South China Morning Post

US export controls on semiconductors were not a key topic at the summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, according to the South China Morning Post. The observation is drawing attention given how central chip restrictions have been to US-China trade tensions, raising questions about whether both sides deliberately set the issue aside or reached quiet understandings on technology policy.

Beijing has announced that the United States and China will work toward a military crisis-communication agreement, according to reporting by the South China Morning Post. The announcement signals continued efforts by the two powers to keep open channels of communication between their armed forces amid ongoing tensions over Taiwan, trade and security in the Indo-Pacific region.

Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and US First Lady Melania Trump have opened a parallel channel in US-China diplomacy, according to a South China Morning Post report. The two first ladies' engagements and exchanges are being read as a soft-power complement to formal talks between their husbands, adding a personal dimension to an otherwise tense bilateral relationship.