Wednesday, June 24, 2026 | China-Philippines naval stand-off at Scarborough Shoal. Alibaba sues Pentagon over blacklist. Australia ramps up bird flu surveillance after first mainland cases.

Beijing and Manila trade accusations after a rare naval stand-off near Scarborough Shoal, as China unveils a record 100-metre observation tower in the South China Sea. Trump-Iran nuclear deal remains locked over inspections and frozen assets. Alibaba ($BABA) sues the Pentagon to challenge its China military blacklist designation. Separately, China’s NDRC chairman meets Indonesia’s coordinating minister for maritime affairs, deepening economic and resource cooperation. Japan releases securities financing statistics and BOJ’s government bond holdings stay in focus. China prints April industrial production and Jan-April retail sales data, with muted market reaction but steady consumption under scrutiny. China launches a preliminary anti-dumping probe on nickel-added cold-rolled stainless steel imports. Australia scales up bird flu testing after first mainland cases, elevating biosecurity concerns for agri-commodity supply chains. From South China Sea flashpoints and Alibaba’s Pentagon

Beijing and Manila trade accusations after a rare naval stand-off near Scarborough Shoal, as China unveils a record 100-metre observation tower in the South China Sea. Trump-Iran nuclear deal remains locked over inspections and frozen assets.