Flash News

TREE NEWS update: Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee on September 16 unveiled the city’s first five-year plan for 2026-2030, which includes building an AI-powered ‘city brain’ urban management system. The platform will combine artificial intelligence, big data and IoT to enable real-time cross-departmental data sharing, risk alerts and predictive analysis for city operations and security governance.

TREE NEWS reports: SoftBank Group’s five-year credit default swaps traded near a three-year high at about 383.2 basis points, as traders assessed the potential impact of its financing plans for OpenAI, its largest bets. SoftBank has committed $64.6 billion to OpenAI, which is in early talks with investors for a new funding round ahead of an IPO at a valuation above $1.2 trillion. CEO Sam Altman said the long-awaited IPO remains in preparation but will not happen this year.

TREE NEWS update: Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee announced on the 16th that the government will step up support for local startups, with the Innovation and Technology Industry Investment Fund expected to launch officially this year. About 20 fund managers have been shortlisted and are raising capital to establish sub-funds. An additional HK$1 billion has also been earmarked for the Innovation and Technology Venture Fund.

TREE NEWS update: SK Hynix and its union reached a new wage and collective bargaining agreement that raises the cash portion of profit-sharing bonuses to 50%, with the remaining 50% paid in company stock. About 57% of union members voted for the deal, which ends roughly two weeks of renegotiation after the union rejected an earlier 40:60 cash-to-stock proposal. The company last year agreed to scrap the bonus cap and to pay 10% of annual operating profit into employee bonuses for 10 consecutive years.

TREE NEWS update: Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee on Monday unveiled the territory’s first five-year economic and social development plan, covering 2026-2030, which includes advancing cross-border autonomous driving. The plan calls for continued measures to ease cross-border vehicle traffic, including the Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles and Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles schemes, and for interconnected charging infrastructure. It also sets out strategic cross-border autonomous driving demonstration projects aimed at scaling and commercialisation.

TREE NEWS update: Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee on Wednesday unveiled the city’s first five-year plan for economic and social development (2026-2030) alongside his 2026 Policy Address, pledging citywide AI training for residents. The plan includes more than 200 training courses and activities. Lee announced the measures in the Policy Address delivered the same day.

TREE NEWS update: China published the construction plan for Zhongguancun as a world-leading science and technology park during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. The plan sets a goal of basically completing a world-leading tech park by 2030, with globally leading technologies and landmark products, and building world-class industrial clusters with technological leadership. By 2035, it aims to fully complete the world-leading tech park, with Zhongguancun’s global influence, competitiveness and leadership at the forefront.

TREE NEWS update: Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee on Wednesday released the city’s first Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development (2026-2030) alongside the 2026 Policy Address. The plan focuses on building an innovation and technology industrial chain across the Greater Bay Area, with the Hong Kong park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone as its centerpiece. It aims to strengthen strategic alignment with Shenzhen and reinforce the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou global innovation cluster’s leading position.

TREE NEWS update: The Federal Reserve releases its FOMC rate decision, statement and Summary of Economic Projections including the dot plot at 02:00 Beijing time Thursday, with Chair Warsh holding a press conference at 02:30. Earlier, UK August CPI lands at 14:00, euro-area July industrial output at 17:00 and US August retail sales plus import/export price indices at 20:30. The Bank of Canada publishes meeting minutes at 01:30.

TREE NEWS update: Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee unveiled the territory’s first five-year economic and social development plan for 2026-2030 alongside the 2026 Policy Address. The plan aims to strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a global cross-border wealth management hub by serving sovereign funds and family offices, and by improving the tax regime for funds, single-family offices and carried interest to draw more international and mainland family capital and long-term funds to the city.

TREE NEWS reports: South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI index extended its advance to 1.2% on Monday, rising above the 6,700-point level. The index’s climb marks a continued move higher for Seoul-listed equities. No further details on the drivers of the move were provided.

TREE NEWS update: Hong Kong published its first five-year economic and social development plan for 2026-2030 on September 16, pledging to strengthen its listing regime and support leading mainland and overseas companies in emerging industries to list in the city. The plan also calls for deeper cooperation between Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing and the Qianhai Equity Exchange to help more mainland firms tap international capital markets.

TREE NEWS update: Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee on the 16th unveiled the territory’s first Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development (2026–2030), which calls for expanding and upgrading Hong Kong Disneyland with new attractions including a Marvel-themed park area and a new Pixar-themed entertainment experience. Lee said the government aims to agree on and begin the next medium- and long-term development plan.

TREE NEWS update: Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee on the 16th unveiled the city’s first five-year plan for economic and social development (2026-2030), which includes building Hong Kong’s first national manufacturing innovation centre. The Microelectronics Research Institute will lead the centre at the Microelectronics Centre building, aiming to open it in 2027. The centre is intended to pool overseas and mainland resources to help China take a leading position in power semiconductors.

TREE NEWS update: The Seoul Central District Court ruled on the 16th that North Korea must pay the South Korean government about 44.6 billion won (roughly $32.5 million at 1,371 won per dollar) for unilaterally blowing up the inter-Korean liaison office building. The court upheld the plaintiff’s claim but did not specify its reasoning. It is the first time the South Korean government has sued North Korea as a plaintiff and won.

TREE NEWS update: People’s Bank of China Deputy Governor Xuan Changneng met Fiona Bassett, chief executive of FTSE Russell at London Stock Exchange Group, on September 14, 2026. The two sides exchanged views on current international financial market trends, China’s high-standard opening of its financial markets, and FTSE Russell’s business operations in China.

TREE NEWS reports: The Hang Seng Tech Index extended its intraday gain to 1% on the day. The move marks a widening of the index’s advance during the session, with the benchmark for Hong Kong-listed technology shares holding above its earlier level. No further details on the drivers of the move were given.

TREE NEWS update: Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee on the 16th unveiled the territory’s first Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development (2026-2030), which includes changes to the city’s Talent List. Lee said the government will dynamically monitor labour supply and demand, adjust its talent-attraction strategy to match Hong Kong’s strategic positioning, and strengthen overseas promotion by the Hong Kong Talent Engage office.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Ministry of Finance sold 20 billion yuan of 28-day bonds at a 0.9131% coupon, with a marginal rate of 1.0045% versus an expected 0.9800%, drawing a bid-to-cover of 3.90x. It also issued 35 billion yuan of 91-day bonds at 1.1182%, with a marginal rate of 1.1585% against a 1.1800% expectation, on a bid-to-cover of 3.67x.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Ministry of Finance issued 30-year bonds totaling 73 billion yuan at an interest rate of 2.1464%, compared with an expected 2.1400%. The bid-to-cover ratio was 6.21 times, and the marginal ratio was 13.88 times.