China's STAR 50 index recovered from intraday lows to turn positive after earlier falling more than 2%.

KCNA on June 23 reported that at the Workers’ Party of Korea’s 9th Central Committee 2nd enlarged plenum (June 20-22), General Secretary Kim Jong Un said US and South Korean actions this year — including regional troop increases, advancing South Korea’s nuclear-submarine plan and reconvening a nuclear consultation working group — have seriously worsened the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Kim said N. Korea will further strengthen its defense forces, accelerate construction of a 10,000-ton strategic missile cruiser, prioritize R&D and production of conventional weapons deemed critical to combat capability, complete ongoing southern border fortification projects and build a new naval fleet base.

Three Gorges Group said the six-station cascade on the Yangtze — Wudongde, Baihetan, Xiluodu, Xiangjiaba, Three Gorges and Gezhouba — completed its annual drawdown, releasing 35.8 bln cubic metres of flood-control reservoir capacity to secure the Yangtze basin ahead of flood season.