Hong Kong
CNN
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The young Tibetans, controversial by the Chinese atheist Communist Party as the second-highest spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, have pledged to make their religion more Chinese.

Gyaltsen Norbu was established by Beijing as the 11th Panchen Lama in 1995, and Dalai Lama, the highest authority in religion, had the role choice – a six-year-old boy – disappeared from public places afterwards. China has yet to disclose information about the missing boy’s location.

The Beijing appointed Panchen Lama is dismissed as a con man by his home and many Tibetans in exile, but he is often quoted in Chinese state media, which links the Communist Party’s boundaries, and praises policy in Tibet.

In a rare meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Friday, Galtzen Norb vowed to make his own contribution to promoting ethnic unity and systematically promoting “sinicization of religion,” the state communications agency reported.

The statement aims to spur the drastic campaign unleashed by XI to spur the religious beliefs of foreign influences and to more closely align with traditional Chinese culture with the authoritarian rule of the atheist Communist Party.

According to Xinhua, Gyaltsen Norbu also kept his teachings in mind, pledging to firmly support the party leaders and secure protection of national unity and ethnic solidarity.

Xi told him to advance the “patriotic and religious traditions” of Tibetan Buddhism, Xinhua reported that he would contribute to the development of a “strong community of the Chinese state.”

The conference comes in the 30th year of the Dalai Lama’s loss of disappearance, when it was appointed as the Panchen Lama.

After the death of the 10th Panchen Lama of the second most important person in Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama named him the reincarnation of Tibetan child Gedung Choki Nima and his colleagues.

However, three days after he was elected, according to the US government, Gedun and his family were vanished by the Communist Party and appointed an alternative Panchen Rama. Since then, Gedun has not been seen in public places.

In a statement showing the anniversary, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Chinese authorities of “adjusting” him and his family. He called on Beijing to immediately release Gedhun Choekyi nyima and “stop persecuting Tibetans because of their religious beliefs.”

In 2020, the Chinese government publicly acknowledged Gedung Choki Nima’s fate for the first time, describing him as a “working university graduate,” and neither he nor his family wanted to be in the way of “normal life now.”

Meanwhile, Gyaltsen Norbu has become an adult, joined China’s top political organisations, appeared in important events in Beijing, and has been an increasingly popular role as he often meets large crowds in China’s Tibetan region.

The contested appointment of the Panchen Lama is widely seen by experts and the Tibetan exile community. It is a Beijing attempt to pave the way for exiles of the Dalai Lama, who had lived in exiles since fleeing to India after the Tibetan uprising against Communist rule in 1959.

For decades, the Dalai Lama was a permanent thorn on Beijing’s side, and he ordered the loyalty of many Tibetan people to the exile and continued to maintain the struggle for greater autonomy on the world stage. Chinese officials have denounced the Nobel Peace Prize winner as “separatists” and “wolves in the robe of the monk.”

The Dalai Lama has said it will release details about his succession on his 90th birthday in July. In his latest book, “Voice for the Moiceless,” the Dalai Lama said he was born in the “free world” his successor described outside China.

Beijing claimed to choose his successor and reincarnation of all Tibetan Buddhist llamas, but the Dalai Lama and his supporters said that successors named from China would not be respected.

Hong Kong
CNN
–

The fragile trade ceasefire between the US and China has been pulling back from the brink for now.

US President Donald Trump has finally received a long-standing call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Meanwhile, the two agreed to resume trade talks that have halted accusations that others had destroyed with previous promises.

Thursday’s 90-minute conversation brought a temporary reprieve from an escalating feud between superpower rivals, but it did not provide a clear pathway to resolve their deep-rooted divisions.

US authorities accused China of retreating the May pledge in Geneva to facilitate export restrictions on rare earth minerals, which are important to a wide range of industries. Meanwhile, Beijing is struggling with Washington’s move to use China’s most advanced AI chips, limit sales of chip design software to China, and warn businesses against “actively canceling” Chinese student visas.

