-(Nytimes 19/05) Benigno Aquino Says U.S. Must Act if China Moves on Reef in South China Sea: “It has to maintain its ascendancy, moral ascendancy, and also the confidence of one of its allies.”

-(Thedailybeast 19/05) China's Nuclear Subs Are Ready To Terrorize The Sea: And that’s going to make it harder to deter any future Chinese aggression.

-(Reuters 19/05) China demands end to U.S. surveillance after aircraft intercept: The intercept occurred days before President Barack Obama travels to parts of Asia from May 21-28, including a Group of Seven summit in Japan and his first trip to Vietnam.

-(CNBC 19/05)  China says it's ready if US ‘stirs up any conflict’ in South China Sea: Beijing continues to assert its right to the economically critical zone — and increasingly puts its claims in military terms.

-(WSJ 19/05) Beijing Denies Dangerous Interception of U.S. Spy Plane Over South China Sea: US official the Chinese jets closed the distance between the planes to about 50 feet (15 meters). Chinese official says jets maintained “safe distance.”

-(The Guardian 19/05) China demands US military 'stop spying' over South China Sea: China says US allegation that fighter jets intercepted a US navy plane at an unsafe distance Tuesday are ‘not true’, and that the navy should cease all missions there.

-(The Diplomat 19/05) India Sends Stealth Warships to South China Sea: The Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet sailed out today on an operational deployment to the South China and North West Pacific.

-(Indiatimes 19/05) Barack Obama’s historic visit to Vietnam: A landmark event amid rise of China

-(MB 19/05) Obama congratulates Duterte: Talks tackle human rights, rule of law, inclusive economic growth, corruption, South China Sea.

-(WSJ 18/05) Chinese Jets Intercept U.S. Spy Plane Over South China Sea: Defense officials characterize the maneuver as ‘potentially unsafe’

-(WSJ 18/05) South China Sea Tensions Explained: Tensions are at an all-time high in the South China Sea, where a game of geopolitical chess is taking place between China, the U.S. and other nations over territorial claims and military build-ups.

-(The Diplomat 18/05) South China Sea Homework for Taiwan’s President-Elect: Tsai will need to have a strategy for handling Taiwan’s sovereignty claims in the South China Sea.

-(Manilatimes 18/05) Taiwan to reject arbitration award if tribunal won’t visit Taiping: Taiwan insisted that Itu Aba can sustain human habitation and has an economic life of its own, enough to meet the criteria for an island as defined in Article 121 of the Unclos.

-(Voanews 18/05) Russia Weighs Into South China Sea Dispute With Asean Accord: Russia is set to finalize an agreement with ASEAN countries including controversial references to maritime navigation and militarization of the South China Sea

-(Inquirer 18/05) Challenge China ‘expansionism’ over disputed islands: There is resistance when Beijing becomes overzealous in asserting this dominance

-(Gmanetwork 18/05) Yasay accepts DFA post, says talks still key in South China Sea dispute: He also said that the continuity of policies was important in foreign relations. He assured the public that the Duterte administration would not bring drastic changes in the DFA.

 

-(Thebricspost 18/05) Indian President to visit China next week: Mukherjee’s visit comes even as the US has escalated tensions in the South China Sea.

-(Straitstimes 18/05) Duterte tells Obama Philippines may seek bilateral talks with China on South China Sea spat: “I would agree to just go with you. But if it goes on still waters… there’s no wind to move the sail, I might opt to go bilateral,” he said.

-(NDTV 17/05) Activity That Puts South China Sea Waters at Risk Of Concern to India: US: The issue was discussed during US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter's recent visit to India.

-(WSJ 17/05) The New Political Risk in the South China Sea: Philippine cooperation is crucial to checking aggressive Chinese action in the South China Sea, but Mr. Duterte seems to want to accommodate Beijing.

-(Businessinsider 17/05) A global intelligence analyst explains why the ‘real’ China is not the China we think of

-(Nationalinterest 16/05) Charmless, Offensive: Beijing's Bogus South China Sea PR Campaign: Its silky style and conciliatory tone is likely to win over many who don’t know the full facts.

-(Foreignpolicy 16/05) Freedom of Navigation Operations in the South China Sea Aren’t Enough: The U.S. will need to do more if it's to stop Chinese overreach.

-(Navytimes 16/05) 4-star vows to continue U.S. operations in South China Sea: the U.S. would continue its operations in the region, including closely-watched freedom of navigation patrols into regions like the South China Sea that the U.S. regards as international waters.

-(Theguardian 16/05) Little blue men: the maritime militias pushing China's claims: Ostensibly civilian fishermen are ‘buzzing’ US navy ships and those of neighbouring countries with rival territorial claims

-(Stratfor 16/05) China Goes on Trial in the South China Sea: a decision in favor of the Philippines will embolden other claimants, giving them greater room to counter China's assertiveness in regional waters.

-(Eastasiaforum 16/05) Japan’s important sideshow to arbitration decision in the South China Sea: The capture of Taiwanese fishermen by Japan’s Coast Guard in the water which Japan claims EEZ for a tiny rocks, locating 1000 miles south of Tokyo, has pushed Taiwan’s leader into a request of having arbitration bodies to resolve the issue.

-(DPA 16/05) New Philippine president stands firm on South China Sea claims: Duterte, who said during his campaign the Philippines could afford to be softer on China, said this did not mean he would drop the claims in exchange for economic and trade concessions from Beijing.