– The Economist – A rare look inside the world’s biggest military expansion.

– Economist – There are ways to reduce the threat to stability that an emerging superpower poses.

– Associated Press – China says it will join Russia in naval war games starting next month in the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea.

– US Naval War College Review – An analysis of the Chinese Navy’s new aircraft carrier.

– World Affairs – A nice look at how the Chinese are now Mahan’s foremost students…

– Wall Street Journal – Beginning with the major potential newsmakers, here are 12 key things to watch for and what they mean.

– BBC – The Philippines has accused China of intruding into its waters around the disputed Spratly islands after three ships were spotted in December.

– BBC – A commercial US satellite company says it has taken a picture of China’s first aircraft carrier during its sea trials in the Yellow Sea.

– China Daily – The Chinese navy is considering taking on supplies in the Seychelles while conducting escort missions to tackle piracy.

– The Diplomat – In sum, Hu’s statement didn’t reflect a change in policy or a new emphasis on preparing for war. His routine statement received more attention than it warranted.

– BBC – China’s navy should speed up its development and prepare for warfare, President Hu Jintao has said.

– BBC – China’s navy will carry out exercises in the Pacific Ocean in the coming days, amid continuing tension over maritime disputes in the region.

– Reuters – A Chinese navy hospital ship called the Peace Ark sailed on Friday into Havana Bay in Cuba, reflecting good relations between the communist allies and China’s expanding global presence.

– Defense Technology International – OK, so we’ll skip a day or so (otherwise there won’t be anything left for you to read about in the next issue of DTI) and move onto the day we visited the Shanghai naval base, a first ever by journalists of any nationality apparently.

– Washington Post – When China’s largest offshore petroleum producer launched a $1 billion oil rig this summer from Shanghai, Lt. Gen. Juancho Sabban, the commander of Philippine military forces 1,500 miles away in the South China Sea, began preparing for trouble.

– BBC – China is on course to build a modern military by 2020, a move that could threaten stability in the Asia-Pacific region, the Pentagon says.

– Chinese Navy – China Flexes Naval Muscle – China sent its first aircraft carrier to sea, a defining moment in its effort to become a top-tier naval power that seeks to challenge U.S. military supremacy in Asia and protect Chinese economic interests that now span the globe.

– The Diplomat – There’s been much speculation about the implications of China’s first aircraft carrier. The Diplomat answers some of the key questions.

– US Naval Institute Proceedings – Scenarios of a military conflict with a rising China are pointless if they leave out a glaring detail—the global economy.

– MIT Security Studies Program Working Paper – By Owen Cote and highly recommended!

This paper will assess the undersea balance between the U.S. and China by comparing their relative abilities to accomplish their respective undersea warfare objectives. I will assess both the current balance, and how it might evolve in the future. In the latter case, I will focus on opportunities each side will have to adopt competitive strategies, or strategies designed to exploit its unique strengths or its opponent’s weaknesses in ways that create favorable asymmetries in the resources that must be committed to accomplish particular missions.

– Associated Press – China officially acknowledged Wednesday that it is rebuilding an aircraft carrier bought more than a decade ago, but says the refurbished ship will be used only for research and training – a strong indication it plans to build carriers of its own.

– Aviation Week – For more than a century, surface warships have been struggling to survive against mines, submarines, aircraft and, more recently, cruise missiles. Now China’s rapid development of a sophisticated anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) raises the threat to a new level.

– Washington Times – Beijing’s top military leader on Monday called for U.S. forces to halt joint naval exercises with China’s neighbors in the South China Sea and issued a string of complaints about U.S. policy after meeting his U.S. counterpart.

– Mindanao Examiner – The question in everybody’s mind is: What if China attacked the Spratlys? And if so, can the Phillipines survive a Chinese attack?

– The Diplomat – Is the talk around the port of Gwadar a sign that China is considering a string of pearls strategy? Anti-air missile batteries will be the first sign.