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On September 21, Ingenic Semiconductor (03696.HK) announced a multi-million dollar collaboration agreement with a leading fundamental modeling lab. The two companies will jointly develop, validate, and commercialize a range of cutting-edge models designed specifically for biological research, based on the MMAI Gym training framework.

On September 21, Moody's Analytics stated in a report that Australia's unemployment rate likely rose slightly to 4.6% in August from 4.5% in July. The report noted that economic activity is softening, partly due to successive interest rate hikes dampening demand. More intense competition for job vacancies and a declining trend in new job advertisements are signs of a weakening labor market. The relevant unemployment data is scheduled for release on Thursday.

On September 21st, a groundbreaking ceremony was held in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, for a new advanced packaging industrial park. TSMC plans to establish facilities there for technology verification and talent training. At the ceremony, the Deputy Mayor of Kaohsiung stated that TSMC will construct two buildings in the Baipu Industrial Park, including a technology verification laboratory and a talent training center. These facilities are expected to be operational by the fourth quarter of 2029. The Baipu Park covers a total area of approximately 88.7 hectares (approximately 219.2 acres), of which approximately 53.6 hectares are designated for industrial use.

September 21st - According to Iranian sources on the 20th, Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi will visit Qatar to discuss the regional situation. Reports indicate that Araqchi left Tehran on the evening of the 20th for New York to attend the 81st UN General Assembly. He will first make a brief stop in Doha, Qatar, to discuss the current regional situation. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Ansari stated on the 20th that Qatar is maintaining communication with the United States and Iran, pushing for the resumption of negotiations between the two countries. He said that several US government officials have indicated that the US hopes to reach an agreement and end the conflict. Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum in New York, Ansari stated that Qatar has been exchanging views with the United States and Iran over the past few weeks, and Qatar is working to bridge its differences. However, he did not provide a timetable for resuming negotiations.

On September 21, Vice President Han Zheng met with Australian House Speaker John Dick in Beijing. Han Zheng stated that China and Australia are important partners. Last July, President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Albanese, charting the course for further positive development of bilateral relations. China is willing to work with Australia, guided by the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, upholding the principles of equality, seeking common ground while reserving differences, and mutually beneficial cooperation, to enhance strategic communication, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, strengthen multilateral coordination, properly handle differences, and promote the building of a more mature, stable, and fruitful comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Australia. Dick stated that this visit allowed him to personally witness the deepening economic and trade exchanges and close people-to-people ties between the two countries, and he was pleased to see the stable and fruitful development of Australia-China relations. Australia attaches great importance to Australia-China relations and adheres to the one-China policy. The Australian House of Representatives is willing to strengthen dialogue and exchanges with China, expand pragmatic cooperation, and bring benefits to the people of both countries.

New Zealand Prime Minister Lukeson: New Zealand has now ratified the free trade agreement with India.

On September 21, following the turmoil at Situational Awareness, a hedge fund betting on artificial intelligence that resulted in massive losses for Jane Street, the Bank of England and the Federal Reserve have stepped up their scrutiny of banks' exposure to large trading firms. Sources familiar with the matter said regulators are questioning global banks about their exposure to trading firms and market makers, including New York-based Jane Street and Ken Griffin's Citadel Securities. These regulators had previously prioritized understanding banks' exposure to so-called non-bank financial intermediaries. However, sources indicated that they have intensified their efforts to understand positions related to trading firms and market makers after this sell-off and Jane Street's losses. Regulators want information on these firms' risk appetite, how banks' exposure to them changes intraday, and how risk controls operate.

According to the Financial Times, the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England are increasing their scrutiny of banks' and trading firms' risk exposures.

On September 21, the National Medical Products Administration and the General Administration of Customs issued an announcement stating that, in order to further promote the digitalization of government services and improve the efficiency and facilitation of customs clearance services for imported medicines (including medicinal materials), a pilot program for electronic customs clearance of imported medicines (including medicinal materials) will be launched at Beijing ports, effective from the date of the announcement. Electronic customs clearance documents for imported medicines (including medicinal materials) have the same legal effect as paper documents. During the pilot period, existing paper documents remain valid, and enterprises can use them normally in accordance with relevant regulations.

According to Afghanistan's TOLOnews, local officials say a Pakistani airstrike in Afghanistan's Kunar province has killed at least three people.

The China Earthquake Networks Center officially reported that a magnitude 3.2 earthquake occurred at 10:59 a.m. on September 21 in Xinghai County, Hainan Prefecture, Qinghai Province (35.36 degrees north latitude, 99.56 degrees east longitude), with a focal depth of 10 kilometers.

On September 21, in response to recent reports from quality inspections and media outlets regarding falsified inspection and testing reports in various sectors, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) launched a comprehensive campaign to rectify and strengthen the supervision of the entire inspection and testing chain, including pre-event, during-event, and post-event procedures. The campaign aims to thoroughly address irregularities in the inspection and testing industry, adhering to a problem-oriented, goal-oriented, and results-oriented approach. It will integrate system building, reform efforts, and innovation, combining immediate rectification with long-term institutional development, and managing both institutions and personnel. While strictly controlling qualification requirements, the campaign will focus on addressing shortcomings in the entire regulatory chain, strengthening the application of smart technologies, and improving collaborative governance mechanisms to continuously enhance regulatory effectiveness.

