China's Defense Ministry says a military plane was dispatched to one of China's new manmade islands in a disputed area of the South China Sea in what is believed to be the first openly acknowledged landing of its kind.

As China’s permanent neighbor and the U.S.’ long-time ally, the Philippines has a unique role mediating between the U.S. and China in the South China Sea. However, if the Philippines fail’s to improve its current political relations with China, while continuously enhancing its defense alliance with the U.S., the Philippines can become a catalyst for the proverbial “Thucydides trap.”

One of China's top military officers has visited some of the islands and reefs in the disputed South China Sea, China's Defense Ministry said on Friday.

The U.S. will start stationing warplanes in the Philippines this week as the vanguard of a major deployment to the Southeast Asian country as Washington and its allies mount a coordinated response to Beijing’s assertiveness in the South China Sea.

Abandoning its past agreements with China and dismissing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea to settle maritime disputes through negotiations and consultation, the Philippines has chosen to take the issue to court. The author argues that the arbitral tribunal acted like the Philippines’ agent and the high-stake case could upset the delicate security balance in the region.

The incident between Admiral Harris and the Obama Administration, if there was one, centered on policy. Effectively engaging China at the Nuclear Security Summit was seen much more productive than confronting China with U.S. military might. Offering counsel and then potentially having to implement policy that goes against that counsel is difficult, but a fundamental premise of civil-military relations.

From time immemorial, traditional Chinese fishermen have continuously, reasonably and with certainty plied their trade in the semi-enclosed waters of the South China Sea. These traditional fishing practices date back a long time, have been invariable and unbroken, and conform to basic principles of justice and utility.

The signing of a U.S.-China Memorandum of Understanding about air and maritime encounters provides a safety valve against any contingency in the South China Sea, but unlawful American provocations in the area continue to test relations between Washington and Beijing.

Foreign Ministers from the Group of Seven leading economies expressed concern over territorial disputes in the East and South China Seas where China has been more aggressively asserting its claims in recent years.

Actions in the South China Sea may sow mistrust with China’s neighbors, at the expense of China’s export-led infrastructure development growth. South China Sea Joint Development Areas, however, can enable China and Southeast Asia to reach a constructive, precedent-setting middle ground sidelining politics and focusing on mutually beneficial economics, like building a global electric grid.