“After what happened in the last 10 days, I’m already calling for victory (the phone),” said Yun Sang, director of the China Program at Washington-based Stimson Center think tank.

“Both sides acknowledge that this is a positive interaction and that bringing together two leaders can solve the problem. That’s good for their strong man’s image and their qualifications for leadership.”

Trump has repeatedly expressed his sharpness in Call, including complementing Xi’s toughness in a late-night social media post this week, but Xi took the time to pick up the phone.

“The Chinese state is under much less pressure than its American counterparts when it comes to the negotiation table,” said Brian Wong, an assistant professor at the University of Hong Kong. “China’s leaders have joined in calls from a position of political strength, but economic concerns are very lively and realistic.”

Trump’s enthusiasm for the story – and his speed at which he declared he “settled” the conflict over rare earth exports with XI again demonstrated to Chinese leaders how strong his country’s control is in the sector.

Since April, when China announced export controls, the new system has destroyed mineral shipments and has issued warnings among European and American officials and businesses.

In a readout from China, Xi Jinping claimed that China had “seriously and seriously” adhered to the agreement despite US authorities repeatedly denounced slow approval of rare earth exports.

Wu Simbo, director of the Center for American Studies at the University of Hudun in Shanghai, pointed out that official regulations direct that an application for an export license can take up to 45 business days before it is approved.

“As a rule, I can agree to export to you, but I can speed up or slow things down. In reality, at the technological level it also depends on the overall two-sided trade and economic atmosphere,” he said. “If the bilateral relationships are good, we’ll go a little faster. If not, we’ll slow down. But I can’t say I’m breaching the contract. I’m still following standard procedures.”

According to WU, it is likely that American companies will receive more export licenses in the coming weeks, but the export control regime will remain here.

Zhiqun Zhu, director of the Chinese Institute at Bucknell University, Pennsylvania, calls it “one of the few cards” China’s rule over the rare earths they hold in the trade war.

“Why would the US government expect China to give up the rare earth card to please the US if China treats China as an enemy?” he wrote in the article before Trump XI’s call.

In the days leading up to the call, Chinese scholars suggest that Beijing should use leverage in rare earths to facilitate Washington’s own export controls with cutting-edge chips. Unlike rare earths, China does not control the industry at the highest level and sees the supply bottleneck on the US as an obstacle to its technological development.

After a conversation with XI, Trump announced that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will join Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent and trade representative Jamieson Greer in the next trade talks.

It was attracting attention by both Chinese and US observers as a sign that US export control could negotiate Beijing’s potential victory.

“The US Department of Commerce is responsible for export control. In other words, the next phase will likely result in negotiations between China and the US going beyond tariffs and address issues such as export control and group sanctions,” Wu said.

During his first term in office, Trump lifted the ban on American companies doing business with Chinese telecom giant ZTE in XI’s request to get XI’s trade deals. However, easing export controls in China will be a tough sell in Washington in six years. There, blocking access to Beijing’s advanced American technology became a rare two-party issue.

“Just having Lutonic there (in trade talks) doesn’t mean the US will make concessions to semiconductors,” Sun said.

She predicts more flare-ups in the future. “This ‘3-step forward 2-step back” will become the standard for the future. We will not see an agreed transaction without any shortcomings.

Cole had shown temporary relief, but also made a significant difference in how the US and China approach trade disputes. Trump tends to treat trade as a major standalone issue, but Beijing often sees it in the broader bilateral context.

Trump said in the Social Post of Truth that the hour-and-a-half conversation call was “almost entirely focused on trade,” but the Chinese reads have picked out Xi’s harsh warnings about Taiwan, a red habit on Beijing’s route, and China’s student visa issues.

Chinese leaders urged the US to “carefully handle Taiwan’s questions” so that “Taiwan independence” separatists “cannot draw China and the US into the dangerous topography of conflict and conflict.”

The contrast will be hit by the core of the bay between China and the US, Wong said.

