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On April 25th, it was reported that on April 24th, 2026, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) held a system-wide warning education meeting and a meeting to promote the study and education on establishing and practicing a correct view of performance. Pan Gongsheng, Secretary of the Party Committee and Governor of the PBOC, delivered a speech and a Party lecture. Pan Gongsheng pointed out that it is necessary to promote the high-quality development of the central bank's work. Based on the responsibilities of the PBOC, it is crucial to deeply analyze the performance-related issues behind economic and financial problems, strictly and practically implement the rectification measures following central inspections and audits, continuously address the "involutionary" competition among financial institutions, effectively coordinate the "five major tasks" in the financial sector, actively and steadily promote the resolution of local government financing platform debt and risks of small and medium-sized financial institutions, maintain a high-pressure crackdown on illegal financial activities in related fields, and continuously optimize the central bank's management and services for county-level finance.

On April 25th, in preparation for King Charles III's visit to the United States, the British flag was flown in Washington, D.C., but some residents noticed that many Australian flags were also displayed. A Washington, D.C. official stated that after discovering the error, they quickly replaced the incorrectly displayed Australian flags with British flags, but the cause of the error is still under investigation. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson announced on April 14th that King Charles III would begin a four-day visit to the United States on April 27th.

On April 25th, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) released its 2026 plan for establishing cosmetic standards, proposing to formulate or revise 27 standards covering raw materials for hair dyes, cosmetic raw materials, and general technical requirements and testing methods for toothpaste, providing more precise technical support for cosmetic regulation in my country. According to the NMPA's Cosmetics Supervision Department, new cosmetic raw materials must be registered or filed before they can be used in my country.

Li Auto (LI.O) executives: Europe and Southeast Asia are seen as the company's next export markets.

The China Earthquake Networks Center officially reported that a magnitude 3.1 earthquake occurred at 10:19 a.m. on April 25 in Shawan City, Tacheng Prefecture, Xinjiang (43.52 degrees north latitude, 84.93 degrees east longitude), with a focal depth of 16 kilometers.

On April 25, the Swiss Foreign Ministry issued a statement on April 24, announcing that after a risk assessment and consultations with Iran and the United States, it had decided to gradually reopen the Swiss Embassy in Iran. The statement said a small team of Swiss embassy staff had returned to Tehran, the Iranian capital. On March 11, the Swiss Foreign Ministry announced the temporary closure of its embassy in Iran due to the situation in the Middle East and escalating security risks. Since the United States severed diplomatic relations with Iran in 1980, US affairs in Iran have been handled by the Swiss Embassy.

On April 25th, Standard & Poor's (S&P) announced on the 24th that it had downgraded Belgium's credit rating from "AA" to "AA-", with a "stable" outlook. S&P stated that the main reason for the downgrade was "Belgium's long-term imbalance in public finances." In a statement, S&P said that Belgium's budget deficit is expected to widen significantly by 2025, and its fiscal consolidation plan for 2026-2029 is progressing slowly, facing serious fiscal challenges. S&P projects that Belgium's net government debt as a percentage of GDP will rise from 103% in 2025 to 109% in 2029, with a substantial increase in interest payments. S&P also stated that Belgium's reliance on fossil fuels, coupled with already tight energy supplies, makes it vulnerable to the impact of soaring international oil prices caused by the current Middle East conflict, introducing new uncertainties into public finances.

On April 25th, sources within the automotive industry revealed that regulatory authorities have clarified the code of conduct for exhibitors at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, outlining ten prohibited behaviors to guide the automotive industry back to a healthy competitive track focused on technological innovation and high-quality development. The "negative behavior list" explicitly prohibits exaggerated and false advertising, disparaging other companies' products, pricing products outside a reasonable range, manipulating online trolls and fan groups to incite conflict, and hyping up events such as "leaders visiting the booth."

April 25th - In the first quarter of this year, the Export-Import Bank of China issued over 300 billion yuan in new loans to the foreign trade sector, with 40% directed towards stabilizing foreign trade entities and the foreign trade industrial chain, and 35% directed towards direct import and export trade. The bank prioritized support for the export of products such as artificial intelligence and green electricity equipment, and facilitated the professional and large-scale development of new foreign trade formats and models such as cross-border e-commerce and overseas warehouses.

On April 25, according to Iran's Fars News Agency, a spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Defense stated that thanks to a "completely independent, knowledge-based, and uniquely Iranian" approach, Iran has produced over 1,000 types of weaponry, including missiles and drones. The spokesperson indicated that this production capacity is the result of over 25 years of investment and procurement in Iran's defense industry. Even if some production centers are damaged, the nationwide "tangible and intangible" weapons production and supply chain can continue to operate. The spokesperson also stated that approximately 9,000 Iranian companies currently cooperate with the armed forces and the Ministry of Defense.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman: There are no plans for a meeting between Iran and the United States at the moment, and Iran's observations will be relayed to Pakistan.

Market news: A U.S. judge dismissed fraud allegations brought by Elon Musk against OpenAI and its founder Altman, and plans to continue the trial on other allegations against Musk.

April 25 – According to a report by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRNA) on April 24, Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi, who has arrived in Islamabad, has no scheduled meetings with US representatives. However, he will use Pakistan as an intermediary to convey messages to the US, including Iran's concerns about ending the current conflict. A Pakistani source previously told Xinhua News Agency that Araqchi would discuss the preconditions for Iran-US negotiations with Pakistani officials; if progress is made, Iran is expected to hold further direct negotiations with US representatives.

S&P affirmed Germany's "AAA/A-1+" rating; outlook is stable.

S&P downgrades Slovakia's rating to "A"; outlook stable.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 79.61 points, or 0.16%, at 49,230.71 on Friday, April 24; the S&P 500 rose 56.68 points, or 0.80%, to 7,165.08 on Friday, April 24; and the Nasdaq Composite rose 398.09 points, or 1.63%, to 24,836.60 on Friday, April 24.