A four-day World Artificial Intelligence Conference began last Friday in Shanghai, where China announced the formation of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) with 29 founding member countries. Chinese President Xi Jinping urged participating nations to strengthen collaboration in artificial intelligence and warned against any single country establishing dominance in the field. The conference, themed “AI Partnership for a Brighter Future,” showcased China’s latest AI technologies aimed at matching US capabilities.

WAICO, headquartered in Shanghai, aims to enhance international cooperation and develop safe and beneficial AI governance frameworks. Founding members include Indonesia, Brazil, Malaysia, South Africa, Senegal, Russia, and Pakistan. Analysts believe Beijing could use the alliance to influence AI policymaking at the United Nations and promote its state-centric governance model.

The initiative comes amid intensifying US-China competition over semiconductors and AI leadership. Washington has imposed export restrictions on advanced chips to China, while Beijing has responded with its own curbs. By leading WAICO, China seeks to shape global AI standards and expand its influence among Global South nations.

Typhoon Bavi struck China’s Zhejiang province on Saturday, causing severe weather across the southern and eastern regions and disrupting travel plans for thousands of passengers. According to Global Times, more than 2,800 domestic and international flights were canceled on Sunday, with hundreds more delayed or suspended in major cities including Nanjing, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Shenyang, Dalian, and Chengdu.

Heavy rainfall in northern China led to widespread flight delays at Beijing Capital and Beijing Daxing international airports. Shanghai Pudong and Hongqiao airports reported that about 30 percent of their flights could be canceled due to adverse weather. Thunderstorm warnings were issued at 45 airports, including those in Hangzhou and Changzhou in Jiangsu province.

Rail services were also affected, with several high-speed train routes temporarily suspended for passenger safety. Airports in Fujian, Zhejiang, Guangxi, and Hainan provinces experienced major disruptions. The weather bureau warned that heavy rain and flash floods could persist through Sunday night, potentially worsening transport difficulties across the country.

A powerful Typhoon Bavi struck eastern China on Saturday, marking the second major storm to hit the country within a week. The typhoon first made landfall in the coastal city of Taizhou in the evening before reaching Wenzhou around midnight. Authorities evacuated about two million people from disaster-prone areas, including over 1.7 million from Zhejiang Province alone. Flights, train services, schools, and outdoor activities were suspended as precautionary measures.

Before reaching China, Bavi had passed near Japan’s remote islands and northern Taiwan, bringing heavy rainfall, and earlier caused at least 17 deaths in the Philippines due to landslides. Although the storm weakened into a severe tropical storm, it continued to pose risks from intense rainfall and moisture. State media warned of extremely heavy rain in parts of Zhejiang and Fujian provinces on Sunday.

Officials expect the typhoon to gradually lose strength as it moves northwest. The storm follows Typhoon Maysak, which struck southern China earlier in the week, killing at least 39 people and causing significant agricultural losses.

More than 600,000 people have been evacuated from vulnerable areas in eastern China as Super Typhoon Bavi moves toward the coast. Although meteorologists report that the storm has weakened slightly, it remains extremely dangerous, with forecasts warning of heavy rainfall and strong winds. Over 500,000 people were relocated from Zhejiang province and nearly 100,000 from neighboring Fujian. The typhoon, which earlier passed near Japan’s Sakishima Islands and northern Taiwan, is expected to make landfall near Wenzhou in Zhejiang early Sunday.

China’s national weather agency has issued an orange alert, the second-highest warning level, prompting the cancellation of hundreds of flights, suspension of ferry services, and closure of schools. In Ningde, Fujian, more than 3,700 coastal residents have been moved to safety, and over 17,000 emergency workers are on standby. Residents in Wenzhou have stocked up on food and water, expressing cautious optimism about managing the storm.

Meteorologists warn that despite weakening over the Pacific, Bavi’s moisture-laden clouds could still trigger heavy rain, flash floods, and landslides. Southern regions are still recovering from Tropical Storm Maysak, which caused deadly flooding earlier in the week.

China is constructing one of the world’s largest hydroelectric dams on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, sparking environmental concerns in Bangladesh and India, as the river flows downstream into both countries. A group of Chinese geologists recently warned that the project site lies directly above an active fault line, posing potential structural risks to the dam.

According to a study supervised by the state-owned China Geological Survey, the Paizhen fault runs through the reservoir area of the project, which began construction last year. Researchers from Chengdu University of Technology and other institutions found that the fault has been active since the Pleistocene era and continues to threaten the stability of dams, bridges, and tunnels in the region. The study also noted that the dam’s foundation and surrounding slopes could weaken, increasing the risk of landslides or collapses during earthquakes or prolonged submersion.

The researchers recommended reinforcing mountain slopes, building retaining walls, and implementing additional safety measures during construction to mitigate seismic and landslide risks.

The leader of Bangladesh’s opposition and Jamaat-e-Islami chief expressed deep sorrow over a deadly fire at the Huiteng shoe factory in Jinjiang city, Fujian province, China. The incident occurred on July 9, 2026, killing at least 28 workers and injuring or trapping many others. In a condolence message issued on Thursday, he described the tragedy as extremely painful and extended sympathy to the bereaved families.

He noted that the victims were working people who supported their families and that their sudden deaths had left their relatives in severe distress. The Jamaat chief prayed for proper respect for the deceased and for the full recovery of those injured or burned in the fire. He also expressed hope that the Chinese authorities would rescue those still trapped inside the factory and take effective measures for their rehabilitation.

He further wished that the Chinese government and people would soon overcome the extensive losses caused by the disaster.

At least 28 people were killed in a massive fire at a shoe factory in Jinjiang city, Fujian province, southeastern China. The blaze broke out around noon local time on Thursday at the Huiteng Footwear factory, according to the state news agency Xinhua. About 500 rescue workers were deployed to the site, and footage released by Xinhua showed thick black smoke and flames rising from the building, with several people trapped on the roof.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said the fire caused a significant number of casualties, and authorities fear the death toll could rise further. Jinjiang is known as China’s “shoe capital” and is one of the country’s largest footwear manufacturing hubs.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, and rescue operations are continuing as officials warn that the number of victims may increase.

China and Taiwan are on high alert as Typhoon Bavi, one of the most powerful tropical storms in recent years, approaches from the southeast of Taiwan. The storm’s center has wind speeds of around 200 kilometers per hour, and it spans nearly 1,000 kilometers—roughly the size of France. Forecasts indicate that Bavi could skirt northern Taiwan before making landfall in China’s Fujian province on Saturday evening. Taiwan’s defense ministry has placed about 29,000 troops on standby, while meteorologists warn of up to one meter of rainfall in northern mountainous areas.

The storm arrives as parts of China are still recovering from Typhoon Maysak, which killed at least 39 people in Guangxi earlier in the week. In Taiwan, fishing boats have sought shelter, residents are lining up for sandbags, and farmers are rushing to harvest crops. Japan’s Okinawa region has also issued high alerts, with airlines canceling dozens of flights.

Scientists cited in the report link the increasing intensity of such storms to climate change and the ongoing El Niño phenomenon, which is raising sea temperatures and fueling stronger typhoons across East Asia.

Hundreds of snakes escaped from a breeding farm in Hengzhou city of China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region after floods triggered by Typhoon Maysak damaged the facility. According to Chinese media outlet Global Times, around 800 to 900 snakes fled into surrounding areas, causing widespread alarm. The flood began on July 6 when heavy rainfall broke a local reservoir dam, inundating the farm. Initial reports suggest most of the escaped snakes are nonvenomous.

Local authorities confirmed that one villager was hospitalized after a snakebite, while many snakes were swept away by floodwaters. Residents formed volunteer teams to capture snakes using fishing nets, but officials urged people not to attempt this themselves. The Hengzhou administration strengthened emergency medical services, increased antivenom supplies, deployed additional rescue teams, and set up temporary clinics for bite victims.

Public awareness campaigns through loudspeakers, WeChat groups, and home visits advised residents to avoid risky areas, especially at night. Local media also issued safety guidelines, warning against traditional but unsafe snakebite treatments and urging immediate medical attention.

At least 38 people have died in China following continuous heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides caused by Typhoon Maysak, according to official reports on July 9, 2026. The southern Guangxi region recorded six deaths and the evacuation of about 130,000 residents. State media said more than 40 rivers in Guangxi overflowed, damaging around 13,000 acres of farmland. Footage from CCTV showed a concrete dam breaking as rescue teams worked to evacuate stranded residents using rubber boats.

The central government has dispatched relief supplies, food, raincoats, and boats to affected areas. Flood control authorities in Guangxi have maintained the second-highest emergency alert, while Water Resources Minister Li Guoying warned that river levels at Wuzhou could rise more than six meters above danger levels. In Hubei province, thunderstorms and strong winds killed 11 people and injured 331, while in Gansu province, landslides killed 21 after 33 people were buried in Renchang village.

