How to Choose the Right Bathing Suit Colour and Pattern

You can look great in a bathing suit if you’re any size. All you need is the right style! If you’re self-conscious about your body and the extra weight you gained over the winter, there are simple things you can do so you feel comfortable and relaxed at the beach, especially in terms of the colour and pattern.

Steps

1. 
   1
   Go to a bathing suit store that has a variety of different bathing suit colours and styles.
   
   
2. 
   2
   Find the right style of bathing suit for your body. Remember to shop for your body type and not be seduced by trends or styles that might not suit it.
3. 
   3
   Make your waist look smaller by choosing and trying on a one-piece bathing suit if you have small hips. Look for a bathing suit that has a print or design across the torso. When you buy a bikini, try low-rise bottoms. They will draw attention away from your waist making your hips and waist seem wider.
   
   

Method 1

Colour and pattern

1. 
   1
   Look for a bathing suit that has a solid colour on the top and a printed pattern on the bottom if you have a big bust. This will take the attention away from your bust and bring attention to a smaller waist. If you want something a little more sexy, V-neck bathing suits show-off a bigger bust.
2. 
   2
   Spring for a tankini that has a bold print on the top if you have big hips. Match it on the bottom with a solid colour. The pattern will focus attention on the top half of your body. You can also wear a solid skirt for extra coverage at a pool party if you feel uncomfortable.
3. 
   3
   Don't buy a bathing suit in a colour that is too similar to the colour of your skin tone. You'll look naked, and it won’t look flattering. Always get another person’s opinion on a bathing suit if you’re unsure of a style or colour.
   
   

Method 2

Decoration

1. 
   1
   Look for padding if you have a small bust. Make sure the padding isn't larger than your chest. Any kind of decoration like beading or anything fancy can enhance the look of a larger bust, so try on many of these styles.
     

Tips

• Don't go shopping alone! Bring a close friend that will tell you whether you look good or not in the bathing suit. Someone you can trust will tell you their honest opinion. They will also be there to help with sizes and styles.
• Don't try on bathing suits that may be a bigger size than your regular clothing size. Bathing suits are cut differently than your clothes, so it is smart to bring a few bathing suits within your size range and different styles into the fitting room.
• Consider using a self-tanner before going shopping for a bathing suit. You will likely have a tan when you wear it.
• Don't be afraid to buy more than one bathing suit if more than one style looks good on you. Bathing suits are hard to find, and when you find a good one, you should buy it.
• Get help from the employees. If selling bathing suits is their business, then accept their help even if you may be uncomfortable. They’re just trying to help you, not judge you. They know what they have in their store and what will work for you and your body type.
• Take advantage of the space in the dressing room! Move around in the bathing suit to make sure it’s comfortable to move in. Try bending over, lifting your arms, and stretching to ensure that the bathing suit stays in the right place.

China's richest man offers solutions to bring Chinese spending back home

“Chinese overseas spending is growing by double digits. This is a problem that needs our attention. To change the situation, we not only need tariff reductions and good-quality domestic products, we also need the government to get involved a high level,” said Wang Jianlin, chairman of the Dalian Wanda Group. Wang made the remarks on Aug. 25 at the 10th Wanda Group Annual Commercial Convention.
Wang, the richest man in China, quoted official statistics in his speech, noting that Chinese outbound travel spending amounted to 2.5 trillion yuan, even without the inclusion of expenses for medical treatments and sports. Wang pointed out three important characteristics of Chinese overseas spending: ongoing two-digit growth; overseas shopping, which includes everything from luxuries to daily articles; and emerging consumer sectors, such as overseas physical examinations and medical treatment.
Wang also disclosed that one district government in Seoul, South Korea actually invited him to invest in plastic surgery hospitals for Chinese women by providing cheap land. However, Wang refused, since such an investment would push even more Chinese to consume abroad.
When discussing the reasons behind overseas spending, Wang surmised that price is the most major determinant, followed by quality and brand. He insisted that there are issues in the current pricing system, caused partially by tariffs. Chinese consumers are plagued by concerns over the quality of products in China, so they prefer to buy more secure commodities in foreign countries. The popularity of e-commerce without direct contact makes the situation even worse. In addition, some consumers shopping for luxuries enjoy the feeling that they are buying something they cannot access at home.
Wang proposed three measures to reduce overseas spending. First, professional studies on overseas spending are an urgent priority, such as surveys on market volume, targeted consumers and the impacts on China. Second, the government needs to regulate the market from a high level. For instance, Wang believes that companies intentionally drive up the price of luxury goods in China. Third, Wang hopes to see a media campaign for Chinese products, and for counterfeit and shoddy products to be minimized through stricter quality standards.

