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July 1, 2010: South Korea turns down North Korea‟s proposal to hold direct military talks concerning the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan, stating that this situation should be dealt with under the Korean Armistice Agreement. July 6, 2010: Thai government extends its state of emergency in 19 of the country‟s provinces. July 9, 2010: The US and Russia successfully complete the biggest spy swap since the Cold War with the US returning Russia‟s 10 spies that were captured in the US in exchange for four prisoners held by Russia for spying and illegal weapons possession. July 9, 2010: United Nations Security Council releases a Presidential Statement on the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan, which condemned the attack but does not directly blame the incident on North Korea. July 12, 2010: Vietnam and the US celebrate 15 years of diplomatic relations in ceremonies in both Hanoi and Washington DC. July 12-31, 2010: US Pacific Command and the Cambodian military co-host the 2010 Global Peace Operations Initiative to help train peacekeepers. More than 1,000 military personnel from 23 Asia-Pacific countries participate. July 15, 2010: Military officials from North Korea and the United Nations Command meet in the border village of Panmunjom to discuss the sinking of the Cheonan. Regional Overview 12 October 2010 July 20, 2010: The US and South Korea announce that they will conduct a series of large-scale naval exercises off the Korean Peninsula in the coming weeks. July 20, 2010: The 43rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting is held in Hanoi and recommend that the US and Russia entry into the East Asia Summit. July 21, 2010: The inaugural US-ROK “two plus two” security talks are held in Seoul with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and ROK Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan and Defense Minister Kim Tae-young as lead participants. July 22, 200: The US announces the resumption of contact with Indonesia‟s Special Forces unit Kopassus. July 22, 2010: The 11th ASEAN plus 3 Foreign Ministers Meeting is held in Hanoi. July 23, 2010: The 17th ASEAN Regional Forum is held in Hanoi. Secretary Clinton proffers a US mediation role for the protracted Spratly and Paracel Islands disputes. July 25-28, 2010: The US and South Korea conduct a large-scale naval exercise codenamed Invincible Spirit in the Sea of Japan, that includes the aircraft carrier USS George Washington along with 20 other ships and submarines, 100 aircraft, and 8,000 men and women from the US and ROK armed services. July 27-31, 2010: Burma‟s Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Gen. Than Shwe visits India for a state visit and meets Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Aug. 3, 2010: North Korea warns South Korean fishing vessels to stay clear of disputed border waters in the Yellow Sea and threatens a “strong physical retaliation” against upcoming South Korean naval exercises. Aug. 5, 2010: State Department spokesman Phillip Crowley states that the US and Vietnam are discussing the provision of civilian nuclear technology to Vietnam. Aug. 5-9, 2010: South Korea conducts its largest-ever anti-submarine exercises in the Yellow Sea near the disputed sea border with North Korea, despite the Chinese objections and the North‟s threats of retaliation. Aug. 10, 2010: The destroyer USS John McCain arrives in Danang for the first joint US-Vietnam naval exercise that focuses on search and rescue and damage control. The aircraft carrier USS George Washington participates. Aug. 16, 2010: US Department of Defense (DoD) releases its report on military and security developments in People‟s Republic of China. Regional Overview 13 October 2010 Aug. 16-18, 2010: Wu Dawei, China‟s special envoy on Korean affairs, visits the DPRK and meets Pyongyang‟s lead nuclear envoy Kim Kye-kwan and Foreign Minister Pak Ui-chun. Aug. 16-26, 2010: South Korea and the US conduct the annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) exercise, a computer-based simulation involving about 56,000 ROK and 30,000 US troops. Aug. 18, 2010: Taiwan‟s Legislative Yuan approves the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) with China. It passes with 68 votes for and none against in the 112-seat parliament as the opposition party boycotts the vote. Aug. 24, 2010: Thailand restores diplomatic relations with Cambodia after Phnom Penh announces that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra resigned as its economics adviser. Aug. 26-28, 2010: Wu Dawei visits the ROK to discuss ways to resume Six-Party Talks. He meets South Korea‟s chief nuclear envoy Wi Sung-lac and Kim Sung-hwan, senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs. Aug. 26-30, 2010: Kim Jong-il visits several cities in Northeast China and meets President Hu Jintao in Changchun. Aug. 30, 2010: The US announces broadened sanctions on eight North Korean companies and four individuals for the stated purpose of limiting Pyongyang‟s arms trade and illicit businesses. Aug. 30-Sept. 3, 2010: Two Chinese ships returning from the Gulf of Aden make a port visit in Rangoon, marking the first visit to Burma by Chinese warships. Aug. 31, 2010: Wu Dawei visits Japan to discuss ways to resume Six-Party Talks. Aug. 31-Sept. 4, 2010: Chinese Navy conducts a series of live-fire exercises in the Yellow Sea. Sept. 1, 2010: Wu Dawei visits the US and meets Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg. Sept. 3, 2010: Wi Sung-lac, South Korea‟s top nuclear envoy to the Six-Party Talks, visits Washington to discuss ways to revive the moribund talks and Washington‟s recent sanctions against North Korea. Sept. 5, 2010: US and South Korea conduct anti-submarine exercises in waters off the west coast of South Korea. Sept. 7, 2010: Julia Gillard is confirmed as the prime minister of Australia after nearly three weeks of negotiations among political parties in an effort to form a coalition government. Sept. 7, 2010: A Chinese fishing vessel collides with two Japanese patrol boats in the East China Sea near the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands creating diplomatic tensions between the two countries. Regional Overview 14 October 2010 Sept. 7-11, 2010: Burma‟s Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Gen. Than Shwe visits China and meets President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao. They agree to deepen bilateral realtions particularly in large scale projects such as oil and gas exploration and development, hydroelectric power, and infrastructure development. Sept. 8, 2010: Secretary Clinton, in a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations, reiterates US interest in pursuing deeper engagement with regional organizations in Asia. Sept. 13-16, 2010: US Special Envoy for North Korea Stephen Bosworth visits South Korea, Japan, and China for discussions on the feasibility of restarting the Six-Party Talks. Sept. 15-26, 2010: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Senior Officials Meeting III (SOM 3) and related meetings are held in Sendai, Japan. Sept. 20, 2010: Vice President Joseph Biden addresses the US-Japan Council in Washington, DC, and notes that US efforts to improve ties with China must “go through Tokyo.” Sept. 23, 2010: Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen reaffirm the US-Japan security treaty during a press conference in response to questions regarding Japan‟s dispute with China over the Senkaku Islands. Sept. 24, 2010: President Obama hosts a US-ASEAN Leaders Meeting in New York. Sept. 26-28, 2010: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visits China making stops in Dalian, Beijing, and Shanghai. Medvedev and Chinese President Hu Jintao oversee the signing of several agreements including energy deals. Sept. 27-Oct. 1, 2010: The US and South Korea conduct joint anti-submarine exercises in the Yellow Sea with the intent of “sending a clear message of deterrence to North Korea.” Sept. 28, 2010: North Korea holds its third Workers‟ Party of Korea Conference in Pyongyang; Kim Jong-un is elevated into leadership positions.