Morning reports revealed China's Defense Minister Dong Jun under corruption investigation, marking the third consecutive defense minister to face such charges. State media initially ignored the story, while Foreign Ministry dismissed it as "baseless rumors."
State outlets maintained synchronized coverage of Xi's messages to Palestine solidarity day and his meeting with Singapore's Lee Hsien Loong, continuing previous day's diplomatic narrative. The coverage intensified as morning progressed, suggesting coordinated messaging to overshadow the defense minister story.
Industrial profits showed manufacturing recovery despite overall decline, while Trump's promised tariffs sparked market concerns. Jimmy Lai's trial continued with his admission of discussing sanctions with former US Secretary Pompeo. US deployment of nuclear submarines to Guam and changes in China's insurance sector transparency requirements rounded out afternoon coverage.