How to Choose a Corset

There are so many corsets and corset tops that it can be difficult to tell which are high quality and which aren't. This how-to will teach you what to look for in a corset and hopefully stop you from getting ripped off.
Steps
1
If you decide that you want a real corset, not just abodice, you will need to look at the boning.All good quality modern corsets are made with steel boning of some kind, which serves the purpose of holding the fabric taut and stopping it from going into folds at yourwaistand bunching at the back where it laces up. The boning in tops and bodices is usually just thin plastic, so don't make the mistake of imagining you will be able to wear a normal boned top as a corset.
To test if the boning is good enough, bend it quite sharply and it should spring back. If it kinks, it's a sure sign that it will dig in to your waist and be very uncomfortable.
It doesn't matter if the boning around the corset is slightly more flexible, so long as the bones at the front and back are fairly rigid.

2
Next examine the fabric.Even if you're looking for more of a bodice than a corset, you'll still need a strong fabric like coutil, drill, heavyweight, orcanvas. Corsets usually have a fashion fabric and a lining, so you might not be able toseethe strong layer but you will be able to feel that it is quite tough.
Take the corset in both hands and tug on the fabric. It should feel very sturdy with no give whatsoever. If the fabric is thin enough to scrunch in your hand, it won't be sturdy enough.
Incidentally, if theshopassistant thinks you're damaging it, it definitely won't be strong enough to last!

3
Check out the fastenings.Remember that a steel busk is the usual fastening for the front of a corset, and with very few exceptions it's the only type of fastener that is strong enough.
Hooks and eyes will not last long, and likewise zips are best avoided.
A busk looks like a piece of fairly solid steel boning with loops and studs (a bit like hooks and eyes) attached. If a corset doesn't have a busk, it will need to have some other kind of solid boning down the front.

4
Look at the laces down the back of the corset.These are usually made of flat cotton, like shoelaces. Some types of ribbon can be used, but they have to be very strong material. Eyelets should be very well attached, otherwise they can pop off easily.
Check that the laces have washers on the back, rather than just gripping into the fabric. There should also be solid boning either side of the eyelets to distribute the tension.


5
Know that style and fit of a corset can be the biggest issue especially if you are an unusual shape.Corsets are always sized by waist measurement, not dress size. The number on the label will be something like "22" "24" "26" etc., which is the actual measurement in inches of the waistline of the corset. You will need one about 4 inches (10.2 cm) smaller than your own waist, so you can lace in a bit and have a gap in the laces.
Corsets are designed to give a curvy figure to an average-shaped person, so if you are already quite curvy, you might need to get a "tight lacing" corset which has bigger hips (or even better yet, get one made-to-measure).

How to Care for Your Micro Bikini

You've purchased that fantastic bikini that you've been looking at for months on end. You've been invited to a wonderful beach party that is the perfect outing for displaying your brand new swimwear. You wear your unique and one-of-a-kind bikini to that fashionable function and you're a total smash. You're making the social rounds and mingling with new and exciting people that are so delighted to meet you too when all of a sudden you are accidentally bumped into and that hot dog with mustard that you've been holding, slips and falls all over your sexy bikini. Not to worry, because you were careful to bring a change of clothing for such mishaps. However, you just remembered you have another beach party to attend that you wanted to show off your new bikini and now it's all stained. Here's what you do:

