The Wall Street Journal reports, "The U.S.Navy's second-most senior commander called on China to explain its land-reclamation works in the South China Sea and offered to support Southeast Asian countries if they choose to adopt a unified stance against Beijing... The U.S. is considering flying aircraft or sailing Navy vessels close to the islands, a move that could raise the stakes in the South China Sea and one over which Beijing has expressed strong concern...According to U.S. estimates, China has expanded artificial reefs in the Spratly Islands chain to as much as 2,000 acres of land, up from 500 acres last year. The expanded landmass could be large enough to accommodate military aircraft, which could extend Chinese influence in waters where several nations have competing claims."
"China's battle against pollution is threatening the recovery of coal prices from the lowest level in almost nine years. Installations of new coal-fired power capacity in the world's biggest polluter are set to halve as 'cheap but dirty' plants get eliminated...China is turning to alternative energy sources as it races to meet emissions targets and eradicate the smog that's enveloped cities and become a major cause of social unrest. President Xi Jinping has vowed to punish 'with an iron hand' those who destroy the environment and his government is abolishing outdated capacity in the most polluting industries while promoting the use of electric cars and solar rooftops," writes Bloomberg.
According to Reuters, "Founding members of the China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will hold a three-day meeting in Singapore this week to discuss operational policies for the establishment of the institution. The gathering, called the 5th chief negotiators' meeting, will also discuss the draft articles of agreement for the AIIB in Singapore from Wednesday to Friday, a Singapore Ministry of Finance statement said on Tuesday...A total of 57 countries have joined AIIB as its founding members, China has said, throwing together countries as diverse as Iran, Israel, Britain and Laos."