US-China Sanctions Clash: China condemned new U.S. moves adding 43 Chinese firms to the Uyghur forced-labor blacklist, calling it “economic coercion” and vowing to protect company interests. South China Sea Tensions: Beijing and Manila traded fresh accusations over Scarborough Shoal/Huangyan Dao as China also issued new Huangyan Dao nature reserve management measures and staged naval-air drills. AI for Defense: A Reuters review says PLA-linked researchers used U.S. AI models (OpenAI/Anthropic) via “model distillation” to train domestic defense systems, spotlighting a widening regulatory fight. Cyber Governance: China’s internet regulator opened a draft anti-cyberbullying law, including AI-facilitated abuse, with identity checks and platform takedown/reporting duties. Energy Tech Push: China plans to expand quantum technologies across the power grid after a Hefei trial to detect and diagnose faults and reduce blackout risk. China-ASEAN Housing Link: Malaysia hosted an ASEAN-China housing ministerial roundtable focused on sustainable cities and quality housing. Diplomacy & PLA Anniversary: Chinese embassies marked the PLA’s 99th founding anniversary, while China also marked 71 years of Nepal-China diplomatic ties. Business/Trade: CCPIT-led Chinese entrepreneurs met the U.S.-China Business Council in Washington to push practical economic cooperation.