Steps

1. 
   1Instructions. Read and carefully follow any fabric care instructions that come with or are listed on your bikini wear. You don't want to ruin it and use something that's going to make the color fade or stain even more. Determine if you are going to hand wash or machine wash your bikini wear. Take in consideration the fabric, texture and ornaments, if any, that may be affected. Of course, hand washing delicates is the safest way of handling such items, although if you are confident that your fabric can withstand a washing machine, then going that way may be plausible.      
2. 
   2Stain Removers. Treat stains as soon as possible. Newer stains are easier to remove than older ones. Always test stain removers on an inside seam or hidden part of the garment for color fast issues. Never put chemical dry-cleaning solvents into the washer.
3. 
   3Don't mix different stain removal products together. Some mixtures such as ammonia and bleach can discolor your swimwear. Always launder the washable items after using a stain remover to eliminate the residue of the product. Have patience, some stains take longer time to remove and multiple applications. Along with stain removers are pre-stain removers and they come in either liquid, stick or spray formula. Pay close attention to the type of fabric and read the instructions on the individual product for finding out which will work best for you.
4. 
   4Water Temperature. Always use the safest water temperature for your fabric unless you have tested it and it bleeds. In that case, either use lukewarm water or cold water. Make sure the water is clean and sometimes you can add a pre-soaking agent to the water that you are going to hand wash your fabric in to aid cleaning. Refer to the Party Stains List below to select the proper water temperature with regard to a specific stain you would like to remove.
5. 
   5Detergents. There are all purpose detergents that come in either liquid or powder form. Some are heavy-duty and some are fabric sensitive and/or hypoallergenic. It's up to you to determine which is better fitted for you and your fabric. Again, pay attention to the fabric and ornaments on it. You want a detergent that will liquefy quickly enough so your bikini doesn't have to sit a long time in the solution. Here are some tips on removing specific stains when choosing your detergent and water temperature.
6. 
   6Alcohol Stains: Launder with detergent in hottest water safest for the fabric. Do not use soap (bar, flake or detergents containing natural soap) since soap can make the stain permanent. Soak stains for 30 minutes in 1 teaspoonful of presoak product. If all the sugars are not removed, a brown stain will appear when the fabric is heated in the dryer or is ironed, as the sugar has caramelized.
7. 
   7Chocolate Stains: Treat the stain with a pre-wash spray or product containing enzymes. After pre-treating, then rub with a heavy-duty liquid detergent and launder. If the stain remains, then re-launder with bleach that is safe for the fabric.
8. 
   8Coffee & Tea Stains: Saturate the stain with a pre-treatment stain remover. Rub it with a heavy-duty liquid detergent then launder in hottest water safe for the fabric.
9. 
   9Blood Stains: Flush cold water through the stain and scrape off crusted material. Soak for about 15 minutes in a mixture of lukewarm water, 1/2 teaspoon liquid hand washing detergent and 1 tablespoon ammonia. Rub gently to loosen the stain and then launder. If the stain is not completely removed, wet the stain with hydrogen peroxide and a few drops of ammonia and leavHyd rogen no longer than 15 minutes.
10. 
    10Rinse with cool water.
11. 
    11Lipstick or Juice Stains (AKA: Dye Stains): Sponge area with dry-cleaning solvent. Rub with heavy-duty liquid detergent then launder. If needed, use an all-fabric bleach.
12. 
    12Drying. If you're the old fashioned type, then nothing works better than hanging something out to dry in the natural breeze. Although if you have no time for that, then using a cool to warm temperature when drying out your special fabric will be sufficient enough to keep it looking nice and new. Be wary of any kind of trinkets or beads that could easily be caught and torn from your swimwear.

How to Get a Smaller Waist

Having a small waist in proportion to your body shape is considered to be an attractive feature in both men and women. Although your natural waist size is mainly determined by genetics, it is possible to achieve a smaller waist through weight loss, dedicated exercising and strategic clothing choices.