“Trump sees competition primarily through surplus/deficit conditions, but XI considers territorial integrity to be more important than the economic interests of the country,” he said.

From a Beijing perspective, there are plenty of signs of concern. Last weekend, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses warned Asian allies that China poses a “immediate” threat to Taiwan.

A few days ago, Reuters reported, citing official US sources, that Washington was planning to raise arms sales to levels beyond Trump’s first term as part of an effort to strengthen China’s military pressure.

Another issue that concerns Beijing is the fate of Chinese students in the US. Last week, Secretary Macro Rubio, known China and his residence, announced plans to “actively cancel” visas for Chinese students. This is a move that sparked widespread anxiety and anger in China.

The Chinese reading cited Trump as saying that Chinese students are welcome in the US. Trump later told reporters in the Oval Office: “Chinese students are here. No problem. No problem.

Wu said adjustments to the visa policy will be a test of Trump’s leadership. Xi said on the phone that it is particularly important for the two leaders to avoid “various obstacles and confusion,” and told Trump that they should “steer and set the right course” for bilateral relations.

“The statement had a clear target, meaning that there are people within Trump’s team who are trying to disrupt or undermine bilateral relations.

Seoul, Korea
CNN
–

North Korea has said it has successfully replicated the new destroyer that capsized at launch last month, with state media reporting that the damaged vessel will be moving to another shipyard dry dock for repairs.

“After regaining the balance of the destroyers in the beginning of June, the team was moored at the pier by safely finishing on Thursday afternoon,” a report from the state-run Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) states.

Satellite photos taken by Planet Labs on June 5 showed the ship that was once attacked to the right, appearing to float in the water from the pier where the tragic launch took place.

The 5,000-ton destroyer was the country’s latest warship and was intended to be a victory in North Korea’s ambitious naval modernization efforts.

Instead, a malfunction in the launch mechanism on May 21 caused the stern to slip into the water early, crushing parts of the hull, leaving the ship tied to the ship, reported at the time. A day later, state media reported that the damage was not as bad as it was initially feared.

Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong, who witnessed a failed launch in the northeastern city of Jeongjin, called it a “criminal act” and said the government quickly arrested four people who claimed they were responsible for the fire.

Kim ordered the authorities to quickly repair an unseen ship before the ruling Workers’ Party in late June, calling it a matter of national honor.

KCNA reported on Friday that Kim’s goals will be met.

“The elaborate restoration of the next stage will be done at the dry dock at the Razindockyard for seven to ten days,” KCNA reported, and John Chun Lyon, of the Central Committee, who leads the repair efforts, said “a complete restoration of the destroyer will certainly be completed.”

We thought that the rapid action to rebuilt the ship would take more time, based on satellite images of the accident.

“Let’s face it with pure talent, an innovative approach to correcting the ship. People like me didn’t expect 4-6 people and we delivered the solution in two weeks.”

An innovative approach was clearly to use pneumatic balloons attached to the ship’s hull to help balance and re-float, satellite image showed.

Damage to the hull was less severe than analysts expected when they saw what happened on May 21.

The warship’s stern slipped into the water while the bow stayed on land during the launch next to the ship, which was to slide into the water sideways.

Analysts believed that the stress placed on the hull and keel during such an accident could potentially lead to its disposal.

But “the hull damage must have been significantly less than estimated,” Schuster said.

Schuster said that if North Korea could devote the same effort to repair the warship internally, he was ready for a sea trial he would have thought of after the accident, just as he did to fill it.

He said the interior space of the ship, machinery and electronics, would need to cleanse the seawater and dry salt in the repair process.

“If you’re willing to commit resources and have the human talent to adopt them, almost everything is feasible,” Schuster said.

Kyiv
CNN
–

Russia has fired drones and ballistic missiles at multiple targets across Ukraine, Keeff authorities said Friday in a deadly air attack that killed at least four people and injured 20 people.

