China

US and China agreed to a new round of AI safety dialogue following a May summit, with former officials stating it serves American security interests. Details about the talks remain limited.

China test-fired a missile, the Philippines initiated an impeachment trial, and Turkey hosted a NATO leaders’ summit.

Vietnam overtook Mexico as the United States' largest trade deficit partner in May, with a $20.6bn gap compared to Mexico's $20.1bn. Mexico's deficit surged by $5.3bn in a month due to declining exports and rising imports, while Vietnam, Taiwan, and China also featured among the top deficits.

Typhoon Bavi is moving toward China's east coast, prompting school closures in Taipei and flight cancellations. Over 17,000 people have been evacuated in Zhejiang province as the storm weakens from supertyphoon strength. Previous storms, including Tropical Storm Maysak and severe thunderstorms, have caused at least 50 deaths in China.

The AI Futures Project, led by former OpenAI researcher Daniel Kokotajlo, proposes a temporary global pause on frontier AI research in 'AI 2040: Plan A' to prioritize safety and cooperation between the US and China. The plan faces criticism from AI accelerationists but emphasizes that current AI capabilities can still drive economic growth. The article notes China's push for a global AI cooperation organization and OpenAI's disagreements with the White House over AI safety rules.

China successfully recaptured the first stage of a Long March-10B rocket after a launch, marking the country’s first reusable rocket stage recovery. The achievement mirrors SpaceX and Blue Origin’s long-standing practices of reusing boosters to reduce launch costs, with China joining the global trend in rocket recycling.

Western Europe experienced its hottest June on record, causing over 2,700 excess deaths in France and wildfires in France and Spain. The European Commission plans to unveil a 2040 electrification target to reduce oil and gas use, while China released an emission peaking plan for 2030. The Trump administration appointed a climate critic to lead the US national climate assessment, and Ugandan farmers sued the East African oil pipeline in London.

Russia has deployed upgraded 'anti-drone' tanks equipped with the Arena-M system, designed to counter FPV drones and anti-tank weapons. Leaked documents indicate joint development between Moscow and Beijing on next-generation armored vehicles incorporating AI, active protection systems, and drone integration.

China has temporarily banned helium exports, a critical resource for semiconductor manufacturing, due to global supply disruptions caused by the Iran war. The move aims to secure domestic supply as China imports much of its helium and faces tightened global availability.

China successfully recovered the first stage of a Long March-10B rocket after a launch, marking its first achievement in reusable rocket technology. The breakthrough is compared to SpaceX and Blue Origin's established programs, with SpaceX recently launching a booster for the 36th time.

China successfully tested a sea-based rocket booster recovery system using a net on an offshore platform, marking its first retrieval of an orbital-class rocket. The Long March 10B rocket, developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, aims to reduce launch costs for commercial satellite constellations and support lunar missions.

Chinese users praise OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 for its efficiency despite higher costs compared to local rivals, accessing the blocked service via VPNs and proxies. The GPT-5.6 release includes three models—Sol, Terra, and Luna—offering varying capabilities, speeds, and price points.

China and India conducted separate spying campaigns against the same Pakistani police force between February 2024 and April 2026. The campaigns targeted the police force responsible for Pakistan's southwestern province, an area with a long-running separatist insurgency.

China achieved a breakthrough in its space program by successfully capturing the Long March 10B rocket booster, making it the second country to recover a rocket booster.

China is prioritizing income growth and wage-distribution reforms to mitigate the impact of artificial intelligence on the domestic job market. A new blueprint from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security outlines strategies like promoting collective wage bargaining, ensuring steady wage increases, and shifting pay toward frontline workers.

Asian powers including Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan are enhancing domestic military manufacturing due to US missile delivery delays and deepening regional alliances. India, Japan, and Australia are pursuing diplomatic initiatives, such as India's uranium supply deal with Australia and defense agreements with Pacific island nations.

Zelensky stated that China has firmly rejected Russian rhetoric about using nuclear weapons against Ukraine. He cited European leaders indicating Beijing warned against nuclear escalation, calling it a significant shift.

China has joined a group of space powers capable of recovering an orbital-class booster rocket. The developers used an alternative method to that employed by SpaceX.

China successfully landed the first stage of its Long March-10B reusable rocket using a net-based recovery system, marking its first orbital rocket reuse. This achievement positions China alongside SpaceX and Blue Origin in reusable rocket technology, though its payload capacity still lags behind SpaceX's Falcon 9.

Volkswagen reported an 8.6% decline in group sales in Q2 2026, with a significant drop in China. The company announced plans to reduce its model lineup by nearly half as part of a 'fundamental realignment' to improve competitiveness, citing challenges like geopolitical tensions, tariffs, and stiff competition, particularly from Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers.

Volkswagen reported an 8.6% sales decline in Q2, with a significant drop in China, as the automaker announced plans to reduce its model lineup by up to half. CEO Oliver Blume emphasized streamlining operations to improve competitiveness amid rising costs and stiff competition, particularly from Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers.