Steps

Part 1

Changing your Diet

1. Be prepared to change your diet. Getting a smaller waist will require weight loss, which cannot be achieved through exercise alone. You will also need to adhere to a healthy diet and reduce your calorie intake in order to really see results. You should find a trainer to help you calculate a proper amount of calorie intake a day. This will require discipline and determination. In addition to reducing your calorie intake, there are also some smart food choices you can make that will specifically help to reduce your waistline.
• For example, in a scientific study, people who ate all whole grains (in addition to five servings of fruits and vegetables, three servings of low-fat dairy, and two servings of lean meat, fish, or poultry) lost more belly fat than another group that ate the same diet, but with all refined grains. Remember that fruits have sugar, so exceeding your intake of fruits per day will impede your progress.
• Keep in mind that in order to lose a pound of weight, you will need to cut 3500 calories from your diet. Health specialists advise that the optimal level of healthy weight loss is one to two pounds a week, so it is not recommended that your starve yourself or follow fad diets in order to lose weight more quickly. Follow what your trainer says.
2. Start the day with a healthy breakfast. Kicking off the day with a healthy, balanced breakfast is one of the best things you can do when following a weight-loss diet. A good breakfast kick starts the metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories throughout the day. It also keeps you fuller for longer, reducing your tendency to snack throughout the morning and afternoon, which may result in a higher calorie intake overall.
• Try eating a combination of filling wholegrain cereals and breads, protein-rich eggs and high-vitamin fruits for the perfect balanced breakfast. If you're on the go, grab a fruit smoothie and a cereal bar for convenient, yet filling goodness.
• You should also try to drink a glass of water before breakfast (and every other meal throughout the day) as this prevents your body from confusing thirst with hunger, which may lead to you eating more than you need. Plus it helps to keep you hydrated, which is always important.
3. Eat smaller, more frequent meals. It is very common for dieters to try to starve themselves between meals, with the result that they actually eat much more than necessary when the food is finally in front of them. One of the best kept secrets of successful dieters is that they actually eat more frequently throughout the day, they just eat smaller meals.
• Eating smaller, more frequent meals prevents dieters from becoming too hungry, causing them to eat less overall. It also stimulates the metabolism, which allows the body to burn more calories throughout the day.
• Try eating six small meals a day, rather than your regular three large ones. You'll find sticking to your weight-loss plan much easier in the long-run if you're not in a constant state of hunger!
4. Eat healthy fats. Many dieters believe that they need to avoid fat like the plague when trying to lose weight. However, eating a certain amount of healthy fat is essential for a balanced diet and can actually aid weight loss. In fact, studies suggests that a diet with a higher ratio of monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) (avocados, nuts, seeds, soybeans, chocolate) can prevent the accumulation of belly fat. As a result, 25 to 30% of your daily calorie intake should come from such healthy fats.
• Polyunsaturated fats - such as the Omega-3 fatty acids found in mackerel, salmon, herring, walnuts, canola oil and tofu - are another type of healthy fat that you should try to incorporate into your diet. They help to lower bad cholesterol and boost brain function.
• Trans fats, on the other hand, (found in margarine, crackers, cookies--anything made with partially hydro genated oils) result in more fat being deposited in the abdomen, so you should avoid these as much as you can.
5. Get more fiber in your diet. Fiber-rich foods are an essential component of any healthy diet, for a number of reasons. Firstly, fiber-rich foods help to normalize bowel movements, which minimizes bloating and blockages. Secondly, fiber-rich foods help you to stay fuller longer and may require additional chewing time, thus preventing overeating. High-fiber foods also tend to be lower in calories than other food types.
• Try to incorporate a wide range of high-fiber foods into your diet, to get the bene fits of both soluble and insoluble fibers. Examples of soluble fibers include oats and barley, peas and beans, apples, carrots and citrus fruits. Examples of insoluble fibers include wheat bran and products containing whole-wheat flower, nuts, beans and green vegetables.
• Soluble fiber, in particular, has also been shown to lower insulin levels, which can speed up the burning of visceral belly fat.
• Plain water is the best alternative, as it flushes out your system, reduces bloating and keeps the body hydrated. However, if you find plain old water too boring, try drinking water with a hint of flavoring like mint leaves, lemon, lime, or even toss in a few frozen raspberries or create a combination- Be crea tive! Vitamin water, or naturally sweetened iced teas also make a significantly healthier alternative to sodas.
• Don't use straws. You should also avoid using straws to sip your drinks, as straws cause you to suck more air into your stomach as you drink, leading to bloating and a bigger belly. Drink straight from the cup instead to avoid.
6. Avoid processed foods. Even if you are carefully monitoring your portion sizes and consistently working out, your weight loss can be significantly impaired by a continued consumption of processed foods. This is because processed foods typically have high sugar and starch contents, which limit weight loss and lead to the buildup of harmful toxins.
• Be extra careful when it comes to products that are marked "non-fat", such as cheeses, breads, yogurts, etc. These products may have a low fat content, but they are usually packed with extra sugar and empty carbohydrates, and offer very little, if any, nutritional value. Some frozen processed organic meals are actually not too bad, as long as you make sure to carefully read all the labels and check the content and ingredients list.
• You should also avoid processed food products with a high salt content, such as ready-meals and frozen goods, as the salt leads to water retention and causes bloating. Just go for fresh foods instead of pre-packaged or frozen whenever possible.

