The Associated Press reports: "China is closing off a part of the South China Sea for military exercises this week, the government said Monday, days after an international tribunal ruled against Beijing's claim to ownership of virtually the entire strategic waterway....The announcement of the drills came in the middle of a three-day visit to China by the U.S. Navy's top admiral, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson, to discuss the South China Sea dispute and ways to boost interactions between the two militaries....State broadcaster CCTV later reported that Wu reiterated China's determination to defend all of its territorial claims in the South China Sea and would not permit its interests to be infringed on, a standard position for Chinese officials."
Bloomberg Business reports: "China's home-price gains tapered off last month, as second-tier cities joined some of the nation's largest hubs in imposing housing curbs to cool surging prices. New-home prices excluding government-subsidized housing climbed in 55 cities in June, down from 60 in May, among the 70 tracked, the National Bureau of Statistics said Monday. Prices dropped in 10 cities, compared with four a month earlier. They were unchanged in five cities in June. A surge in home prices showed signs of slowing after more regional hubs followed top cities Shanghai and Shenzhen in imposing curbs designed to stem a surge in property prices."
Reuters reports: "OUR Walmart, the American worker group, has taken the unusual step of collaborating with a group of Chinese Wal-Mart workers trying to fight work schedule changes and low wages.OUR Walmart and the Wal-Mart Chinese Workers Association (WCWA) discussed strategy for recent strikes in China on a Skype call last month using a translator, both groups told Reuters....The U.S. organization is keen to maintain the relationship with the WCWA and believes such partnerships can boost the clout of the retailer's global workforce."