2026-05-23 Saturday
2026-05-30
19:58:44
[He Lifeng Attends and Addresses the 32nd APEC Trade Ministers' Meeting] On May 23, He Lifeng, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, attended and addressed the APEC Trade Ministers' Meeting in Suzhou. He Lifeng pointed out that the world is undergoing rapid changes, and only by adhering to the principles of mutual respect, mutual trust, and win-win cooperation can APEC members promote common prosperity and achieve open, high-quality, balanced, and secure development. China is willing to work with all parties to strengthen communication and dialogue in emerging fields, jointly support the reform of the World Trade Organization, and pragmatically and flexibly promote the process of regional economic integration, injecting more positive energy into the economic development of the Asia-Pacific region and the world with China's new achievements in modernization. During the meeting, He Lifeng held talks with WTO Director-General Iweala and Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Supachai Panitchpakdi, exchanging views on issues related to the WTO and China-Thailand economic and trade cooperation. (Xinhua)
18:39:34
[APEC Trade Ministers' Meeting Concludes in Suzhou with Approval of New Services Roadmap] The 2026 APEC Trade Ministers' Meeting concluded today in Suzhou. At a press conference held today, Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao briefed the media on the fruitful results achieved at this year's APEC Trade Ministers' Meeting and answered reporters' questions. Wang Wentao stated that the meeting achieved "1+1" concrete results, issuing a joint statement entitled the "Suzhou Declaration," and approving a new version of the services roadmap, namely the "APEC Roadmap for Innovative, Competitive and Resilient Services." All parties agreed to promote continuous innovation and reform of services-related policies and jointly build an open and predictable institutional environment for trade and investment in services. All parties agreed to continuously improve regional trade and investment facilitation and supply chain resilience, strengthen standards coordination and cooperation, and enhance the level of intellectual property protection. All parties conducted in-depth discussions on a framework document for regional trade digitalization cooperation, achieving substantial progress. Emphasis was placed on promoting the inclusive development of artificial intelligence and committing to strengthening trade related to artificial intelligence. At the same time, commitments were made to carry out more capacity building, narrow the digital divide, and ensure that the benefits of digital transformation are shared by all parties. At the press conference, Minister Wang Wentao also stated that this meeting demonstrated a willingness to cooperate, fully proving that open regionalism and genuine multilateralism are deeply popular, and that mutual benefit and common development are in the fundamental interests of all economies. It highlighted an innovation-oriented approach, with all parties reaching broad consensus on cooperation in emerging fields such as digital and green development, and actively exploring trade and investment cooperation related to artificial intelligence. It embodied inclusiveness and sharing; this meeting not only, as is customary, heard a report from the APEC Business Advisory Council, but also specifically established a platform for communication and exchange between trade ministers and the Asia-Pacific business community, and organized a series of supporting activities. This year's APEC Trade Ministers' Meeting was a complete success, contributing significant economic and trade achievements to the Informal Leaders' Meeting in November. (CCTV News)
17:01:35
[Fighting Escalates Dramatically, Drones Target Iron Dome, Adding Another Variable to the Border Powder Keg] ⑴ Lebanon claimed on Friday that Hezbollah militants used drones to attack and confirm a hit on the Iron Dome air defense system at a military base in northern Israel. Israel has not yet responded. On the same day, Hezbollah issued multiple statements claiming its militants struck several Israeli military targets, including the Iron Dome system, command centers, and personnel assembly points. ⑵ On Friday, the Israeli military launched an airstrike on an emergency medical center in the Tyre region of southern Lebanon, killing four medical personnel. A subsequent airstrike on a crossroads in Tyre killed six people, including two medical personnel, who were transferring wounded from the previous airstrike. In Nabatiyah, an Israeli drone strike on a pickup truck in a commercial area killed one and injured two. (3) The Israeli military issued a statement on Friday claiming that it killed two Hezbollah members in the past 24 hours, destroyed several Hezbollah infrastructure projects, and detected and intercepted several "suspicious aerial targets" near the temporary Israeli-Lebanese border. Air raid sirens sounded in several areas of northern Israel that day. Lebanese authorities reported that Israeli attacks in several parts of southern Lebanon in the past day resulted in at least 11 deaths, including six medical personnel. (4) The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that it intercepted two "suspicious aerial targets" launched from Lebanon and received reports of several targets crashing on the Israeli side. Hezbollah claimed the attacks were in retaliation for Israeli attacks. The intensity of border clashes has significantly increased, and the impact on humanitarian infrastructure will exacerbate international pressure. The risk of further spillover of the conflict needs to be monitored.
