China

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi in Beijing and called for the Strait of Hormuz to reopen at an early date.

Wang urged Washington and Tehran to act rationally and return to the Islamabad MoU brokered by Pakistan in June. Beijing also cautioned against the conflict spreading into Yemen and the Red Sea.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang:

Nobody in China is saying that there’s end of this and end of that, and cataclysmic this and doom or that.

We're making it up.

The part that is frustrating is, if it was true, then we ought to talk about it and go do something about it, right?

Even if it’s true, we ought to spend more time doing something about it than worrying a bunch of people who can’t do anything about it.

China calls the Houthi attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure "unacceptable" and said it was deeply concerned about further escalation.

A DF-15 ballistic missile of Chinese origin was reportedly discovered in Marib, Yemen. The Houthis are not known to operate the system and rely largely on Iranian-made missiles. Some people believe it may mark Saudi Arabia’s first combat use of the DF-15A, following Riyadh’s documented secret purchases of Chinese ballistic missiles such as the DF-3A and DF-21.

China's Foreign Ministry dismissed reports of intelligence assistance to Iran as baseless.

Adversaries misusing AI could "directly threaten China's political security, institutional security and ideological security," State Security Minister Chen Yixin warned, flagging rapid AI advances as a risk to political stability and critical infrastructure.

- Bloomberg

President Trump, talking to press aboard Air Force One:

Q: On the topic of Xi, we recently reported that Chinese entities may have provided Iranians with satellite imagery of air bases in Jordan.

T: They do what we do. I think Xi has behaved reasonably well. We are behaving reasonably well.
You know, when they say that china is spying on us, you’re right, and we spy on them too.

Scott Bessent: China's central-planning approach to AI "will never work" because the CCP won't cede enough control.

He said the regime fears that figures like Tencent's CEO or Alibaba's Jack Ma could build something powerful enough to bring it down.

State media reports a fire broke out aboard a cargo ship in China, leaving 20 people dead.

Chinese forces fired flares at an unarmed Philippine Coast Guard patrol plane over the Spratly Islands, first from Subi Reef and again from Mischief Reef near Thitu Island. The PCG called it a threat to aviation safety and said patrols will continue.

Reuters: Iran acquired millions of dollars in Chinese air defense systems over the past year. The purchases ran through a barter mechanism: Iran shipped oil to China and received credit for Chinese goods instead of cash, letting both sides sidestep sanctions. Medicines, vehicles, and communication equipment moved through the same channel.

Qatar's Foreign Ministry: Doha is working with China and regional partners to resume Tehran-Washington talks.

China: The PLA is planning for eventual battlefield deployment of humanoid robots, per a Reuters review of 100+ procurement records, patents, and military papers.

No armed humanoid has been fielded yet. Analysts estimate five to ten years before they're battlefield-ready.

A number of people are missing after more than 100 houses collapsed when a dike breached following heavy rains brought by Typhoon Saudel in Putian, China.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf:

China’s emphasis on fostering common security reflects a principle Iran has long championed. Regional countries must be taking their future into their own hands, and true stability can only come through a new security architecture that is homegrown. Iran stands ready.

U.S. Treasury Secretary: No Iranian oil shipments have crossed the Strait of Hormuz to China since the blockade was reimposed.

Japan plans unprecedented investment in hypersonic missiles and drones to counter China and Russia. Its defence budget request hits nearly 9 trillion yen (£43bn) under PM Sanae Takaichi. - The Telegraph

The Wall Street Journal: "As Chinese warships approach the shores of Japan, the country is facing its biggest security challenges since World War II."

Rosneft CEO: China has overcome the Strait of Hormuz crisis thanks to its oil reserves and cooperation with Russia.

China's Foreign Ministry: "China's lawful rights and interests in Venezuela must be protected." Cooperation with Caracas targets no third party and should face no outside interference.

Trump: A lot of people ask, who is the toughest one to deal with? Is it China? Vietnam?

Actually, it’s Canada.

US Treasury Secretary Bessent: The Chinese are right behind us on AI.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Iran: China has been buying Iranian oil, but only about 30 million barrels of Iranian oil remain on the water. That supply will run out.

Chinese President Xi Jinping's plane has landed in Egypt.

US Treasury Secretary Bessent on Iran: Have had private discussions with China. We're discussing cooperation with China on Iran