ASEAN Diplomacy in Manila: Malaysia’s foreign minister says West Asia, Gaza-Lebanon spillover, South China Sea tensions, and ASEAN food security (rice and power grid) will dominate the 59th ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting. China-Thailand Legislative Ties: NPC Standing Committee chair Zhao Leji met Thai PM Anutin in Beijing, stressing one-China alignment and pushing cooperation between legislatures and ASEAN parliamentarians. US-China Election Tensions: A fresh US Senate confirmation exchange spotlights Trump-era election denialism as the White House again raises foreign interference claims, while Indiana election officials insist their systems and audits remain secure. AI Governance Push: Xi Jinping unveiled the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization and urged open-source, openness, and “secure and controllable” AI under human control as WAIC closed in Shanghai with Global South momentum. Market Stabilization: China’s “national team” state-backed investors bought about $9B in shares to steady A-shares, while regulators plan more talks with market participants. Taiwan Grey-Zone Pressure: Reports say Chinese coast guard activity around Taiwan jumped 83% in June, prompting Taipei to rehearse blockade scenarios. AI Rivalry Heats Up: Moonshot’s Kimi K3 and Alibaba’s Qwen 3.8 previews intensify open-model competition and rattle US tech sentiment. Trade/Industry Flashpoints: Japan’s rare-earth exports from China to Japan fell to zero in June amid the ongoing diplomatic spat over Taiwan. Bilateral Logistics: China Eastern launched a Shanghai–Dublin direct flight, adding passenger and temperature-controlled cargo links.