July 10 — The People’s Bank of China hosted a seminar on the evolution of the international monetary system. PBOC Party secretary and governor Pan Gongsheng presided. Zhu Min, dean of Tsinghua University’s National Institute of Financial Research and former IMF deputy managing director, presented research on international monetary system evolution, metrics for currency internationalization and digital currency development, and exchanged views with attendees. Senior PBOC and State Administration

Beijing, July 11 — China's Premier Li Qiang met North Korea's Premier Pak Tae-song. Li said China will align development strategies with North Korea, steadily expand bilateral economic and trade ties, promote connectivity, and deepen cooperation in healthcare and education. Both sides pledged to strengthen people-to-people exchanges and intensify strategic coordination amid a complex international environment to jointly defend their legitimate rights and international fairness.

The New York Times reported on the 11th that reporters who contributed to its story on safety defects in President Trump’s newly refurbished presidential plane were served subpoenas. Federal law enforcement officers reportedly went to the reporters’ homes on the 10th to deliver subpoenas requiring them to testify before a Manhattan federal grand jury on the 15th about possible violations of federal criminal law. The plane, donated by Qatar and recently refitted, carried Trump to this month’s NATO summit in Turkey; on the 8th he initially flew on the older Air Force One to RAF Mildenhall before switching to the new aircraft for the return. The Times, citing unnamed sources, said the switch was made at the request of the U.S. Secret Service because the new plane lacked some security features of the older aircraft.