On September 21, it was reported that on September 20, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC) held a special meeting. The meeting emphasized that state-owned enterprises should focus on key areas and crucial links, striving for "advanced" technologies to continuously improve the innovation, competitiveness, and overall strength of the manufacturing industry. This includes becoming more technologically advanced by systematically undertaking a number of new national major science and technology projects, implementing a number of landmark major science and technology tasks, promoting the construction of a number of pilot-scale experimental platforms, and achieving more advanced and independent technological routes; becoming more technologically advanced in industrial structure by expanding the incremental growth of emerging industries, cultivating future industrial variables, optimizing the existing stock of traditional industries, and continuously moving towards the high end of the industrial chain and value chain; and becoming more technologically advanced in production methods by adhering to the mutual promotion of pollution reduction and carbon reduction with quality and efficiency improvement, and accelerating the formation of an industrial structure and production methods with high technological content, low resource consumption, and minimal environmental pollution.

On September 21, the South Korean presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, announced that South Korean President Lee Jae-myung will visit the United States and Mexico from September 21 to 27 to attend the United Nations General Assembly and hold a summit with Mexican President Jacques Sinbaum. Lee also seeks to meet with leaders of the United States, Australia, and other countries during the UN General Assembly. The potential meeting with US President Trump comes as Seoul and Washington negotiate details of a $350 billion South Korean investment plan in the US under the trade agreement reached between the two countries last year. South Korean officials stated that negotiations are ongoing, although Seoul postponed a planned briefing to the National Assembly last week regarding the plan. At the UN General Assembly, Lee is scheduled to deliver a keynote address on Tuesday, covering topics such as UN reform. He will also meet with UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Lee will arrive in Mexico City on Wednesday and hold a summit with Sinbaum the following day. The presidential office stated that after the summit, the two leaders will hold a joint press conference and witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding.

The China Earthquake Networks Center officially reported that a magnitude 3.0 earthquake occurred at 10:23 a.m. on September 21 in Bange County, Nagqu City, Tibet (31.83 degrees north latitude, 89.18 degrees east longitude), with a focal depth of 10 kilometers.

On September 21st, Taobao announced new overseas strategies for this year's Double 11 shopping festival. The event will launch simultaneously in 20 markets worldwide, with over 1.2 million merchants participating. Free shipping will be offered in 13 countries and regions, including Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, and Malaysia, where free shipping will have no minimum purchase requirement. Taobao will also add overseas traffic entry points to its homepage, launching a Discover channel, overseas rankings, and product listings. Taobao data shows that its overseas business GMV has achieved double-digit growth for six consecutive years, with over 150,000 merchants doubling their annual growth rate after going global.

The State Council Information Office will hold a press conference on the theme of "Starting the 15th Five-Year Plan" at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. Du Jiangfeng, Vice Minister of Education, and Wang Guangyan, Spokesperson and Vice Minister of Education, will introduce the implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan and the relevant situation of accelerating the construction of a strong education nation, and answer questions from reporters.

On September 21st, officials from the Shandong Provincial Department of Finance and other departments interpreted the "Several Measures on Promoting Domestic Demand through Fiscal and Financial Coordination." Stabilizing expectations is a crucial guarantee for expanding domestic demand and stabilizing growth. The "Several Measures" address this from three dimensions: reducing costs, increasing investment, and optimizing the environment, to further boost market confidence. Regarding cost reduction, efforts are focused on both personal consumption and corporate financing, using methods such as loan interest subsidies to enhance consumption and investment willingness. For example, the implementation of personal consumption loan interest subsidies is optimized, providing a 1 percentage point subsidy for loans used by residents for consumption, with an individual receiving up to 5,000 yuan in government subsidies per year from one bank. Regarding increased investment, the role of investment funds is leveraged to guide and drive social capital to participate in new consumption areas such as digital and green technologies through market-oriented means, supporting the development of long-term consumption industries through "long-term capital" and "patient capital" investment. Regarding environmental optimization, the "financial chain leader" mechanism for 19 landmark industrial chains is deepened, special quotas for relending and rediscounting are allocated, "accelerating financial access to the grassroots" is promoted, and actions such as "direct financial connections for private enterprises to solve problems" are carried out to promote a virtuous cycle of consumption and investment, and supply and demand.

September 21 - XtalPi Technology announced today that its scientific intelligence platform, XtalPi Science, has completed a major product upgrade, officially launching over 80 proprietary scientific skills and tools, and further expanding the scope of invited testing.

On September 21, five departments, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, jointly issued the "Notice on Organizing the Recommendation of National Green Computing Facilities in 2026," outlining the specific requirements and procedures for the recommendation process and releasing the "Evaluation Index System for National Green Computing Facilities in 2026." The new index system covers four aspects: energy utilization level, carbon emission management level, water resource utilization level, and computing resource utilization level. In terms of evaluation content, it newly incorporates indicators such as unit computing power energy efficiency, carbon utilization efficiency, digital carbon management, and product carbon footprint, further emphasizing energy efficiency and carbon efficiency leadership. Regarding scoring, it increases the scores for key indicators such as carbon utilization efficiency, water resource utilization efficiency, renewable energy electricity ratio, and rack resource utilization level, further emphasizing the overall requirements of green, low-carbon, intensive, and circular development.