Real-time News

German Chancellor Merz: There is no reason to consider military protection for sea lanes.

German Chancellor Merz: I want to understand the motives of the US government.

Norwegian Prime Minister: We should not ease energy sanctions against Russia.

March 13th - Industry experts believe that as businesses gradually resume operations after the Spring Festival holiday since March, financing needs are rapidly emerging. Coupled with the intensive implementation of various policies following the Two Sessions and the accelerated commencement of major projects under the 15th Five-Year Plan, this is expected to drive a steady release of supporting financing demand, and the total financial volume is expected to maintain a reasonable growth trend. In the experts' view, in recent years, loans, as a single channel, have become increasingly insufficient to reflect the full picture of financial support for the real economy. Observing the total financial volume requires more attention to indicators such as social financing scale and money supply. "Evaluating the strength of financial support for the real economy requires attention to multiple indicators." Currently, with the development of financial markets and the innovation of financing tools, corporate financing channels have gradually shifted from solely relying on bank loans to a pattern of multiple methods such as bonds and stocks. Loan growth can no longer fully reflect the overall picture of financial support for the real economy.

German Chancellor Merz: Using oil reserves will help control oil prices to some extent.

Eurozone industrial production fell 1.2% year-on-year in January, below the expected 1.4% and the previous figure revised from 1.20% to 2.2%.

March 13th - At the end of February, the outstanding balance of RMB loans reached 277.52 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 6.0%, maintaining a reasonable growth trend. "Credit issuance was more stable and balanced in the first two months of this year. The phenomenon of 'rushing' loans in January eased somewhat. Meanwhile, although the Spring Festival holiday resulted in three fewer working days in February compared to the same period last year, credit growth in February remained relatively stable," industry experts analyzed. This is also attributed to the central bank's continued guidance to financial institutions to enhance the stability and sustainability of credit growth. Commercial banks are paying more attention to coordinating the annual credit issuance schedule, improving the matching of credit supply with the effective financing needs of the real economy, and effectively avoiding large fluctuations in loan data caused by "rushing" at the end of the year.

Türkiye's Ministry of Defense: A missile launched from Iran has been destroyed by NATO air defense systems deployed in the eastern Mediterranean.

According to NHK, Tokyo Electric Power Company is investigating whether this will affect commercial operations scheduled to begin on March 18.

According to NHK, Tokyo Electric Power Company stated that there were no abnormalities at the nuclear reactor and no safety issues.

According to NHK, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has shut down the power generation of Unit 6 at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant after an alarm indicated a minor electrical leak in the generator.

According to NHK, Tokyo Electric Power Company will temporarily suspend power generation from reactor number 6 at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant.

On March 13, South Korea's Finance Minister stated that the country will use additional tax revenue to fund a supplementary budget to cushion the impact of soaring oil prices on households and businesses. Finance Minister Koo Yoon-cheol said on Friday, "The government's current priority is to address the situation in the Middle East in the short term, while reducing South Korea's structural dependence on oil in the medium to long term." The South Korean government has already taken measures to cap the supply prices of gasoline, diesel, and kerosene to refiners, the first time in nearly 30 years. Koo indicated that the government may compensate refiners if the price cap leads to losses, highlighting the significant intervention needed to stabilize the market. This supplementary budget will be funded through stronger tax revenue rather than issuing new debt, as authorities want to avoid pushing up bond yields or putting additional pressure on financial markets. He also attempted to reassure investors about the won, stating that the recent weakening of the won is mainly driven by geopolitical tensions related to the Middle East conflict, rather than a shortage of dollars in the domestic economy.

Kremlin: (Regarding the US oil sanctions waiver) The US is taking steps to stabilize the energy market, and our interests are aligned with that.

Kremlin: Without large quantities of Russian oil, the market cannot achieve stability.

Kremlin: Russia is not currently worried that the Iranian crisis will cause the Ukraine issue to take a backseat on the US agenda.

Kremlin: A new round of peace talks in Ukraine is still expected, but no specific details are available at this time.

Indonesia's Minister of Economy: In the worst-case scenario where the average price of crude oil falls to US$115 per barrel in 2026, the fiscal deficit will rise to 4.06% of GDP.