Part 2

Tailoring your Exercise Routine

1. Commit to an exercise routine. If you really want to trim your waist, you will need to commit to a regular and rigorous exercise routine. Great results will only come with hard work and dedication, so make sure you are prepared to put in the necessary effort before you begin. On the other hand, if you begin exercising too rigorously from the get-go, you may become disheartened and disillusioned, and therefore much more inclined to give up.
• To overcome this, try making an exercise plan where you start at a reasonable level, before gradually building yourself up to longer more intense exercise routines. Keep a log of what you're doing each time in a record book or diary and check your progress against this.
• Eventually you'll find yourself exercising regularly without feeling worn out or disinterested in it and your waist, along with your overall health and fitness, will have bene fited a great deal.
2. Do plenty of cardio. As mentioned before, weight loss is essential when it comes to losing inches from your waist. Unfortunately, there is no way to target weight loss in a specific area of your body, so overall weight loss is the only option. Cardiovascular exercise is the best form of exercise for burning calories, so it is essential to any weight loss routine.
• Running, skipping and cycling are all excellent cardio options, which usually don't even require a gym membership. Cheap, yet extremely effective, there's no excuse not to incorporate a little cardio into your workout.
• Trainers advocate tracking your heart rate during cardio. For example the best way to shed fat is by walking on the trail or outside and keeping your heart rate at low-medium level. Have that after a session of endurance training and you are on the way to shed this fat.
• You should aim to do 30 minutes of cardio exercise, four to five times a week, for best results.
3. Make sure you work out the correct core muscles. Many core strength-building exercises focus on the oblique muscles, which run along the side of your stomach. Although working these muscles will give you a toned and flat stomach, it will also build up the muscle, making your waist appear wider than before. This is definitely not what you want when aiming for a tiny waist. To work your core and trim your waist you should focus on your transverse and rectus abdominals.
• Your transverse abdominals work as your body's natural corset and so with enough work in this area you can achieve a smaller waist. Pilates does a lot of work that focuses on the transverse abdominals and therefore can be a very effective method.
• Remember to breathe when exercising core muscles. While it may seem obvious, many people forget in the concentration on getting the muscle action correct and then you leave your body tense and fragile. Instead, remember to breathe in and out, on the way up, on the way down, etc. If you can't work this out in a rhy thm that works for you, consider joining yoga or Pilates for help.
4. Do specific waist-shaping exercises. Even though you can't target weight loss on your waist, you can certainly perform certain exercises which tone and slim the muscles around the mid-section.
• Do the 'hundred' exercise. This is done by lying on your back and lifting your legs up to a 90 degree angle and your shoulder blades off the floor. Begin by pumping your arms straight out to the side, and repeat for 100 pumps. Breath in through the nose for five pumps and out through the mouth for five pumps.
• Suck in your stomach. Try to keep your stomach sucked in throughout the day, while sitting at your desk, in the car or at the grocery store. This works the stomach muscles, while simultaneously making you look slimmer. Over time, you won't even notice you're doing it!
• Do sit ups. Try sit ups using a sturdy object such as a medium-sized yoga ball or the arm of a sofa. The best way to do sit ups is with your hands crossed against your chest. Putting your hands in front of you puts less strain on your neck and makes it easier for you (resulting in less of an ab workout). Work up to doing five sets of sit ups, with 30 repetitions in each set.
• Do twist crunches. This requires you to lie on your back and bend your knees up while keeping your feet flat on the floor. Bring your fingers up to touch your ears and slowly contract your abdominal muscles, lifting your torso off the ground. When you're at the point of feeling you can't lift your body any further, contract your side muscles and turn gently to the left. Return your torso flat to the floor. Repeat on the right side. Build up to a set of 10 repetitions.
• Do the bridge. Get into the position for doing a push up. Rest on your elbows and keep your eyes to the floor at all times. Pull your stomach muscles in tight, imagining them touching your backbone. As you do this, your bottom should be down and your back straight. Aim to hold this position for about a minute.
• Do the horizontal plank. Lie down on a comfortable mat, on your right side. Rest on your right arm and extend your legs outward, placing your right foot on top of your left foot. In this position, slowly lift your pelvis up from the floor. Continue to bear weight on your right forearm and feet. Aim to hold this lift for around 10-15 seconds. Repeat 5 times for each side.
5. Build your chest and shoulders. Emphasizing upper curves can make the waist seem to shrink, so you should incorporate some shoulder and chest building exercises into your workout routine in order to give the illusion of a smaller waist. Some specific exercises include:
• Bench dips. This exercise works the arms and shoulders and is performed using an exercise step or kitchen chair. To do a bench dip, sit up straight on the edge of the bench or chair, extending your legs in front of you. Firmly grip the edge of the bench or chair and slowly slide your body off the bench, lowering yourself towards the floor. Keep your back straight, and keep lowering until your arms from a 90 degree angle. Push your body back to the original starting position and repeat.
• Push-ups. This classic exercise works the chest muscles. It can be done by propping your body up on your toes (for a more advanced version) or by balancing on your knees (for an easier version). To do it, place your hands palms-down on the floor, approximately shoulder width apart and raise yourself up, using just the strength in your arms, until both arms are fully extended. Slowly lower your body down again until your elbows form a 90-degree angle. Raise yourself back up into the extended arm position and repeat.
6. Try something different. Exercise regimes can become repetitive and boring, making you less inclined to follow through with them. This is why it's important to shake things up from time to time and try something new, whether it's a new form of exercise, or simply incorporating a new prop. Here are some suggestions for shaking up your exercise regime that can also help to improve your waist reduction:
• Use a hula-hoop. Your waist and hips will bene fit from 10 minutes a day of hula-hooping, with the added bonus you get to behave like a kid again each day!
• One way to get and keep your waist (and the rest of your body) looking great is to dance! You don't have to start up dance lessons, but turn on the radio or listen to your iPod and party around for about 20-30 minutes every day. Make sure you're moving all of your body. Dancing burns off lots of calories and it feels great when you're having fun, and you'll look and feel great!
• Use dumbbells. Build shoulder and neck muscles by lifting dumbbells out from your sides for resistance. Lift 10 times for each set, four sets a day. The broader your shoulders and outer thighs, the narrower your waist appears.
• Consider doing yoga or Pilates; these are great activities for core abdominal muscle exercises and you can also be part of a group session which can be very motivating.
• Make exercising comfortable; ensure that you have floor mats, breathable clothing, a water bottle, and other things that help increase your enjoyment of exercise. Music in the background can also add motivation.