17:01:14
[Inflation Stickiness Exceeds Expectations, ECB May Have to Raise Rates in June] ⑴ ECB Governing Council member Stournaras clearly stated that maintaining the central bank's credibility is a strong argument for raising interest rates next month. He pointed out that due to the prolonged failure to reach a US-Iran peace agreement, the inflation outlook is deteriorating, and Eurozone consumers will sooner or later begin to doubt the credibility of policymakers' promises of "preparedness to respond." ⑵ "Raising interest rates has a cost—it affects people and employment—so I hope we don't have to raise rates," Stournaras admitted at a meeting of European finance ministers in Cyprus. "But if this situation continues and we don't raise rates, it will be very troublesome. To maintain the ECB's credibility and response mechanism, we may have to raise rates in June." ⑶ Stournaras described two scenarios: if an agreement is reached, energy prices may fall rapidly, and interest rates may be able to remain at current levels; but if no agreement is reached, prices may rise further, and inflation will intensify. He admitted, "I feel that inflation is sticky," and the weak PMI is not very helpful, as there are too many rigid factors in the economy. (4) He worried that market expectations might get out of control, believing that the memory of past inflationary shocks was a burden that could force the ECB to take action. Even with weak economic data, sticky inflation and credibility considerations still put the option of raising interest rates on the table in June.
16:53:16
[Mega Power Outage Affects Millions in Sumatra, Indonesia] A massive power outage struck Sumatra, Indonesia, on the evening of the 22nd, leaving millions of residents without power and disrupting transportation and public activities in several provinces. Indonesia's state-owned electricity company confirmed that a fault occurred in the Sumatra interconnected power grid at approximately 6:44 PM local time on the 22nd, causing widespread power outages in Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau, and parts of central Sumatra. The company serves approximately 4.4 million, 2.6 million, 1.96 million, and 1.7 million customers in North Sumatra, Riau, West Sumatra, and Aceh, respectively. Preliminary investigations indicate the outage is linked to a fault in a 275 kV transmission line, with severe weather considered a significant contributing factor. (China News Service)
16:52:34
[Inflation Stickiness Exceeds Expectations, ECB May Have to Raise Rates in June] ⑴ ECB Governing Council member Stournaras clearly stated that maintaining the central bank's credibility is a strong argument for raising interest rates next month. He pointed out that due to the prolonged failure to reach a US-Iran peace agreement, the inflation outlook is deteriorating, and Eurozone consumers will sooner or later begin to doubt the credibility of policymakers' promises of "preparedness to respond." ⑵ "Raising interest rates has a cost—it affects people and employment—so I hope we don't have to raise rates," Stournaras admitted at a meeting of European finance ministers in Cyprus. "But if this situation continues and we don't raise rates, it will be very troublesome. To maintain the ECB's credibility and response mechanism, we may have to raise rates in June." ⑶ Stournaras described two scenarios: if an agreement is reached, energy prices may fall rapidly, and interest rates may be able to remain at current levels; but if no agreement is reached, prices may rise further, and inflation will intensify. He admitted, "I feel that inflation is sticky," and the weak PMI is not very helpful, as there are too many rigid factors in the economy. (4) He worried that market expectations might get out of control, believing that the memory of past inflationary shocks was a burden that could force the ECB to take action. Even with weak economic data, sticky inflation and credibility considerations still put the option of raising interest rates on the table in June.
14:49:11
[National Data Administration: "Data Elements ×" Action Accelerates Data Infrastructure Construction and Operation] Reporters learned today from the National Data Administration that the "Data Elements ×" action is accelerating the construction and operation of data infrastructure. It is understood that the National Data Administration has successively carried out two batches of pilot projects for data infrastructure construction, promoting the application and dynamic optimization of six technical routes, including privacy-preserving computing, blockchain, trusted data space, data fields, data networks, and data elements. Based on this, it has also incorporated cutting-edge technologies such as data weaving, data grids, and ontology. Currently, the two batches of pilot projects cover 15 industries and 43 cities, collaborating with 19,000 ecosystem entities, launching 38,000 data products, and implementing over 270 application scenarios, promoting the release of data value on a larger scale and at a deeper level. Liu Liehong, Director of the National Data Administration, stated that this year's "Data Elements ×" competition has added a "Data Infrastructure Track," hoping to strengthen the coupling between data infrastructure and application scenarios through "promoting application through competition and combining construction with application," and promoting the dynamic optimization and upgrading of technical routes and standard verification. (CCTV News)
14:48:04
[Heavy Rainstorms Hit 12 Areas in Jiangxi; Another Rainfall Expected from May 25th to 27th] According to the Jiangxi Provincial Meteorological Observatory, yesterday (May 22nd), 62 meteorological observation stations in 12 counties (cities, districts) of Jiangxi Province recorded heavy rainstorms, and 224 meteorological observation stations in 35 counties (cities, districts) recorded torrential rain. From May 19th to 22nd, the average rainfall in Jiangxi Province was 68 mm. 483 meteorological observation stations in 60 counties (cities, districts) recorded rainfall exceeding 100 mm; 8 meteorological observation stations in 2 counties (cities, districts) recorded rainfall exceeding 250 mm, with the highest point rainfall recorded at the Changfu meteorological observation station in Zhangshu County at 289 mm. 206 meteorological observation stations in 47 counties (cities, districts) recorded short-duration heavy rainfall of 30 mm or more per hour, with the highest rainfall recorded at the Xikeng meteorological observation station in Fengyang Town, Fenyi County at 80.1 mm. Meteorological authorities predict that precipitation will weaken today, with some areas still experiencing short-term heavy rainfall; the rain belt will slowly move northward on the 24th, bringing more significant thunderstorms to northern Jiangxi; and another round of precipitation is expected in Jiangxi from the 25th to the 27th. The cumulative rainfall in northern Jiangxi from the 23rd to the 27th is expected to be 40-100 mm, with maximum spot rainfall exceeding 160 mm. (CCTV News)
13:12:59
[Iranian War Clouds Loom, Markets Sensing Explosiveness; Be Wary of Energy and Safe-Haven Pulses] ⑴ Trump's key aide, Dan Scavino, released a video of a B-2 bomber. Historical patterns show that the US and Israel attacked Iran immediately after the last such release. Combined with Trump's cancellation of family events and hasty return to the White House citing "government affairs," the cancellation of vacations by high-ranking military and political officials, and the update of the emergency recall list for overseas bases, this suggests a major operation is imminent. ⑵ Late Friday night, sources revealed that the Trump administration is preparing for a new round of military strikes against Iran. Although not yet finalized, a NOTAM has been issued for western Iranian airspace, closing most airports in the western part of the Tehran Flight Information Region. Only eight airports will be partially open from sunrise to sunset, valid until next Monday. Commercial flights require special permits. ⑶ Orders at Domino's Pizza near the Pentagon surged by 227%, and at a pizzeria 2.2 miles away, they also jumped by 167%, considered by traders as a "DOUGHCON Level 1" stress indicator. Meanwhile, some US troops in the Middle East are being withdrawn in rotation to reduce exposure and guard against Iranian retaliation. (4) The Iranian Armed Forces, through Tasnim News Agency, warned that they are prepared with "Combat Version 3" to deal with any foolish actions, which will involve new equipment, entirely new targets, and war strategies. The five Gulf states collectively sent a letter to the International Maritime Organization opposing Iran's unilateral establishment of the "Persian Gulf Straits Authority" and designated shipping lanes, and refusing to coordinate with the Revolutionary Guard Navy. (5) The rules for passage through the Strait of Hormuz face the risk of substantial disruption. If a military conflict triggers shipping lane control or a retaliatory blockade, crude oil and liquefied natural gas transportation will be directly pressured. Safe-haven demand may push up gold, the Swiss franc, and US Treasury bonds. Close attention should be paid to signals of escalation over the weekend.
