Flash News

TREE NEWS update: China’s State Administration for Market Regulation has approved the release of 88 national standard samples covering manufacturing, agriculture and other sectors, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The samples are reference materials used to calibrate testing, measurement and quality-control procedures across industries. No further details on the specific samples or their effective dates were disclosed.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Foreign Ministry said it is monitoring developments in India and will study whether necessary measures are needed regarding travel to Delhi or India, after youth-led protests in Delhi over the weekend demanded the resignation of the chief of the Election Commission of India. Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remark at a regular press briefing in response to a question on whether Beijing would issue a travel warning.

TREE NEWS reports: Vietnam’s VN Index dropped 1% to 1,717.58. The decline marks a pullback for the benchmark gauge of the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Foreign Ministry condemned an attack on an airport in Saudi Arabia, which reports attributed to Yemen’s Houthi forces, saying it caused heavy casualties. Spokesperson Mao Ning said on December 12 that China has always opposed attacks on civilians and civilian facilities and is seriously concerned about the escalation of the conflict. Beijing called on all parties to avoid actions that raise regional tensions and to resolve disputes through dialogue and negotiation.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Foreign Ministry said the Taiwan issue is the core of China’s core interests and that countermeasures taken in response are meant to punish relevant parties and serve as a warning to others. The statement was issued as Beijing’s official position on Taiwan-related countermeasures.

TREE NEWS update: Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on October 12 that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable path out of the Ukraine crisis, after US President Donald Trump announced an “energy ceasefire” between Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine reacted with surprise and Russia has remained silent, having struck several Ukrainian power stations the previous Sunday. Mao added that China supports all efforts conducive to peace.

TREE NEWS reports: Thirteen of 16 new funds listed on the Hong Kong stock market between Sept 28 and Sept 30 were 60/40 structure ETFs. Industry participants say institutions are actively positioning in these ETFs because they qualify for inclusion in ETF Connect, which would draw more capital into Hong Kong’s ETF market once access is granted.

TREE NEWS update: China has built the world’s largest modern vocational education system, with more than 120,000 program points covering all sectors of the national economy, the Ministry of Education said at a press conference. By the end of 2025, the country had 9,151 secondary vocational schools, including technical schools, and 1,554 higher vocational colleges, completing a three-tier structure from secondary to undergraduate vocational education.

TREE NEWS reports: China’s national spending on vocational education rose 23.3% during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The figure covers nationwide funding for vocational schools and training programs over the plan window, which ran from 2021 to 2025. No breakdown by province or funding source was given.

TREE NEWS reports: Combined turnover on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges totaled 1.537831 trillion yuan on October 12. The Shanghai market accounted for 714.910 billion yuan, while the Shenzhen market contributed 822.921 billion yuan. The ChiNext board recorded 394.480 billion yuan in turnover.

TREE NEWS reports: European equity benchmarks opened higher, with the Euro Stoxx 50 up 0.4%, Germany’s DAX up 0.4%, the UK’s FTSE 100 up 0.4% and France’s CAC 40 up 0.3%. The broad-based gains put all four major indices in positive territory at the open.

TREE NEWS update: Agricultural Development Bank of China issued an 8 billion yuan 3-year bond at a yield of 1.2375%, below the expected 1.2700%, with a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.34 times. It also issued a 5 billion yuan 10-year bond at 1.7441%, versus an expected 1.7600%, with a bid-to-cover ratio of 9.73 times.

TREE NEWS reports: China’s ChiNext Index closed down 2.61% on thin volume, leading a broad A-share decline that saw more than 4,300 stocks fall across the Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing exchanges. Shanghai Composite slipped 0.43% and the Shenzhen Component fell 2.03%, with combined turnover at 1.55 trillion yuan. Bank shares bucked the trend, with Bank of China, ICBC, China Construction Bank and CITIC Bank hitting record highs, while Kweichow Moutai regained its position as the market’s most valuable stock.

TREE NEWS reports: China’s benchmark Shanghai Composite closed 0.43% lower at 3,797.24, while the Shenzhen Component fell 2.03% to 12,384.87 and the ChiNext Index dropped 2.61% to 2,963.82. The CSI 300 slipped 0.68% to 4,287.98, and the STAR 50 declined 2.10% to 1,426.72. The CSI 500 lost 2.18% to 7,093.02 and the CSI 1000 fell 1.88% to 7,021.47.

TREE NEWS reports: China’s commodity futures closed sharply lower, with the main lithium carbonate contract falling more than 11%, methanol dropping over 7%, and asphalt and live hogs each sliding more than 3%. Rubber and Shanghai silver bucked the trend, gaining more than 2%.

TREE NEWS update: Saudi Arabia’s energy minister thanked delegates attending the World Petroleum Congress in Riyadh and said the risk of war has not yet ended, pledging that the kingdom will protect visitors to the event. The remarks came as the conference convened in the Saudi capital, with the minister addressing attendees directly on the security situation.

TREE NEWS update: The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia issued a security alert on October 12 requiring US government employees working in the kingdom to obtain special authorization to use Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport as well as airports in Jeddah and Dammam. The embassy also urged heightened vigilance when using any major Saudi airport, citing security risks.

TREE NEWS update: Guizhou province published an implementation plan to shift baijiu sales toward selling a lifestyle, pledging faster financing for core liquor companies. The plan calls for a green channel to respond promptly to their funding needs, comprehensive financial services spanning settlement, financing and treasury management across the baijiu supply chain, and support for local financial institutions to issue financial bonds to fund the shift.

TREE NEWS update: German Labor Minister and Social Democratic Party (SPD) co-leader Bärbel Bas has decided to resign. The resignation removes a senior figure from both Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s cabinet and the leadership of the governing SPD. No reason or effective date for the departure was given in the material.

TREE NEWS update: Shandong issued 4.594 billion yuan of 10-year general local government bonds at a yield of 1.7100%, with a bid-to-cover marginal ratio of 1.42 times against an expected 1.71 times. The province also issued 3.015 billion yuan of 10-year special local government bonds at the same 1.7100% yield, with a marginal multiple of 1.11 times.