Events

Hamas says it has signed an agreement in Beijing to work with other Palestinian groups towards “national unity”. Chinese officials said the factions, including Fatah, had agreed to set up an interim reconciliation gov't for post-war Gaza

Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah sign declaration in Beijing on ending yearslong rift, as war in Gaza rages on, Chinese state media says

Chinese media: Leaders from Fatah and Hamas will meet with journalists in Beijing in the presence of the Chinese Foreign Minister

Pentagon: China seeks to increase its influence in the Arctic

Pentagon: China and Russia are increasingly cooperating in the Arctic

Since Georgia transferred 49 percent of the shares in the strategic Anaklia deep-water port project to a Chinese state consortium, China has also shown interest in the construction of the international Vaziani Airport

Taiwan’s largest military drill, the Han Kuang exercise has begun. They simulate how Taiwan would defend against an all out invasion from China. Day 1 began with Naval ships leaving their port at Su’ao

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, in his State of the Nation address, announces the total shutdown and ban of online casinos, now mostly owned by Chinese, in the country

Chinese Foreign Ministry just announced that @DmytroKuleba will visit China from July 23 to 26 at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi

Taiwan Ministry of Defense:12 PLA aircraft, 7 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC 8) today. 5 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ

Eleven people were confirmed dead as of Saturday morning following the partial collapse of a highway bridge in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, local authorities said.

Commission Chair Jane Harman: bipartisan commission unanimous “threats [facing U.S.] greater than WW II.” Need “fundamental change to way Pentagon does business, lack of urgency.” “Clearly a broken budgeting process,” “how to pay for fixes.” Gen Jack Keane: 2018 NDS Commission showed us how U.S. military has atrophied. “5 years later have failed to keep up with threats.” “Potential for near term war is real.” “China is outpacing US military has negated US military advantage after 2 decades of investment.” “When we get within 1000 miles of Chinese mainland the military advantage moved to China, would be challenged to win. We could lose,” Gen Jack Keane tells @AspenSecurity

US seeing increase in "intent to use" by Russia China of space and counterspace weapons, @DefenseIntel Dir LtGen Jeff Kruse tells @AspenSecurity

“We request your administration provide us with a full list of military, diplomatic, and economic options developed by the Departments of State and Defense to support the Philippines,” read a letter, seen by Reuters,from Senators Roger Wicker and Jim Risch

China: fire in a shopping center in Sichuan, people trapped

China suspended negotiations with the US on arms control and nuclear non-proliferation

The active phase of joint exercises between the Belarusian and Chinese military began at the Brest training ground

US Navy: The US and Philippine Coast Guards conducted a bilateral search and rescue exercise in the South China Sea on July 16.

Bloomberg: Would you defend Taiwan against China? Trump: No

The head of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry said that he expects to meet with Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN Security Council; in the morning he spoke by telephone with the head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry

Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Andrei Bulyga, held talks with his Chinese counterpart, Major General Zhang Fan - Ministry of Defense

China, Russia start joint naval drills, days after NATO allies called Beijing a Ukraine war enabler

China renews the call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip

China-Taiwan: "An invasion or a PRC act of aggression is neither imminent nor inevitable" per Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs @ASD_IndoPacific Ely Ratner at @CSIS "But we've got a lot of work to do to keep it that way" he adds "We are working with allies like never before ."

German Federal government bans Huawei and ZTE technology from China in 5G mobile networks here

The White House: China supports Russia's war in Ukraine

Chinese President: An early ceasefire and political settlement in Ukraine would serve the interests of all parties

Hungarian Prime Minister from Beijing: China is a major force in creating conditions for peace in the Russian-Ukrainian war

Philippine Army Commander: The United States offered us support in the South China Sea operations

International community should take measures to guard against danger of Israel's attacks on Palestine or Russia-Ukraine war spreading, Turkish president tells Chinese counterpart