Japan–China Security Spat: Japan’s defence minister Shinjiro Koizumi pushed back at accusations of “new militarism” at the Shangri-La Dialogue, arguing it’s “strange” to label Tokyo while China expands with little transparency. South China Sea Tensions: The U.S. Coast Guard joined Philippine forces in a Scarborough Shoal patrol, while China also staged combat readiness patrols near the area, underscoring a fresh round of pressure around disputed waters. Typhoon Jangmi Disrupts Travel: Japan’s weather agency warned Typhoon Jangmi could bring heavy rain and violent winds from Kyushu to the Kanto region, with hundreds of millimetres possible and flight cancellations already reported. U.S.–China AI Chip Crackdown: The U.S. moved to close a loophole that may have enabled advanced Nvidia/AMD chips to reach Chinese entities via overseas subsidiaries. Philippines–Japan Dealmaking: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wrapped a four-day state visit to Tokyo, securing maritime security and investment pledges and agreeing to start talks on classified information sharing and maritime boundary delimitation. Regional Business: US-ASEAN Business Council urged faster customs digitalisation and anti-illicit trade enforcement to strengthen supply chains. Sports: Thailand, Malaysia and China qualified for the women’s cricket event at the Asian Games in Japan.