China’s largest airline, Air China, has officially entered the Uzbek market with the launch of regular Beijing–Tashkent–Beijing flights.

-> The route operates three times a week — on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

-> Earlier, Uzbekistan's aviation authority also granted Air China permission to operate the Urumqi–Tashkent–Urumqi route.

-> Founded in 1988, Air China is the flag carrier of China and a member of Star Alliance, based at Beijing Capital International Airport.

In June 2025, China exported 7,742 tonnes of rare earth elements — a 60% increase compared to June 2024 and 32% more than in May. This is the highest monthly volume since December 2009. Analysts link the surge to recent easing of export controls and behind-the-scenes agreements with the United States. Reports in June indicated that China issued export licenses to select US companies and simplified procedures for European countries.

Although export volume rose, the total dollar value dropped by 47%, likely due to a shift in the export mix: more lower-value rare earths were shipped, while high-value ones remained tightly controlled. A fuller picture is expected when detailed trade data is released on July 20.

Rare earths are critical to industries such as automotive, aerospace, electronics, and defense, and China retains a strategic advantage as the world’s dominant supplier.

Africa joins China’s Cross-Border Interbank Payment System through Standard Bank.

Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking has obtained a license to process transactions via China’s Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS), becoming the first financial institution on the African continent to gain direct access. The announcement was made following the Lujiazui Forum 2025 in Shanghai, where the license was officially granted.

Türkiye has increased the transit fees for international vessels navigating through the strategic Turkish Straits, which connect the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea, authorities announced on Sunday.

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said in a statement that the toll increased by 15 percent compared to the previous year, reaching 5.83 U.S. dollars per ton. The new rate will take effect on July 1.

The updated fees will apply to vessels transiting the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul and the Dardanelles Strait in northwestern Türkiye, with charges based on their net tonnage, the minister noted.

"This increase is highly valuable in terms of supporting the sustainability of the public services we provide in the Turkish Straits," the minister pointed out. "With the fees we collect, we continue to constantly improve our infrastructure and vessel traffic monitoring systems to enhance maritime safety and security, as well as environmental protection, in our straits -- among the world's most challenging and risky narrow waterways."

A total of 51,058 transit vessels subject to the tolls passed through the two straits in 2024, generating 227.4 million dollars in revenue, according to the minister.

Crossing through Türkiye's largest city, Istanbul, the Bosphorus Strait stretches nearly 30 kilometers and narrows to about 700 meters at its tightest points, serving as a vital corridor linking the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara.

Meanwhile, the Dardanelles Strait in the Canakkale province is another key waterway, extending 61 kilometers and connecting the Sea of Marmara with the Aegean and Mediterranean seas.

China and Colombia should seize the latter's formal accession to the Belt and Road Initiative as an opportunity to improve the quality and level of bilateral cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday.

Xi Jinping made the statement during a meeting with Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who is in Beijing to attend the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum /Community of Latin American and Caribbean States/.

After the meeting, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of a cooperation plan between the two governments to jointly build the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)