Flash News

TREE NEWS update: Japan’s Rengo Co. will raise prices on cardboard and other products by 10% or more, the packaging group said. The increase covers multiple product lines. No effective date or further details were given.

TREE NEWS reports: Investors poured a record net $59.3 billion into US government bond funds in the third quarter, with nearly $14 billion more added since the start of October, as the 10-year Treasury yield climbed 1.06 percentage points this year to 5.24%. Amundi CIO Vincent Mortier called the level a high that naturally attracts fresh interest, while Pimco’s Dan Ivascyn said Treasuries look far more attractive than richly valued equities.

TREE NEWS update: US President Donald Trump said he is considering removing Kimberly Guilfoyle from her post as US ambassador to Greece, telling reporters “we’re considering it” and “we’re not happy.” The State Department’s Office of Inspector General is investigating allegations that Guilfoyle accepted lavish gifts and sought to trade her influence within the US government for money, before and during her tenure. A person familiar with the matter said Trump is expected to decide soon.

TREE NEWS reports: Foreign investors net sold 199.10 trillion won (about 992.5 billion yuan) on South Korea’s KOSPI from Jan. 2 to Oct. 12, Korea Exchange data show. Selling continued on Oct. 13, when the market fell sharply and foreign investors kept dumping shares of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.

TREE NEWS update: Shanghai’s culture and tourism bureau released its 15th Five-Year Plan for urban tourism innovation, aiming for tourism revenue to exceed 900 billion yuan by 2030. The plan also targets more than 10 million inbound visitors and tourism value-added accounting for 5% of the city’s GDP. Director Zhao Yong presented the plan at a municipal government press briefing.

TREE NEWS reports: A claim circulating that China’s hybrid vehicle exports to Europe will be cut by more than half over the next four years is being questioned amid China-EU negotiations. The material offers no confirmed figures or official decision, only raising the question of what the facts actually are. No agreement or formal measure has been announced.

TREE NEWS reports: The Taiwan dollar fell 1.0% against the US dollar to 32.214, marking its largest intraday decline since June 30, 2025. The move puts the currency at its weakest intraday level in that stretch, with the drop measured from the prior session’s close.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Foreign Ministry said on October 13 that Beijing will continue working with relevant countries and the international community to restore peace, stability and development in the Middle East. Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remark at a regular press briefing in response to a question about US President Donald Trump saying he does not believe Russia and China are helping Iran. Mao said China has repeatedly stated its position on the matter.

TREE NEWS reports: Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.8% to close at 67,777.52, while the broader Topix edged up 0.1% to 4,110.67. South Korea’s Kospi Composite closed 5.5% lower at 6,035.35, with SK Hynix dropping more than 10%.

TREE NEWS reports: China’s services trade totaled 50.7016 trillion yuan in the first eight months of 2026, up 7.9% year on year, the Ministry of Commerce said. Exports rose 14.8% to 19.9961 trillion yuan while imports grew 3.8% to 30.7055 trillion yuan, narrowing the services trade deficit by 145.12 billion yuan to 10.7094 trillion yuan. Travel and transport exports contributed nearly 50% of overall services export growth, with knowledge-intensive services accounting for more than half of exports.

TREE NEWS update: China’s foreign ministry said on October 13 it had no information about a claim by the US embassy in Fiji that a China-linked hacking group attacked Fiji’s networks. Spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular press briefing that Beijing consistently opposes and legally cracks down on hacking, and rejects using cybersecurity issues to smear China.

TREE NEWS update: China’s foreign ministry said on October 13 that it appreciates Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s pledge to protect Chinese investors “like family,” adding that the success of Chinese companies in Indonesia is also Indonesia’s success. Spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing will keep deepening mutually beneficial cooperation with Jakarta and expects Indonesia to keep safeguarding the lawful rights of Chinese firms and provide an open, fair and friendly business environment.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on October 13 that the country’s economic fundamentals are sound and that Beijing is confident in its economic outlook, after the IMF cut its forecast for China’s growth this year to 4.5%. Mao referred questions on the assessment to China’s competent authorities, speaking at a regular press briefing in Beijing.

TREE NEWS update: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on August 13 that Beijing supports stronger people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States. Speaking at a regular press briefing, Mao cited the story of 95-year-old American David Ba, who lived in Huangyuan county, Qinghai province, for 17 years, donated medical equipment, funded students and helped English teachers train in the US. Mao said such ties help build a constructive, strategically stable China-US relationship based on respect, fairness and reciprocity.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Foreign Ministry on October 13 rejected India’s publication of standard place names for 28 locations in the disputed western border region, saying Beijing never recognizes the so-called ‘Union Territory of Ladakh’ unilaterally established by India. Spokesperson Mao Ning said the move is illegal and invalid and cannot change the fact that the area has always belonged to China.

TREE NEWS update: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned that interconnected systems once binding the world together — supply chains, trade and technology — have become tools of coercion, and said India takes a different approach. Modi said India offers a distinct mindset and is a reliable partner at a time when relations between countries and economic systems are no longer stable. He also said India is one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies, offering opportunities for global investors.

TREE NEWS update: BP said its net debt at the end of the third quarter will be between $13.5 billion and $14.5 billion. The oil major disclosed the range as part of its quarterly guidance. No further details were provided.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Ministry of Natural Resources and the National Development and Reform Commission released the Mineral Resources Catalogue, setting out the country’s mineral categories. The catalogue divides mineral resources into four groups — energy, metallic, non-metallic, and water and gas minerals — and confirms 174 mineral species and 119 sub-species. It will serve as the basis for national mineral resource planning.

TREE NEWS update: Xi Jinping told a national health conference that China must stay on a path of health development with Chinese characteristics, ensuring decisive progress in building a Healthy China during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. The statement, carried by Xinhua, sets the health policy direction for the coming five-year cycle.

TREE NEWS reports: Chinese public mutual funds opened subscriptions for 65 new products this week (Oct 12–18), a 209.52% jump from the previous week and the highest weekly tally in six weeks. The rebound followed the National Day holiday, which had slowed the issuance pipeline.