Part 3
Dressing Right

1. Wear waist-cinching belts. Draw attention to your waist by wearing belts that emphasize and nip in your middle. They can be wide, skinny, jeweled, braided -- whatever! Wear them over dresses, long tops and even winter coats to get an hourglass figure which gives the illusion of a smaller waist.
2. Wear A line dresses. A line dresses are those which are tight at the hips, then flare out towards the hem, giving the illusion of a smaller waist. They are very flattering on almost every body shape, as they emphasize the waist, while skimming over any imperfections around the hips and thighs.
3. Avoid low-rise jeans jeans. Low-rise jeans can be very unflattering to anyone who carries even a little weight around their middle, as they create the dreaded "muffin top" effect. High waisted jeans are much more forgiving as they cover up any excess fat around the hips, and draw attention to the waist. Worn with a tucked-in shirt, these type of jeans can be very flattering indeed.
4. Try wearing a body-shaping undergarments. Picking the right foundation garments can greatly reduce your waistline.
• Try "shapewear". Most quality lingerie stores carry lines of undergarments that are designed to smooth and support your figure.
• Corsets. Worn under gowns as a figure enhancing item of lingerie in centuries gone by, the corset has gained renewed popularity recently for providing an effortlessly sexy silhouette, whether under other clothes or on its own. Steel-boned corsets (not as painful as they sound - promise!) do the best job of cinching in your waist, and can actually permanently reduce the size of your waist with prolonged wear! 

