Tuesday, June 30, 2026: South China Sea shadowing heats up; Iran plays Hormuz card ahead of Doha talks; Alibaba and Tencent drop DC lobbyists to comply with US curbs.

Tuesday, June 30, 2026: South China Sea shadowing heats up; Iran plays Hormuz card ahead of Doha talks; Alibaba and Tencent drop DC lobbyists to comply with US curbs. Chinese vessels shadow U.S.-Philippine drills near disputed shoal while Iran rattles the Strait of Hormuz—two flashpoints, one session, defense and energy names bid across Tokyo and Seoul. BABA and 0700.HK ditch their DC lobbyists to stay clean on US curbs—no quick thaw in Washington, HK tech index opens defensive, sell-on-strength still the trade. Richard Koo warns China and Japan share a 'battle against time' as balance-sheet recession dynamics bite—same day Japan–Germany defense industry pact lands, fiscal activism vibes, JGBs steady, yen bid. Prelim anti-dumping ruling on nickel-added stainless steel hits—nickel names in Jakarta and Seoul twitch, another protectionist ripple in supply chains. So what? Asia digests a triple shot of geopolitical risk, tech decoupling, and creeping protectionism. Fleeing into yen, g

Chinese vessels shadow U.S.-Philippine drills near disputed shoal while Iran rattles the Strait of Hormuz—two flashpoints, one session, defense and energy names bid across Tokyo and Seoul.