Flash News

TREE NEWS update: The People’s Bank of China has drafted new rules governing bond issuance in the interbank bond market and opened them to public consultation. The regulator said the measures are intended to standardize issuance practices, maintain market order and support high-quality development of the bond market. The consultation period and the full text of the draft were not specified in the notice.

TREE NEWS update: Shanghai Stock Exchange Vice President Yuan Duoran said on October 16 that Shanghai Connect’s eligible securities now cover about 90% of the SSE’s total market capitalization. Speaking at the Global Wealth Management Forum’s 2026 Shanghai Suhewan conference, Yuan said the exchange will keep deepening its mutual market access mechanisms and expanding cross-border investment products as part of its capital market opening.

TREE NEWS update: China’s State Administration for Market Regulation has approved a mandatory national safety standard for lithium-ion batteries used in electric motorcycles and electric mopeds, effective July 1, 2027. The revision upgrades the previous recommended standard to a mandatory one, aimed at improving battery safety performance and protecting consumers’ travel safety and legal rights.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Public Security and the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission issued a joint risk alert warning job seekers, especially new graduates, about scams that impersonate central and state-owned enterprises. The alert describes a three-step scheme: fabricating fake recruitment ads to attract applicants, inventing “internal referral channels” to build trust, and then charging fees to defraud them.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Ministry of Commerce said the AI technologies brought under export regulation cover a precise and limited scope, with the vast majority of AI technology still free to be exported. It said AI large models and application products go overseas in many forms, and whether a specific case falls under technology export management hinges on whether it involves restricted technology moving from China to abroad.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Ministry of Commerce said it plans to add 23 key artificial intelligence technologies, including large models, AI agents, computing clusters and information-processing technologies, to its catalogue of technologies subject to export bans or restrictions. The ministry’s spokesperson framed the revision around the current global surge in AI innovation, saying China advocates AI dialogue and cooperation with other countries on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Science and Technology opened public consultation on revisions to the country’s Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited or Restricted from Export, covering 40 technologies across AI, biomedicine and solar. The AI section lists 23 items including large models, AI agents and computing clusters; technologies already in the public domain through open source or published papers are excluded. Temporary registration requirements would also apply to related exports.

TREE NEWS update: A judge rejected a joint bid by the CFTC and Gemini to undo the exchange’s January 2025 settlement, ruling that shifts in the agency’s enforcement priorities and alleged misconduct by its enforcement division were not sufficient grounds to overturn the deal. The $5 million settlement stands.

TREE NEWS update: People’s Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng said the central bank will further support global investors and issuers in participating in China’s financial markets and push yuan-denominated bonds to become widely recognized and used eligible collateral. Speaking at an emerging markets seminar during the IMF and World Bank annual meetings on October 15, 2026, Pan said the PBOC will enrich liquidity management and risk management tools, improve investment and financing convenience, strengthen cross-border financial infrastructure connectivity and support the offshore yuan market.

TREE NEWS update: People’s Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng told an emerging markets seminar on October 15, 2026, held during the IMF and World Bank annual meetings, that China’s steady growth and fast-developing high-tech industry provide solid support for yuan-denominated assets. He said China’s stock and bond markets are the world’s second-largest and liquid enough to meet global investors’ diversification needs.

TREE NEWS reports: Indonesia fined Barito Renewables and Dian in connection with a stock manipulation investigation, Bloomberg reported. The penalties follow a probe into trading in the two companies’ shares. No further details on the size of the fines or the identities of other parties involved were disclosed.

TREE NEWS reports: Hong Kong received more than 150 reports of WhatsApp account hijacking over the past two weeks, with losses exceeding HK$15 million. In one case, a crypto exchange employee’s hijacked account was used to create a fake work group with copied names, photos and member details, where the scammer posed as a client requesting a currency swap, tricking the victim into sending crypto to a designated wallet and costing the company over HK$4 million.

TREE NEWS update: South Korea’s Financial Services Commission and Financial Supervisory Service will step up monitoring of offshore platforms offering perpetual futures tied to Korean stocks and stock indices. Regulators said they would take a hard line against illegal activity, including soliciting Korean residents via referral codes or collecting commissions, and would report violations to law enforcement. They will also assess whether such products affect the domestic stock market and press major offshore platforms to comply with Korean law.

TREE NEWS update: Chinese Finance Minister Lan Fo’an met EU Commissioner for Economy and Productivity Valdis Dombrovskis, ECB President Christine Lagarde and Eurogroup President Kyriakos Pierrakakis in Bangkok on October 16, 2026, on the sidelines of the World Bank/IMF annual meetings and the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors’ meeting. The two sides exchanged views on China-EU macroeconomic policy. Vice Minister of Finance Liao Min also attended.

TREE NEWS update: Shanghai’s cyberspace and data authorities issued measures to facilitate cross-border data flows, including advancing the national blockchain network’s Shanghai hub with distributed digital identity, privacy computing and cross-chain capabilities. The plan supports building international data centers to underpin the computing power services industry and related cross-border digital services, with pilot applications in finance and automotive sectors across Lingang, Hongqiao and Pudong.

TREE NEWS update: Shanghai’s Cyberspace Administration and Data Bureau issued measures to facilitate cross-border data flows, pledging to align the national security assessment for outbound data, filing of standard contracts for personal information exports, personal information export certification and the data export negative list. The city will set up a cross-departmental coordination mechanism to guide companies in conducting cross-border data activities legally and efficiently.

TREE NEWS update: A US federal judge denied a joint request by Gemini and the CFTC to undo their $5 million settlement, noting that Gemini settled voluntarily three weeks before trial and that subsequent policy changes do not warrant reopening the judgment. The ruling keeps the settlement intact.

TREE NEWS update: Singapore Gulf Bank (SGB) said individual customers can now convert between US dollars and USDT or USDC directly through its mobile banking app, without moving funds to a crypto exchange. Customers can hold USDT, USDC and other fiat currencies in the same bank account, with conversions available 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday.

TREE NEWS reports: The Indonesia Stock Exchange said MSCI has asked it about the actual results of its various reform measures. IDX added that MSCI did not raise the question of “Standalone Market” status at its previous meeting. The exchange did not disclose further details of the inquiry.

TREE NEWS update: Solana’s event in Shanghai was halted with officers present, attendees said, interrupting the foundation’s four-city China tour. The stoppage came shortly after the foundation opened a new Shanghai office and ran a skyline promotion at the start of the tour.