US-China Diplomacy: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Chinese FM Wang Yi in Manila, agreeing to “lay the groundwork” for Xi’s September Washington visit while urging both sides to manage differences and respect core interests. South China Sea Tensions: The talks came as the Philippines protested China’s West Philippine Sea actions and both sides pushed for dialogue and risk reduction. AI Clash: The White House accused Moonshot AI of “distilling” Anthropic’s Fable to build Kimi K3 and allegedly using advanced Nvidia chips via workarounds, while Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang argued open Chinese models “should be used.” Tech Regulation: The FCC voted to close a “component part loophole,” barring US device sales containing key Huawei logic-bearing hardware. China-ASEAN Tourism & Trade: A tourism dialogue in Langkawi focused on connectivity and digital innovation, while Thailand-China’s expo in Bangkok expanded cooperation across investment and technology. Sports Spotlight: China Open results saw new mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie–Clarissa Tan advance, with other Chinese badminton players moving into the second round. Aerospace & EVs: China showcased COMAC jets at Farnborough and BYD adopted Xperi’s DTS AutoStage for in-car media.