Flash News

TREE NEWS update: Iran reiterated that the United States’ “excessive demands” are obstructing progress in negotiations. No further details on the specific demands or the status of the talks were provided. The comment signals continued friction between the two sides.

TREE NEWS update: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will travel to Norway for new peace negotiations as Washington presses Kyiv for concessions in a deal with Russia. US envoy Steve Witkoff will attend Tuesday’s meeting in Oslo, alongside Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. A second US envoy, Jared Kushner, will join the talks online.

TREE NEWS update: Morgan Fund said shareholder JPMorgan Asset Management will invest $75 million (about 500 million yuan) of its own capital through an affiliate in the firm’s first active ETF, the Morgan Large-Cap Growth Active Equity ETF. The investment will be made after the fund lists. The commitment was disclosed by Morgan Fund.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on Oct. 20 it will study expanding the pilot program for opening up value-added telecommunications services, at a State Council Information Office briefing on industrial and IT development in the first three quarters of 2026. The ministry also pledged to accelerate expansion and upgrading of computing facilities and to plan major strategic communications infrastructure projects.

TREE NEWS update: China Development Bank issued 36.1 billion yuan ($5.1 billion) in loans in the first three quarters of the year to support municipal pipeline and underground utility tunnel upgrades in Shanghai, Jilin and other regions, the policy lender said. The bank said it will step up financing for urban infrastructure during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, aligning with local priority project lists.

TREE NEWS update: The US announced a plan on Monday to let sanctioned oil tankers resume legal operations and boost oil supply, but it may attract only a handful of vessels from the “dark fleet.” Existing contracts, complex compliance checks and high freight rates are curbing potential sellers’ willingness. The measure, unveiled weeks before US midterm elections, is the Trump administration’s latest move to lower crude and fuel prices amid conflicts in the Persian Gulf and between Russia and Ukraine.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on Oct. 20 it will revise industry regulations for copper, aluminum and other nonferrous metals to resolutely curb low-level duplicate construction. Speaking at a State Council Information Office briefing on industrial and IT development in the first three quarters of 2026, the ministry said it will focus on three areas to promote high-quality development of the nonferrous metals sector, including strengthening policy guidance and implementing the raw materials sector’s 15th Five-Year Plan.

TREE NEWS update: The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said the bloc is working with Turkey, India and other parties to push forward a Black Sea agreement. She did not give further details on the initiative. The Black Sea has been a focus of international diplomacy since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine disrupted shipping and grain exports.

TREE NEWS update: Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing launched a voluntary “HKEX Green Equity” certification scheme on October 20 to help investors identify Hong Kong-listed companies with substantial green business operations. The exchange said the scheme uses a transparent framework and independent assessment based on internationally recognized standards, and is part of its efforts to drive the market’s low-carbon transition.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is drafting policies to accelerate the deep integration of artificial intelligence into manufacturing, the State Council Information Office said at a press conference on October 20. The ministry said it supports companies in building high-quality industrial datasets around core processes and developing advanced, applicable vertical large models and various specialized industrial models.

TREE NEWS reports: Swiss gold exports rose to 165 tonnes in September. The figure marks an increase in shipments from the country’s refineries for the month. No further breakdown of destination markets was provided.

TREE NEWS reports: The Beijing Stock Exchange 50 Index rose 3.88% on October 20, having climbed more than 5% intraday, as stocks on the exchange strengthened. Guolian Fund said the Financial Street Forum speech delivered a four-part policy package for the BSE covering ETFs, market-value allotment, innovation evaluation and tiering optimization. The fund said the steady introduction of a BSE 50 ETF is the most direct liquidity positive, and the exchange is entering a key acceleration phase in ecosystem building.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said the share of automotive industry payables settled via electronic vouchers fell markedly in the first three quarters of 2026, chief engineer Wang Weiming told a State Council Information Office briefing on October 20. The ministry cited market-based and legal measures to curb irrational competition in key sectors, and said prices for mainstream domestic photovoltaic modules have stabilized.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will accelerate the establishment of a second phase of the national small and medium-sized enterprise development fund, chief engineer Wang Weiming said at a State Council Information Office briefing on October 20. The ministry will also build a nationwide SME service network and explore specialized centers to channel more patient capital into seed- and early-stage companies, as smaller firms face weak orders, high costs and hiring difficulties.

TREE NEWS update: Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova praised China’s development achievements and likened its efforts to build a community with a shared future for mankind and the Belt and Road Initiative to a new Long March, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing on October 20. The briefing came as China marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March, and Mao was asked to comment on Zakharova’s remarks and on what the Long March spirit means for Chinese diplomacy and development in the new era.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Foreign Ministry said it has no information to offer on a proposal by US President Donald Trump for trilateral talks with China and Russia. Spokesperson Mao Ning declined to say whether Beijing would accept the offer, telling a regular press briefing that she had nothing to provide on the question. Trump had said he took a positive attitude toward such a meeting.

TREE NEWS update: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Oct. 20 that differences between China and the EU on economic and trade issues can be fully resolved through dialogue. The remarks came at a regular press briefing after Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded a four-nation tour of Eurasia, as reporters asked what message Beijing sent to Brussels amid rising China-EU trade friction.

TREE NEWS reports: Several Chinese banks have launched promotional offers waiving or cutting fees on their gold accumulation accounts, with some dropping the charge to zero, as international gold prices trade back at $4,100–$4,200 an ounce. The fee promotions are aimed at attracting retail savers into the banks’ regular gold purchase products during the price rebound.

TREE NEWS update: China’s small and medium-sized industrial enterprises above designated size saw their total profits rise 13.8% year on year in the first eight months of 2025, Wang Weiming, chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said at a State Council Information Office press conference on September 20. That marks the highest level for the period since 2022.

TREE NEWS update: China’s National Development and Reform Commission will work with relevant departments to expand domestic demand with greater intensity, focusing on three areas, said Zuo Gang, deputy director of the NDRC’s Department of National Economic Comprehensive Affairs, at a press conference. The first pillar combines improving livelihoods with boosting consumption, including raising the share of public service spending in fiscal expenditure and expanding consumer goods consumption such as new energy vehicles and smart products.