Beijing has repeatedly accused the Philippines of being in a pawn in U.S. efforts to contain China's rise and touted bilateral dialogue with its neighbor as the only solution to their territorial dispute.

The U.S. Secretary of State wants to bolster defense ties in the Indo-Pacific, while distrust of Trump’s commitments to the region, particularly on economic issues, runs deep.

Asia-Pacific markets are set to trade mixed on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. will slap a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports beginning August 1.

Cooperation in the field of politics and security, countering new challenges and threats is strengthening,’ Russian foreign minister tells ministerial meeting in Malaysian capital - Anadolu Ajansı

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi have opposed NATO’s intention to militarize the Asia-Pacific region, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement following their meeting on the sidelines of ASEAN ministerial events in Kuala Lumpur.

Investors will also be keeping a close watch on a slew of data points from China today, including the producer and consumer price indexes for June.

Most major banks in Asia-Pacific increased their market capitalization in Q2 as falling interest rates attracted investors to bank stocks in anticipation of increased economic activity.

It will undertake policy research and capacity building with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Kenvue Inc. (NYSE:KVUE) is one of the 12 best consumer goods stocks billionaires are quietly buying. On June 24, the company confirmed the departure of Asia Pacific president Ellie Bing Xie, effective July 14.

Equinix's Asia Pacific President Cyrus Adaggra telling CNBC's Squawk Box that geopolitics and the curbs on AI chips won't restraint demand for data centers or inhibit the company's growth in the region.