12:19:31
[India's LPG Supply Shortage Reaches 400,000 Barrels/Day, Imports Halved] ⑴ As the world's third-largest consumer of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), India currently faces a supply shortfall of approximately 400,000 barrels per day (compared to pre-war levels), with domestic production unable to compensate for the decline in imports caused by the Iran-Iraq War. Data from energy data analytics firm Kpler shows that India's LPG imports in April were 377,620 barrels per day, less than half of the 851,870 barrels per day imported in February. ⑵ India's domestic daily LPG production increased to 530,000 barrels in April, an increase of approximately 75,000 barrels from the previous month. Sumit Ritolia, chief analyst for refining and supply at Kpler, stated that the situation is more serious because India's domestic LPG production is nearing full capacity, meaning the supply shortfall could persist as long as imports do not fully recover. ⑶ A black market seller stated that customer demand slowed slightly in April due to soaring costs, but people had no choice as switching to other fuels was not easy.
12:15:19
[Ministry of Commerce: Foreign Investment in China Reached RMB 287.69 Billion in the First Four Months of 2026] In the first four months of 2026, 20,113 new foreign-invested enterprises were established nationwide, a year-on-year increase of 6.8%; actual utilized foreign investment amounted to RMB 287.69 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 10.3%. By industry, actual utilized foreign investment in manufacturing reached RMB 78.88 billion, and in services RMB 204.15 billion. Actual utilized foreign investment in high-tech industries reached RMB 116.33 billion, a year-on-year increase of 20.3%, accounting for 40.4% of the total actual utilized foreign investment nationwide, an increase of 10.3 percentage points compared to the same period last year. Among them, actual utilized foreign investment in R&D and design services, computer and office equipment manufacturing, and electronic and communication equipment manufacturing increased by 108.4%, 22.9%, and 20.2%, respectively. By origin, actual investment in China from Luxembourg, Switzerland, France, and the United States increased by 110.3%, 60.8%, 58.3%, and 24.5%, respectively (including investment data through free ports). Existing foreign investment remained stable. In the past three years, the number of existing foreign-invested enterprises in my country has increased year by year, exceeding 530,000, with a total foreign investment of over US$3.6 trillion. In particular, the vast majority of these existing foreign-invested enterprises have chosen to deepen their presence in China and continue to expand their investments. In 2025, more than 8,000 foreign-invested enterprises increased their investment in China, representing a year-on-year increase of over 10%; and from January to April 2026, more than 3,000 foreign-invested enterprises have already made additional investments.
11:03:21
[Chengdu's First Regular Low-Altitude Urban Logistics Route Officially Opens] On May 22, four medium-sized octocopter logistics drones took off, flying along the gaps between main roads and high-rise buildings before landing smoothly at their destination. This marks the official opening of Chengdu's first regular low-altitude urban logistics route. It is understood that the first phase of the regular low-altitude urban logistics route includes three routes, jointly launched by Sichuan Aerospace Intelligent Aviation Technology Co., Ltd. and Fengyi Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. The first batch of 12 medium-sized octocopter logistics drones has a rated payload of 10 kg and a range of up to 20 km, capable of flying in complex urban environments. In terms of timeliness, two routes have a flight time of only 11 minutes, and the longest route has a flight time of only 16 minutes. The first day of operation is planned for 50 flights, and after regular operation, the average daily number of flights can reach over 100. (Xinhua News Agency)
10:46:24
[Five Gulf States Oppose Iran's Establishment of a "Persian Gulf Straits Authority"] A circular distributed among member states of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) shows that Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates recently sent a letter to the IMO opposing Iran's establishment of a "Persian Gulf Straits Authority" and the issuance of related navigational notices. The circular, obtained by reporters on the 22nd, shows that the five countries stated in a joint statement that Iran unilaterally demands that passing vessels coordinate with the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, use its designated waterways, and apply for passage permits, attempting to change the IMO-recognized separation of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, which has been in operation since 1968. The statement said that the five countries refuse to use Iran's designated waterways and refuse any contact with Iran's "Persian Gulf Straits Authority." The five countries also oppose including Iranian waterways and related authorities within the IMO's framework for the safe evacuation of stranded merchant ships. (Xinhua)
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