Bloomberg writes, "Vietnam is inviting tourists to the front lines in its tense dispute with China over territorial claims in the South China Sea, organizing the country's first tour of the contested Spratly islands this month. The six-day tour, which will include visits to two above-water islands and two submerged islands and a national flag-raising ceremony, is planned weeks after a U.S. surveillance plane was warned by the Chinese navy to stop patrolling near reefs China claims in the Spratlys area...The Vietnamese trip to the Spratlys risks inflaming frictions as the U.S. seeks to challenge China's increasing regional assertiveness while asking all territorial claimants to stop land reclamation activities of building artificial islands."
According to The Wall Street Journal, "A search for survivors on the Yangtze River turned into a recovery operation Thursday night as Chinese officials acknowledged that hundreds of cruise passengers had died in what is likely the country's worst maritime disaster in 65 years... Authorities said they were taking steps to right the capsized cruise ship, the Eastern Star, signaling that they had given up on finding any more survivors"
The presidential hopeful for Taiwan's pro-independence opposition party soughton Wednesday to ease concerns that if she won the January 2016 vote relations with China would not be strained. Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)...said that if she won the vote she would be a 'reliable partner' for Washington with a 'proactive diplomatic agenda for peace'...Addressing concerns that the DPP's pro-independence stance could damage improved Taiwan-China ties - which have been welcomed by Washington - Tsai reiterated her support for a 'status quo,' saying the conduct of China policy 'must transcend the position of a political party,'" Reuters writes.