ABOARD THE BRP CABRA—As a U.S. Navy surveillance plane flew in circles, keeping a close watch, dozens of Chinese coast guard and accompanying ships chased and encircled Philippine vessels in the latest confrontation in one of the most dangerous flashpoints in the South China Sea. At the height of Friday’s four-hour faceoff in the high seas, a Chinese coast guard ship blasted a water cannon toward a Philippine motorboat delivering food and other supplies to Filipino forces on a marooned, rusting warship that serves as the country’s fragile territorial outpost at Second Thomas Shoal. China has steadfastly stood by its claim to virtually the entire strategic waterway, clashing with its smaller neighbors and drawing in the United States, Manila’s treaty ally and China’s main rival in the Asia-Pacific region. Washington and its allies have deployed navy ships and fighter aircraft to promote freedom of navigation and overflight, build up deterrence and reassure allies like the Philippines....Read more https://www.theepochtimes.com/china/dozens-of-chinese-ships-chase-philippine-vessels-as-us-renews-warning-it-will-defend-its-treaty-ally-5528037
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Sunday said President Joe Biden is “responsibly” managing U.S.–China competition, and therefore there is a need to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in person on Wednesday. However, one Republican senator has said that the U.S. commander-in-chief has chosen to “embarrass the U.S. here at home.” “The U.S. and China are in competition. President Biden is trying to manage that competition responsibly, so it doesn’t tip over into conflict,” Mr. Sullivan said in an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Nov. 12. “President Biden believes there is no substitute for leader-to-leader engagement, face to face, to manage a complex relationship like the U.S.–China relationship.”... 
ABOARD THE USS CARL VINSON—Japan led an annual multinational naval exercise that included the Philippines as an observer for the first time, as Filipino coast guard vessels are increasingly harassed by China in the disputed South China Sea. The Annualex exercises that began Saturday off Japan’s coast also included the United States, Australia, and Canada. Their aim is to demonstrate and increase ways the navies can work together, and show their presence and commitment to defend a “free and open” Indo-Pacific, which the allies say is hampered by China’s growing ambitions that include sweeping territorial claims. On Saturday, a selected group of journalists, including The Associated Press, flew on an V-22 Osprey aircraft to the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier to observe takeoffs and landings of F-35C “Lightning” stealth fighters, as well as F/A-18 Super Hornet jets and E/A-18 Growlers. The Japanese destroyer Hyuga showed its presence next to the carrier....
Commentary The expression “being played,” which would appear to have its origins in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, came to mind when reflecting on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s journey to China. The trip was hyped as the 50th anniversary of former Labor Prime Minister Gough Whitlam’s historic visit to China in 1972. Apart from a flip for Labor’s “true believers,” it is hard to find any real outcomes. Not that impartial observers expected any, as distinct from the China boosters who applaud any discussions with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as the dawn of a new enlightened era of expanding trade and discourse....