Volkswagen reported a significant sales decline, particularly in China, and announced plans to reduce its model lineup by nearly half to improve competitiveness. CEO Oliver Blume emphasized streamlining operations and addressing challenges like rising costs and stiff competition, while a protest occurred at a Zwickau plant over job concerns.

Volkswagen reported an 8.6% sales decline in Q2, with a significant drop in China, and announced plans to reduce models by nearly half to streamline operations. CEO Oliver Blume emphasized reducing complexity and improving competitiveness amid rising costs, geopolitical tensions, and stiff competition, while protests emerged over job concerns at a Zwickau plant transitioning to electric vehicles.

Marsha Blackburn's gubernatorial campaign ad features anti-China rhetoric, including smashing fortune cookies and claims to protect Tennessee farmland from Chinese acquisition, despite USDA data showing China owns less than 1% of U.S. farmland. The ad repeats themes from her 2024 Senate campaign, which also used Asian stereotypes and targeted the Chinese Communist Party.

The article highlights the U.S. economy's dangerous reliance on China, particularly in critical sectors like defense, healthcare, and technology. It urges the Securities and Exchange Commission to require companies to disclose supply chain risks from China, citing vulnerabilities such as China's control over rare earth elements and pharmaceutical ingredients.

The Pentagon requested increased military cooperation from Latin America. Critics argue this approach will fail to counter China and may inadvertently benefit Beijing.

Australia and Fiji signed a defense pact called the Ocean of Peace Alliance (Veitacini Treaty) on July 6 in Suva. The agreement states that an armed attack on either party in the Pacific will be treated as a shared security threat, with both governments committing to act against it. The article notes the pact is not just about China.

China successfully recaptured the first stage of a Long March-10B rocket using a net-capture system on a seaborne platform near Hainan Island, marking its first such achievement. The breakthrough aligns with SpaceX's reusable rocket technology, aiming to reduce launch costs.

Typhoon Maysak, the first landfalling typhoon of China's 2026 season, caused severe flooding in Guangxi and central regions, stranding residents on rooftops and resulting in 11 deaths. Flooding led to escaped snakes, including cobras, from breeding farms, while the typhoon also contributed to two tornadoes forming due to colliding warm and cold air masses.

China successfully recaptured the first stage of a Long March-10B rocket after a launch, marking the country's first such achievement. The rocket's first stage returned to a sea platform, a technique previously pioneered by SpaceX to reduce launch costs through reusability.

China successfully recaptured the first stage of a Long March-10B rocket after a launch, marking the country's first reusable rocket recovery. The achievement mirrors SpaceX's long-standing practice of reusing boosters to reduce launch costs. The rocket launched from Hainan Island and can carry 16,000 kg to low Earth orbit, compared to SpaceX's Falcon 9's 22,800 kg capacity.

China successfully recaptured the first stage of a Long March-10B rocket after a launch, marking the country's first reusable rocket recovery. The achievement mirrors SpaceX's long-standing practice of reusing boosters to reduce launch costs. The rocket, launched from Hainan Island, can carry payloads up to 16,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit.

The article argues that the U.S. is focusing on short-term AI technology benchmarks while China is building a comprehensive AI ecosystem through energy infrastructure, semiconductor production (e.g., Huawei's Ascend processors), and computing systems. It highlights the AI Power Stack as a framework where energy, semiconductors, and infrastructure collectively determine technological dominance.

China has eased a boycott of higher-end Nvidia processors, allowing companies like Alibaba, ByteDance, and DeepSeek to purchase H200 chips. The move aims to balance concerns over AI developer chip shortages against the risk of over-reliance on U.S. technology.

BMW's car sales have declined following a 30% drop in China. The article references a BMW AG dealership in Shanghai.

Iran’s late supreme leader Ali Khamenei was buried in Mashhad following a six-day funeral procession attended by 41-43 million people. The funeral spanned five cities in Iran and Iraq, with mourners chanting anti-American slogans and carrying banners referencing 'Kill Trump'. Khamenei was killed in a US-Israeli air strike on 28 February 2026, marking the start of an ongoing war.

Zelenskyy stated that China directly warned Russia against using nuclear weapons in response to Ukrainian strikes. He learned of this from European leaders at the NATO summit in Ankara and discussed it with U.S. President Donald Trump. A Russian MP recently urged Putin to consider nuclear strikes to force a peace agreement.

North Korean Premier Pak Thae-song is visiting China for three days, during which Beijing has given rare praise for North Korea's economic achievements. The visit includes an event commemorating the 65th anniversary of the China-North Korea defense pact.

The Philippines commemorated the 10th anniversary of a 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated China's expansive claims in the South China Sea. China rejected the ruling as illegal, while the U.S. reiterated its commitment to defend the Philippines under their security treaty. Territorial disputes in the region remain a flashpoint involving multiple nations.

The Philippines commemorated the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling, which invalidated China’s expansive claims in the disputed waters. China rejected the ruling as illegal, while the U.S. and allies reiterated support for the decision, citing its importance for maritime law and regional stability.