China, Russia ‘semi-alliance’ to launch drills in S.China Sea

The Chinese Ministry of Defense announced Thursday that China and Russia will launch a joint military drill in the South China Sea in September, a move observers say shows the two countries have formed a "semi-alliance" in the face of an increasingly assertive US.
"This is a routine drill between two military forces aimed at strengthening the developing China-Russia strategic cooperative partnership," said Yang Yujun, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense during a regular monthly press conference in Beijing on Thursday.
Even though Yang said the exercise is not directed against third parties, experts consider that the choice of location and the timing show the drill is aimed specifically at countering the increasing US military presence in the Asia-Pacific.
Shi Yinhong, director of the Center for American Studies at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times that "due to the great pressure Russia receives from the West in Europe, Moscow is becoming more motivated to having deeper strategic cooperation with Beijing at this moment. The drill is an obvious example in the military area."
Shi believes there is no denying that the US is the major strategic rival of both China and Russia. Under pressure from the US, China and Russia are moving their bilateral relationship to a semi-alliance level, Shi said.
Reinforce global stability
China and Russia are both permanent members of the UN Security Council with veto powers. The two countries have cooperated on many international issues in the past, including the Syria crisis and nuclear issue in both Iran and North Korea.
On June 26, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a joint statement in Beijing which aims to reinforce global strategic stability. Experts believe that the military drill in the South China Sea in September is an action based on that statement.
The joint statement makes clear that China and Russia want strategic stability. As both countries believe the US is encroaching on the geopolitical balance in the region, it is only natural for the two nations to stand together, Shi said.
Song Zhongping, a Beijing-based military expert, said the drill's location also shows a strong signal to countries that are trying to get involved in the South China Sea issue militarily.
In 2015, the China-Russia joint military drill was in the Sea of Japan; in 2014, in the East China Sea.
"It's very clear that both countries will pick a hot spot region to launch a drill … this year China and Russia both agreed that to have the drill in the South China Sea has a specific political aim," Song said
Timing coincidental
In September 2016, the G20 Summit will be held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, while the ASEAN Summit will also take place in Vientiane Laos, but experts stressed that the timing of the drill has nothing to do with these events.
Rather, said Song, it is based on the season and weather conditions rather than diplomatic reasons. In September, conditions in the South China Sea are ideal for the exercises.
Shi believes that "Chinese and Russian military forces will avoid the G20 Summit due to the sensitiveness of the timing."
On the specific military aims of the drill, Song considers that the two navies will focus on traditional naval battle craft, such as anti-submarine and anti-aircraft missions, but the drill will be bigger in scale than last year's.
Infrastructure on South China Sea islands might also be used during the drill, Song said.
"The Yongxing Island airport in the Xisha Islands can be used for military aircraft, but others in the Nansha Islands are not ready yet," he noted. 

How to Choose a Corset

There are so many corsets and corset tops that it can be difficult to tell which are high quality and which aren't. This how-to will teach you what to look for in a corset and hopefully stop you from getting ripped off.

Steps

1. If you decide that you want a real shaper, not just a bodice, you will need to look at the boning. All good quality modern corsets are made with steel boning of some kind, which serves the purpose of holding the fabric taut and stopping it from going into folds at your waist and bunching at the back where it laces up. The boning in tops and bodices is usually just thin plastic, so don't make the mistake of imagining you will be able to wear a normal boned top as a corset. •To test if the boning is good enough, bend it quite sharply and it should spring back. If it kinks, it's a sure sign that it will dig in to your waist and be very uncomfortable.
•It doesn't matter if the boning around the corset is slightly more flexible, so long as the bones at the front and back are fairly rigid.

2. Next examine the fabric. Even if you're looking for more of a bodice than a corset, you'll still need a strong fabric like coutil, drill, heavyweight, or canvas. Corsets usually have a fashion fabric and a lining, so you might not be able to see the strong layer but you will be able to feel that it is quite tough. •Take the corset in both hands and tug on the fabric. It should feel very sturdy with no give whatsoever. If the fabric is thin enough to scrunch in your hand, it won't be sturdy enough.
•Incidentally, if the shop assistant thinks you're damaging it, it definitely won't be strong enough to last!

3. Check out the fastenings. Remember that a steel busk is the usual fastening for the front of a corset, and with very few exceptions it's the only type of fastener that is strong enough. •Hooks and eyes will not last long, and likewise zips are best avoided.
•A busk looks like a piece of fairly solid steel boning with loops and studs (a bit like hooks and eyes) attached. If a corset doesn't have a busk, it will need to have some other kind of solid boning down the front.

4. Look at the laces down the back of the corset. These are usually made of flat cotton, like shoelaces. Some types of ribbon can be used, but they have to be very strong material. Eyelets should be very well attached, otherwise they can pop off easily. •Check that the laces have washers on the back, rather than just gripping into the fabric. There should also be solid boning either side of the eyelets to distribute the tension.

5. Know that style and fit of a corset can be the biggest issue especially if you are an unusual shape. Corsets are always sized by waist measurement, not dress size. The number on the label will be something like "22" "24" "26" etc., which is the actual measurement in inches of the waistline of the corset. You will need one about 4 inches (10.2 cm) smaller than your own waist, so you can lace in a bit and have a gap in the laces. •Corsets are designed to give a curvy figure to an average-shaped person, so if you are already quite curvy, you might need to get a "tight lacing" corset which has bigger hips (or even better yet, get one made-to-measure).