China-ASEAN Trade Push: China’s Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang urged a higher-standard China-ASEAN Free Trade Area as the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo opened in Nanning, with CAFTA 3.0 framed as a boost for trade, investment, and rules-based market integration, and an “AI Marketplace” spotlighting new tech products. AI for Real Commerce: A CGTN survey and on-the-ground examples show AI moving from marketing hype to measurable sales gains in China-ASEAN trade, with officials and firms pushing AI governance, safety, and practical adoption. Vietnam on AI Governance: Vietnam called for stronger cooperation with China and ASEAN on AI governance, testing, and skills, aiming to grow AI capability while protecting rights and privacy. Regional Connectivity Upgrade: The Pinglu Canal’s opening is being positioned as a trade shortcut that can deepen China-ASEAN logistics and industrial links. Water Risk Warning: The UN weather agency warned that the global water cycle is becoming more erratic and that countries are “spending our reserves,” raising future economic and livelihood risks. Asia-GCC Travel Growth: Industry leaders say visa-free, seamless travel could turn the Asia-GCC corridor into a major travel growth engine, citing rapid GCC inbound growth from Asia-Pacific. Philippines Growth Outlook: The World Bank expects Philippine growth to pick up in the second half as infrastructure spending ramps up and inflation eases. Corporate Deals & Tech: Pine Services Group added Melbourne’s Evolution Business Systems to expand Microsoft-focused ERP support across Asia Pacific, while D-Wave announced Qubits Asia 2026 in Seoul to accelerate quantum adoption. Business & Industry Notes: Asian Paints started commercial production of VAE in Gujarat as part of backward integration; and Gentherm/Modine moved forward with details on a proposed Performance Technologies spin-off and merger.