After Swiss talks, the US and Iran have cooled tensions that nearly derailed the peace process. 17 business executives from semiconductor giants ASML and NXP will join Dutch Trade Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma on his trip to China in early July. Chinese tourists are expected to be among the hardest hit by Japan’s five-fold visa fee increase. A doctor at Tuen Mun Hospital in Hong Kong has been fired for conducting an unauthorised procedure on a patient. A man living in eastern China was sentenced to jail for breeding over 300 pythons at home.
The U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Commerce and State sent letters to state governors and CEOs to encourage them to expand engagement with Taiwan. Taiwan is the country's fourth-largest overall trading partner and seventh-largest market for agricultural exports. The agencies encourage recipients to contact the Department of State if they experience pressure from China.
Yan Xuetong is an honorary president of the Institute of International Relations at Tsinghua University in Beijing. He said the global security situation will deteriorate rather than improve over the next five years. Europe, the Middle East and Africa are likely to face the biggest threats in the coming year. Since 1991 there had been virtually no inter-state wars in the East Asia since 1991. East Asia could become the world's best region for maintaining overall peace and sustaining economic growth.
A total of 413 companies set up local entities or expanded their presence in Hong Kong in the first six months of 2026, representing a year-on-year increase of 9%. 60 per cent of the firms set up in the city so far this year came from mainland China. Innovations and technology now account for the largest share of the international and mainland Chinese companies.
The American Institute in Taiwan and a joint statement expressed concern over recent Chinese harassment of commercial vessels in the waters east of Taiwan. China's claim to jurisdiction over waters administered by Taiwan for over 70 years seriously undermines regional stability. The U.S. urged China to stop its military, diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan and to engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan's democratically elected government.
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New Zealand's Defence Force and Ministry of Foreign Affairs are monitoring a People's Liberation Army navy (PLA-N) flotilla in the Philippine Sea. New Zealand officials are in close contact with Australian counterparts and maintaining situational awareness of these vessels. China has directed billions of dollars into defence in recent years. Beijing insists its aims are peaceful.
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Beijing and Hong Kong have been urged by Beijing to join hands and pursue synergy. Global investors want more opening under closer collaboration between the two cities. A decade ago, Stock Connect allowed foreign investors to buy mainland Chinese stocks through Hong Kong and vice versa. The connect programme has broadened to cover bonds, exchange-traded funds, wealth-management products and interest-rate swaps over the past 10 years.
Iran and the U.S. have agreed a 60-day ceasefire, a waiver allowing Iran to export oil during that period and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. However, many traders and investors are reluctant to make long-term commitments. Abbas Shi is a Chinese businessman who has been helping connect Chinese companies with Iranian partners since 2024.