War on China News June 29-July 6 Update 2025
Week In Review
The situation in the Middle East continues to be tense following the Israeli-US attack on Iran. Iran has entered discussions with China to purchase J-10 fighters, after the Iranian defense minister inspected one during his visit to China for an SCO defense minister’s conference. The J-10 won international fame for its high performance during the recent Pakistan-India hostilities by shooting down several Indian French-made Rafale fighters. Iran is seeking to beef up its air defenses against future attacks, though the J-10s will likely take some years to be introduced and integrated into the Iranian military system even if negotiations are completed rapidly. Iran has continued to express an openness to negotiation with the US, and is preparing to meet the US in Oslo in the coming weeks. The divide between Iran and the US positions on the relevant issues remains substantial however, and negotiated agreement seems unlikely. The conflict seems likely to reignite in the near future, as Israel has been continuing its regional aggression and has expressed discontent with the failure to topple the Iranian govt, while Saudi Arabia has put its first THAAD missile defense system into operation.
The full breadth of War on China’s in depth Middle East coverage can be found here:
https://x.com/bk_hanasa/status/1940331890512400801?t=XcTQEAmVq56cJu9IKvdPKgv
https://english.news.cn/20250705/1778cba71aa84b6dba5da14c940f94df/c.html
https://www.axios.com/2025/07/03/iran-nuclear-talks-witkoff-meeting
https://x.com/JehadAbusalim/status/1940077364056076748?t=erbJim5-_rlOCIT0btxKDQ
https://x.com/ksaembassyspox/status/1940519637252485477?t=XcTQEAmVq56cJu9IKvdPKg
The trade war mess might resume in its most idiotic and radical form very soon. With the 90 day tariff pause Trump announced shortly after “Liberation Day” shortly to reach its deadline on 9 July, Treasury Secretary Bessent has threatened reimposition of the astronomical “reciprocal” rates unless other countries cave to US demands by 1 August. However, Trump’s initial retreat and this further deadline extension is only likely to further fuel expectations that the US does not actually have the stomach to go through with this moronic enterprise. Trump also recently trumpeted that the US had reached a trade deal with Vietnam. The deal reportedly continues some tariffs on Vietnam while Vietnam is supposed to buy more US goods like SUVs. How a still fairly impoverished developing country is supposed to start buying 6 figure USD US auto monstrosities is anyone’s guess though. The deal also supposedly includes a higher tariff on “transshipment” of any goods from China. China has warned against other countries reaching deals and its expense, stating that trade agreements should not aim to harm the interests of third parties. Japan has continued to play hardball with its own trade negotiations with the US, which given how slavishly pro US the Japanese govt typically is, is not a great indicator for US prospects.
For War on China’s in-depth trade war coverage:
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/06/bessent-trump-tariffs-deadline-august-00440522
https://x.com/rapidresponse47/status/1940421456841560070?t=XcTQEAmVq56cJu9IKvdPKg
https://x.com/XHNews/status/1940589218197393504
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has been on a European tour. Wang has met with EU and national govt officials throughout Europe, discussing economic issues and pushing for greater China-Europe cooperation. European leaders have been busy complaining about the Ukraine crisis to China though, accusing China of fueling the conflict by supporting Russia, charges Wang has once again denied. China has also recently announced similar retaliatory action against EU firms over EU restrictions against Chinese medical device companies contracting in the EU.
https://x.com/globaltimesnews/status/1940438645275820394?t=XcTQEAmVq56cJu9IKvdPKg
https://x.com/globaltimesnews/status/1940703300938321960?t=XcTQEAmVq56cJu9IKvdPKg
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3316875/china-tells-eu-it-cannot-afford-russian-loss-ukraine-war-sources-say?module=top_story&pgtype=homepage
https://english.news.cn/20250706/c7ec5285dc314f36909746a8a325b532/c.html
The BRICS summit is occurring in Rio de Janeiro. Chinese Premier Li Qiang is in attendance, and has called upon the group to advance global governance reform and development work. Li has also met with the officials of other countries at the conference on a bilateral basis, most prominently host President Lula, where China pledged deepening cooperation in important sectors like aerospace. BRICS has released a joint statement calling for reforms to the international system, condemning attacks against members like Iran and Russia, and deepening international cooperation. These moves also saw substantive action recently with Colombia and Uzbekistan joining the BRICS New Development Bank.
https://x.com/CCTV/status/1941671114943627557
https://x.com/leonidragozin/status/1941959243416191014
https://english.news.cn/20250706/8ef13f0c7acf4a73a32910b06cfe1252/c.html
https://brics.br/en/documents
https://x.com/globaltimesnews/status/1941659386293911645
The Lee administration in South Korea is continuing its reform process. The special prosecutor against former president Yoon’s coup has once again requested an arrest warrant for Yoon, after a previous attempt failed while Yoon was still in office. This comes amidst further revelations of the extent of the Yoonite plotting, attempting to provoke an attack by the DPRK as a pretext for a domestic putsch. The Lee administration is also moving away from the Yoonite ultra pro-US position, with reestablishing contacts with Pyongyang and improving relations with Russia and China both being state as priorities by Lee. This effort has already seemingly borne fruit as Lee has been invited to Beijing for the celebrations of the united victory over Japan in 1945. By contrast, US Secretary of State Rubio has canceled his planned trip to east Asia, where a stop in Korea was planned, over the concerns in the Middle East.
