Cross-Strait Tensions: The Philippines’ armed forces urged China’s embassy and Beijing’s foreign ministry to publicly reject claims by Chinese scholars that Batanes is part of Taiwan, warning silence could let the idea harden into an official position. Taiwan Narrative Pushback: China’s mainland spokesperson rejected a new “two states” theory promoted by Taiwan’s DPP as a separatist distortion of the “one China” status quo. Property Watch: New-home price declines in China’s major cities kept easing in June, with first-tier cities edging up month-to-month, while a separate report said new-home inventory in core cities is returning to “reasonable” levels under controlled supply. Jobs Snapshot: China’s surveyed urban unemployment rate held at 5.0% in June, with the government aiming for about 5.5% in 2026. Growth Concern: China’s Q2 GDP growth cooled to 4.3%, the weakest since late 2022, as weak demand and a property slump offset stronger output and exports. Consumption Plan: Beijing unveiled its first dedicated five-year consumption plan, targeting about 8.8 trillion dollars in retail sales by 2030 to revive domestic demand. Tech & Security: A report says China-linked hackers used Claude Code and DeepSeek in a government intrusion campaign, while China also faced fresh scrutiny over detained US nuclear seismology research. South China Sea Lawfare: International law experts in Hong Kong denounced the “South China Sea Arbitration Award” as politically manipulated and legally void. People-to-People Ties: Chinese tourist arrivals in the Philippines rose 63% year-on-year in Jan–May, helped by visa-free access and resumed direct flights.