Ukraine is hit by an evening barrage of Russian drones and missiles. However, the country has become brave due to the massive retaliatory strike promised by President Vladimir Putin, following a bold attack on an airfield deep in Russia. It was unclear whether the attack on Friday was that strike or if there would be more barrages to be expected in the coming days.

A fire was reported caused by debris and drone strikes in Kiev buildings as Ukraine tried to repel Russian attacks. CNN producers in the Kyiv area reported that they had heard at least two explosions.

Tkachenko accused Russia of attacking residential areas with drone attacks, and said skyscrapers had been damaged in Kiev’s Solomyansky district. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko also reported fires in the districts of Holosiivskyi and Darnytskyi, the capital of Ukraine.

Ukrainian air defense units have been revitalized in Kiev’s Oboron region, Klitschko told the telegram early in the morning of local time. “The attack on the capital will continue. We will stay in the shelter!” he said.

Photos issued by Reuters show Kiev residents, some accompanied by children sitting in a pram and taking shelter in underground parking lots. Search and rescue operations are currently underway as of Friday morning.

A Russian strike wounded five people in Rootsk, the northwest city of Rootsk, about 60 miles from the Polish border, Mayor Ihol Polishchuk wrote to Telegram early on Friday.

Separately, a Ukrainian drone attack hit an industrial site in Engels, southern Russia, the governor of the region said on Friday.

Footage CNN geolocated at Engels’ site (approximately 460 kilometers (285 miles) from the border with Ukraine) shows the flames burning, with smoke blowing in.

In January, a Ukrainian drone attack struck a Combinut Crystal Oil Depot, serving military airfields in the city.

Russia’s latest drone and missile attacks on Ukraine come just days after Ukrainian security services launched a series of bold drone attacks deep within Russia.

On Tuesday, Ukraine launched an attack on the Karch Bridge, the only direct connection point between Russia and the annexed Crimea Peninsula.

The attack surprised Moscow and sparked a pour in calls for massive retaliation from nationalists within Russia and the Prokremlin firefighters.

The Russian heavy bomber fleet has been contributing to the daily fires of Ukrainian cities since the full-scale invasion of Moscow, allowing them to fire violently to intercept cruise missiles at safe distances from Kiev’s anti-aircraft batteries.

Putin told US counterpart Donald Trump that Russia will respond to those attacks on Wednesday with the latest calls from the two leaders.

Trump’s explanation of the call did not appeal to the Russian president to soften his response or to put pressure on him to end the invasion of Ukraine. That stance sparked widespread anger and disappointment in Ukraine.

“When Putin says he’s going to revenge or a new strike against Ukraine, we know what it means. It’s about civilians,” Ukrainian MP Oleksandr Melecko told CNN Earliuer this week. “And President Trump didn’t say, ‘Vladimir, stop.’ ”

And on Thursday, Trump compared the war to a brawl between children, saying in his oval office:

Analysts, as well as Ukrainian air defense forces, are closely watching whether Russia could deploy some of its latest weapons in retaliation with Kiev for the latest attack.

For example, Russia launched a new, non-nuclear, medium-spread expansion ballistic missile in the Ukrainian Ukrainian city of Dnipro last November, and in the attack, President Putin said it was a response to the Ukrainian military’s use of long-range weapons.

That particular missile contains multiple warheads, and its use in anger was seen by analysts at the time beyond the Rubicon moment.

Over the past year, Russia has expanded its drone and missile production, allowing mass attacks using hundreds of projectiles at once. Russia’s strategy is trying to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defense with many low-cost drones, so that missile strikes will be successful at the same time.

Ukraine relies on US technology to protect itself from the nightly barrage of drones and missiles.

However, the Trump administration has shown that it expects its European allies to do much heavier when it comes to protecting Ukraine.

Last week, the Pentagon notified Congress that it would divert critical anti-drone technology assigned to Ukraine for Ukraine, according to a news report obtained by CNN and those familiar with the matter.

This is a developing story and will be updated.