US-China Summit Focus: Xi Jinping departs Beijing for Washington for a first-in-11-years state visit, with analysts expecting “strategic stability” talks and modest AI-safety outcomes, including possible incident-notification arrangements. AI Rivalry & Safety Debate: Industry leaders urge a slowdown, but both the US and China show no sign of hitting the brakes as their frontier labs and open-weight models keep accelerating. Open-Weight AI Momentum: China’s open-weight models are surging in downloads and benchmarks, with Alibaba, DeepSeek, Moonshot and others widening the lead. Cybersecurity: ESET says China-aligned FamousSparrow has expanded a new backdoor, SparroWocky, targeting government-linked groups in Latin America. Global Governance Youth: A China forum on international rule of law in Shenzhen calls for practical digital-age cooperation to build fairer global governance, while Chinese students pitch AI-powered peace solutions. Transport & Trade Links: China-Europe freight via the Trans-Caspian route jumped over 60% year-on-year, and Alibaba plans overseas data centers across Europe, the Middle East and more. Maritime & Security: Russia’s Pacific Fleet drills counter unmanned systems in the South China Sea, while Cyprus and China push maritime cooperation via IMO channels. WorldSkills Shanghai 2026: Premier Li Qiang urges AI education and tighter industry-school links as the skills mega-event opens in Shanghai. Sports: China’s 13-year-old Yu Zidi wins third Asian Games gold in the 400m IM, and China defends men’s gymnastics team title.