President Xi Jinping has instructed rescue forces to intensify emergency relief and recovery operations. The government has allocated 30 million yuan for reconstruction in Gansu.

A landslide in Renchang village of Dangchang County, located in China's northwestern Gansu province, has killed 21 people. The incident occurred at 6:56 a.m. on Tuesday, when 33 people were buried under debris. Rescue teams quickly arrived at the site and launched an operation, which has now concluded, according to China's state news agency Xinhua.

Following the disaster, the Chinese government allocated 30 million yuan for reconstruction in the affected area. On the same day, severe storms and heavy rainfall in southern and central China killed about 17 people and injured hundreds. In Guangxi, flooding occurred in around 40 rivers and waterways, and a reservoir dam collapsed under water pressure, forcing thousands to evacuate.

President Xi Jinping has instructed authorities to make maximum efforts in rescue and relief operations, as multiple regions continue to face extreme weather conditions.

The United States and several other countries have expressed deep concern after China conducted a long-range missile test in the Pacific Ocean. The launch, viewed as part of Beijing’s ongoing military modernization, follows a previous intercontinental ballistic missile test near French Polynesia two years ago. Analysts suggest the new test indicates enhanced Chinese capability to strike the U.S. mainland.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said China’s rapid and opaque nuclear expansion poses serious global risks. Washington has urged Beijing to join meaningful arms control talks and establish prior notification systems for missile and space launches. Taiwan identified the missile as a JL-2, claiming it flew over the Philippines, while Manila condemned the launch as a calculated provocation. Australia, Japan, and New Zealand also voiced concern, though Russia defended China’s right to conduct the test.

Observers believe the missile was launched from a nuclear-powered submarine and landed near the Solomon Islands, highlighting China’s growing sea-based deterrent capability. The test coincided with a new Australia-Fiji defense pact, reflecting intensifying strategic competition in the Pacific region.

China has planted more than 66 billion trees since 1978 under its Great Green Wall project, aimed at halting the spread of the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts. A recent study found that these planted trees are growing faster than natural forests and play a major role in carbon absorption, helping to maintain environmental balance. The government plans to plant an additional 34 billion trees by 2050 as part of the long-term afforestation effort.

Researchers discovered that the planted trees’ leaf area expanded 66 percent faster than that of natural forests, based on satellite data measuring the leaf area index, a key indicator of canopy density and carbon uptake. The study suggests that human-managed forests, often containing fast-growing species such as eucalyptus and poplar, benefit from controlled conditions like pruning and fertilization, which reduce competition for water and nutrients.

However, scientists noted that the rapid growth of planted trees slows after 30 to 40 years, making their carbon absorption benefits temporary. In contrast, natural forests grow more steadily and provide longer-term carbon storage and ecological resilience.

China has announced the successful launch of a missile from a nuclear-powered submarine in the Pacific Ocean. The test took place on Monday at 12:01 p.m. local time, when a strategic submarine of the People’s Liberation Army Navy fired a training missile carrying a simulated warhead toward a designated target area, hitting it accurately. The test followed earlier warnings from regional countries that China was planning an intercontinental ballistic missile launch.

Beijing described the launch as part of its annual military training and said relevant countries had been notified in advance. The event is being viewed as a rare demonstration of China’s growing military capabilities in the strategically important South Pacific, where the United States, Australia, and New Zealand have long maintained security influence. Several regional nations, including Japan, criticized the launch, with Tokyo stating it had urged China to reconsider the test.

It remains unclear whether the missile test was linked to a scheduled China-Russia joint naval exercise near Qingdao on the same day. Reports also note China’s rapid expansion of its nuclear arsenal and defense spending in recent years.

China and Russia have announced plans to conduct joint maritime patrols across parts of the Pacific Ocean following their annual naval exercise this month. According to a statement from China’s Ministry of Defense, the exercise, named 'Joint Sea-2026', will take place in the coastal waters and airspace near Qingdao, a key naval base in eastern China. The ministry said the patrols aim to address security challenges jointly and maintain regional peace and stability.

The announcement comes about two months after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to China, during which he described bilateral relations as reaching an 'unprecedented height'. Chinese President Xi Jinping called the partnership 'unbreakable'. China and Russia have held regular 'Joint Sea' exercises since 2012, with last year’s drill taking place near Vladivostok, followed by joint patrols in the Pacific.

No details were provided on the number of warships, aircraft, or personnel involved in this year’s exercise. The statement underscores continued military cooperation between Beijing and Moscow amid ongoing global tensions.