Real-time News

June 30th - It was learned today that, to further promote the inheritance and innovative development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), four national standards in the field of TCM, proposed and managed by the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and approved by the State Administration for Market Regulation (National Standardization Administration), namely, *Basic Theory and Terminology of Traditional Chinese Medicine*, *Diagnostic Vocabulary of Traditional Chinese Medicine Part 1: Tongue Appearance*, *Diagnostic Vocabulary of Traditional Chinese Medicine Part 2: Pulse Appearance*, and *Quality Control Standards for Clinical Research in Traditional Chinese Medicine*, will be implemented from July 1st. The *Quality Control Standards for Clinical Research in Traditional Chinese Medicine* is the first national standard in the field of TCM clinical research, establishing four main contents around the entire clinical research process. The four standards released this time each have their own focus, concentrating on three key areas: basic theory, diagnostic vocabulary, and clinical research. They take into account both the inheritance of traditional connotations and the needs of modern application, addressing long-standing industry problems such as inconsistent TCM terminology and an imperfect quality control system for clinical research, and are conducive to improving the standardization, scientification, and internationalization of the TCM industry.

On June 30th, Maybank analysts pointed out that the yen's break above the 162 level against the US dollar has triggered intervention risks, as this level is considered a critical threshold for potential official action. In their report, they wrote that it is currently unclear whether intervention is imminent or underway, but officials have consistently issued warning statements. Maybank is closely monitoring the potential for sharp exchange rate fluctuations accompanying intervention, noting that Japan has ample "ammunition" in the form of deposits and securities, far exceeding the scale of the previous intervention which cost approximately US$74 billion. "Currently, we are watching whether the currency pair can hold the 162.00 level in the short term; if it breaks through, the next resistance level is at 164.00." Maybank set support levels at 158.00 and 155.00.

Local media reported that a fire broke out at the Hardia oil refinery in India, the cause of which is still unknown.

On June 30th, Cainiao officially launched its "Customized End-to-End Logistics Solution for Technology Going Global," providing end-to-end, customized logistics services for the global expansion of technology companies in areas such as AI computing power, intelligent manufacturing, and robotics. It is understood that Cainiao has identified AI computing power, intelligent manufacturing, high-end equipment, and robotics as key service areas for its cross-border logistics, and will continue to expand its dedicated logistics product portfolio for technology going global.

On June 30th, South Korean media outlet The Bell reported on the 26th that Samsung Electronics is accelerating its development of the 1.4nm (SF1.4) process node. This advanced process was initially planned for mass production in 2027, but due to a shift in the focus of its foundry business, mass production has been postponed to 2029. The report indicates that Samsung Electronics recently shared its SF1.4 process solutions with major semiconductor equipment companies such as Applied Materials and Lam Research, hoping to achieve upstream and downstream collaboration and accelerate the development of the most suitable equipment combination for this node, including customized versions of standard equipment. Samsung Electronics has already acquired High NA EUV lithography patterning equipment from ASML, which is deployed in the NRD-K semiconductor R&D complex. For Samsung Electronics, the High NA EUV lithography machine is expected to be used in production at the SF1.4 node as early as possible.

June 30 - According to data from the National Energy Administration, in May 2026, a total of 6,173 new registered new energy power generation projects (excluding household photovoltaic) were added nationwide, including 27 wind power projects, 6,136 photovoltaic power generation projects (39 centralized photovoltaic power generation projects and 6,097 industrial and commercial distributed photovoltaic power generation projects), and 10 biomass power generation projects.

On June 30th, Applied Materials unveiled its product line of 3D chip manufacturing equipment for AI semiconductor applications. This series of equipment focuses on planarization, deposition, and metrology for advanced packaging processes such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM), chiplets, and hybrid bonding. Specifically, the unveiled equipment includes advanced chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), electrochemical vapor deposition (ECD), and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) equipment for packaging, and also adds electron beam-based process control equipment and upgrades its epitaxial equipment for DRAM processes.

June 30 – A survey shows that New Zealand businesses' confidence in the economic outlook has improved, mainly driven by signs of reconciliation between the US and Iran and lower fuel prices. ANZ Bank's New Zealand branch said on Tuesday that its business confidence index rose to 36.6 in June from 10 in May, the highest level since February, and well above April's -10.6. The indicator measuring businesses' operating capacity also rose to 36.9 from 25.6. This improved business confidence further suggests that economic growth this year may not slow as much as initially expected. "Despite the continued uncertainty, businesses seem more optimistic about the future and are more willing to invest and hire," said Sharon Zolner, ANZ Bank's chief economist for New Zealand. "This month's survey suggests that businesses and the overall economy are on track to recover to some extent to pre-oil price levels."

June 30 - According to trade sources and a document, Iraq's State Oil Market Authority (SOMO) has significantly reduced its official selling prices to attract long-term buyers to take delivery of Basra crude oil from its Gulf Coast terminal in July. Discounts are offered at $14 to $16 per barrel for Basra medium crude and $16.80 to $18.80 per barrel for Basra heavy crude, depending on the loading date. Larger discounts are available for loadings from July 1 to 5, while smaller discounts are available for loadings from July 6 to 10 and July 11 to 31. SOMO stated that buyers must submit their order quantities within one day of receiving the notification letter. Trade sources indicated that the substantial discounts may attract buyers, but the passage through the Strait of Hormuz remains uncertain.

On June 30th, to promote the high-quality and standardized development of my country's computing power token export and address common industry challenges such as cross-border compliance, standards systems, and ecosystem collaboration, the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), in conjunction with several core units across the industry chain, jointly launched the "Computing Power Token Export Ecosystem Plan." With "understanding the situation, building the ecosystem, and optimizing the path" as its core direction, the plan focuses on key links and common pain points across the entire computing power token export industry chain. Leveraging CAICT's research accumulation and technical capabilities in computing power, digital infrastructure, and cross-border data compliance, the plan provides the industry with dynamically updated research results and public services, driving the Chinese computing power token export industry from its exploratory stage to a standardized, efficient, and sustainable high-quality development stage.

JERA, Japan's largest power company, signed a memorandum of understanding with Thailand's Electricity Generating Corporation to jointly develop the value chain of hydrogen and ammonia in Thailand.

The AI application sector in Hong Kong stocks continued its strong performance, with Zhipu (02513.HK) rising more than 10%, Zhixing Technology (01274.HK) rising more than 5%, and Horizon Robotics (09660.HK) and WeRide-W (00800.HK) following suit.

According to Politico: The U.S. House Rules Committee passed a procedural measure Monday evening to schedule a debate in the full House session on the proposed $1.1 trillion defense bill, government funding bill, and other Republican bills.

On June 30th, the highest 7-day annualized yield of Tencent Wealth Management's "Current Account +" was 1.1730%, and the lowest was 0.7620%. The highest 7-day annualized yield of WeChat Pay's "Lingqian Tong" was 1.0180%, and the lowest was 1.0040%. The highest 7-day annualized yield of Alipay's "Yu'ebao" was 1.0200%, and the lowest was 1.0010%.

On June 30, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his deep concern over the recent violence between Afghanistan and Pakistan, stating at a regular press briefing on June 29. The Secretary-General called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians, and a diplomatic solution to the differences. Dujarric emphasized that all parties must fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian law, and that civilians and infrastructure must be protected at all times.

The Reserve Bank of Australia's meeting minutes stated that it was meaningful to use the room created by previous interest rate hikes to assess economic performance.

Reserve Bank of Australia meeting minutes: Recent data was mixed, but showed a general economic slowdown, in line with expectations.