For War on China’s previous coverage of the Korean issue:
https://x.com/koryodynasty/status/1941780018226778155?t=XcTQEAmVq56cJu9IKvdPKg
https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/english_editorials/1206139.html
https://x.com/globaltimesnews/status/1940609141787316390
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-07-02/national/diplomacy/China-invites-President-Lee-to-attend-diplomatically-touchy-Victory-Day-celebration-in-Beijing-/2343831
https://x.com/JoongAngDaily/status/1940638054340874351
The PLA has been in the news recently. The aircraft carrier Shandong, China’s second aircraft carrier, has made a major port of call in the Hong Kong SAR. The visit is the carrier’s first visit to Hong Kong in five years, and has been trumpeted as part of the commitments to the SAR’s safety and security. China built a new jet powered flying boat, likely an Ekranoplan, a sort of low altitude hybrid of a hovercraft and an airplane. Vessels of this type were first built by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, with the Soviet armed forces experimenting with them as potential attack craft or landing ships. China has also introduced new weapons into service. The J-35, China’s second stealth fighter, has formally entered service with the PLA. The J-35 is a smaller aircraft than China’s inaugural stealth aircraft, the J-20, and is expected to serve as the backbone of China’s future superheavy carriers like the Fujian (undergoing sea testing) and carriers 004 and 005 (under construction). China has introduced a new graphite bomb, a non-lethal way of disabling an electrical grid by having the dispersed graphite from the bomb short circuit power lines and transformers and the like.
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2025/06/china-builds-new-jet-powered-large-ekranoplan/
https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/entirely-new-stealth-fighter-joined-china-air-force-j35
https://www.eurasiantimes.com/1st-used-by-the-u-s-in-1991-china-bets-big-silent/
China continues to make substantial technical advances. Huawei has opted to make some of its AI models in the Pangu series open source, signaling further confidence in their product and aiding its adoption around the world. Chines 3d printing has also advanced, with a Chinese firm producing a 3d printed micro turbojet engine, while China’s space program has successfully printed bricks which might help build a future space settlement out of lunar material samples recovered by a Chinese probe. By contrast, the US is facing ongoing technical challenges, with Samsung halting a 44 billion dollar Texas chip factory project for lack of customers. These challenges are only likely to deepen over the long term given the Trump adminsitration’s attacks on US science and research, attacks which have been further deepened with the passage of Trump’s signature BBB legislative package of social and science spending and tax cuts combined with massive expansion of state repression and xenophobia through ICE.
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/01/huawei-open-sources-more-ai-models-grows-into-chinese-ai-juggernaut.html?s=09
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202507/1337491.shtml
https://x.com/pdchina/status/1940214286464557526?t=XcTQEAmVq56cJu9IKvdPKg
https://x.com/wmhuo168/status/1940880875128082925
https://www.axios.com/2025/07/04/trump-signs-big-beautiful-bill-tax-spending-budget
Controversy has resumed over the Dalai Lama and his reincarnation. All parties involved very clearly think the 90 year old is dying, or close to it, which has led to a spurt of activity surrounding the coming reincarnation issue. Chinese officialdom and media has reiterated that the reincarnation must be done in line with traditional practices of the Golden Urn, with the necessary artifacts and approval from the central govt, both of which have been in place for centuries. By contrast, the Dalai Lama and his CIA handlers have been desperate to maintain their anti-China figurehead, and have therefore delegated the selection of the new Lama to a foundation they control in Switzerland. Tibetan Buddhism, brought to you by the CIA and Credit Suisse.
https://x.com/xhnews/status/1940212320111927741?t=XcTQEAmVq56cJu9IKvdPKg
https://x.com/RnaudBertrand/status/1940574901901185080
China is deepening its friendship with Cuba. The two countries had a poor relationship for much of the Cold War thanks to the Sino-Soviet split, but since then relations have warmed substantially. In addition to Chinese ships and flights to the island helping to break the US imposed blockade, China has also been helping to rebuild the island’s power grid. Cuba’s electrical system has faced serious challenges in recent years with major blackouts on multiple occasions. Chinese firms have stepped in with massive rollouts of solar energy kits across the island, vastly decreasing the amount of precious fuel that has to be devoted to power generation.
https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/china-is-quietly-supplanting-russia-cubas-main-benefactor-2025-06-30/
The Filipino govt continues its remarkable record of foolish servitude to Western interests. The Filipino govt is reportedly considering purchases of Japanese naval vessels, representing a further anti-China military integration with the perpetrators of the Rape of Manila. Aside from the high price inevitable in Western military contracts, the vessels will also be of at best questionable value as an independent force when faced with the PLA. The Filipino govt is also becoming closer to the apartheid republics of the Baltics, in particular the barking anti-China nitwits in Lithuania. In between furious denunciations of their own Russian-speaking population and empty threats against Putin, the racist fools in Vilnius found time to try and bring in Filipino migrant workers. This is perhaps their solution to their racist policies and neoliberal failures causing the population to fall by 1/3.
https://x.com/FirstSquawk/status/1941839489024118810
https://x.com/DSakaliene/status/1940501083912122754