Politburo study session on border, coastal and air defense; More mooted US chip controls; Urbanization plan; IPAC and UNGA Resolution 2758

Reminder, as the leadership heads to the seaside for the Beidaihe break I am taking my own break, and the newsletter and Sharp China will be off from August 1 through Monday August 12.

Summary of today’s top items:

1. Politburo study session on border, coastal and air defense - In what may be Xi’s last appearance publicly until mid-August when the Beidaihe break ends, he chaired this Politburo’s 16th study session. The topic was “ modernizing the country's border, coastal and air defense to make it strong and solid” and the discussant was Huang Jizhong from the CMC's Joint Staff Department. Among the interesting bits from the official readout:

We should strengthen technological empowerment, enhance the construction of new means and conditions for border, maritime, and air defense, and construct a three-dimensional intelligent control system for border, maritime, and air defense. We should enhance good-neighborly friendship and practical cooperation with relevant countries to create a fav…