The first shipment of Australian coal in two years will soon be offloaded in China, offering evidence that trade ties between the two countries are thawing. The shipment is anchored off the Chinese port of Zhanjiang, a major steel hub. China imposed a block on trade with Australia in 2020, after then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19. (BLOOMBERG)

Southeast Asian foreign ministers met this weekend in Jakarta to negotiate a landmark code of conduct agreement between China and rival claimants in the South China Sea. ASEAN chair Indonesia said it would host another round of talks on the issue again next month.(SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST)