea?

- (People’s Daily ) PLA’s operation in S. China routine drill: Defense Ministry: China's Ministry of National Defense on Tuesday said that a recent People's LiberationArmy operation in south China was a routine dril.

- (Jakarta Post 8/8) Is ASEAN moving toward a community too slowly? vs ASEAN on ‘the right track’ to form community by 2015

- (Maritime Executive 9/8) China Offshore Oil Engineering Corporation (COOEC) Installs AMOS 

- (Huffington Post 8/8) China’s Aircraft Carrier: Why It Matters 

- (Asia Times 10/8) Jeju: From peace island to war island 

- (CNN 9/8) What will Vice President Biden find in China? “1.  Biden will find a China whose rise depends on economic growth but whose growth model is no longer sustainable. 2.  Biden will find a China whose social and political fabric is fraying. 3.  Biden will find a China whose cautious leaders prefer incremental steps to bold action. 4.  Biden will find a China that is being asked to assume global responsibilities but is (very) reluctant to do so. 5. Biden will find a China where security hawks preen and posture.”

- (China Daily 9/8) Biden will visit China to discuss range of issues: such as the South China Sea disputes, US armssales to Taiwan and US debt.

- (Guampdn 10/8) China’s overreach is discomforting: “We still haven’t realized that the scariest thing about China is not the size of its navy or the arrogance of its diplomats. The scariest thing is the power China has already accumulated without ever deploying its military or its diplomats at all.”

- (Monsters & Critics 9/8) Vietnam issues protest against Beijing survey in South China Sea: 'China has violated our sovereignty and jurisdiction rights,' Nguyen Phuong Nga, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, was quoted as saying. 'Vietnam asks China to immediately cease and refrain from recurrence of similar acts.'

- (Voice of America 9/8) Vietnam Accuses Beijing Over South China Sea Exploration: Vietnamese officials say they have met with Chinese counterparts to formally protest the activities of a research vessel in the South China Sea off its coasts.

- (Taipei Times 9/8) F-16s pivotal for Taiwan’s future: Yang: Deputy Minister of National Defense Andrew Yang told a defense magazine in an interview published yesterday.

- (People’s Daily Online 8/8) What signals does Japan’s defense white paper send out? Japan's Ministry of Defense regards China as the biggest "potential threat" to the region.

- (Jakarta Post 8/8) Is China a neighbor to Indonesia? “China extends its maritime claim up to an area which Indonesia believes to be its own”

- (GMA 8/8) US urged to boost PHL military amid Spratlys dispute: A key official of the Heritage Foundation, a Washington D.C.-based think tank, exhorted the United States’ policymakers to “help provide the Philippines the military wherewithal to withstand Peoples’ Republic of China pressure." 

- (Bernama 8/8) Resolve South China Sea Disputes Diplomatically – Ahmad Zahid, Malaysian Defense Minister.

- (The Heritage Foundation 5/8) 

The U.S. Cannot Rely on ASEAN in the South China Sea: The U.S. should continue to look out for its interests and those of its allies in East Asia independent of its involvement with ASEAN.

 

- (RTT News 8/7) Japan Release Captains Of Two Chinese Trawlers: “The two captains were returned to their trawlers Saturday evening after negotiations between the two countries.”

- (ISRIA 8/7) Philippines – Secretary Del Rosario Says China’s 9-Dash Line is “Crux of The Problem” in WPS, Proposes “Preventive Diplomacy” Solutions

- (China Daily 8/8) Oil companies deny Philippine exploration bids: Three Chinese oil companies denied recent media reports that they had bid for oil exploration contracts in the South China Sea from the Philippine government.