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January 29th - At the National Statistical Work Conference held in Beijing from January 28th to 29th, it was learned that in 2026, my country will further optimize consumption statistics to focus on building a strong domestic market. Reporters learned that the National Bureau of Statistics will further strengthen statistical monitoring of new consumption formats and models, changes in consumption structure, promote the calculation of regional service retail sales, and improve the calculation of online service retail sales. "We will further improve the supply-side comprehensive consumption statistics, optimize the calculation method for total retail sales of goods and services, and strengthen data calculation," said a relevant official from the National Bureau of Statistics.

On January 29, 2026, the National Healthcare Security Administration, together with the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Finance, the National Health Commission, the State Taxation Administration, the State Administration for Market Regulation, the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the National Medical Products Administration, jointly convened a meeting to summarize the special campaign to address prominent issues in the management of the national medical insurance fund and to deploy work for 2026. The meeting emphasized the need to strictly investigate and crack down on illegal and irregular use of medical insurance funds, to combat the resale and repatriation of drugs across the entire supply chain, and to focus on strengthening the handling and rectification of problems. It stressed the importance of combining prevention and crackdown to create a tighter regulatory defense. This includes deepening big data supervision to improve regulatory efficiency, strengthening the management of handling and review processes, improving the early warning and handling mechanism for non-compliant behavior and expenses, and moving the regulatory focus forward. The meeting also emphasized the need to pay more attention to promoting governance through investigation and to drive in-depth governance. It called for continuously improving the long-term regulatory mechanism, strengthening the governance of drug prices, strengthening the refined management of medical insurance, and strengthening the management of fund operation.

On January 29th, market analyst Divyang Shah stated that precious metals have recently garnered significant attention, with copper prices hitting new highs. Although copper's year-to-date gains have lagged behind gold and silver, numerous reasons support the bullish trend: doubts about the Federal Reserve's independence, geopolitical risks, concerns about a weakening dollar, supply chain fragmentation, demand to hedge against supply shocks, and demand related to artificial intelligence are all factors that can influence investment decisions. We previously emphasized that "in addition to gold, countries will begin strategically stockpiling key commodities. This strategic trend may continue for many years," a theme that remains relevant in the commodities market.

January 29th - Crude oil prices continued to rise, with both WTI and Brent crude increasing by over 3% intraday, driven by concerns about potential supply disruptions from possible US military action against Iran. Sparta Capital analyst Peter Cardillo noted in a report that while they believe a supply imbalance is forming, geopolitical risks could further push up oil prices. He added that continued price increases could trigger an increase in short positions, in other words, selling on rallies.

The China Earthquake Networks Center officially reported that a magnitude 3.0 earthquake occurred at 21:54 on January 29 in Luntai County, Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang (41.40 degrees north latitude, 84.46 degrees east longitude), with a focal depth of 15 kilometers.

Davis, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets, said the expansion of the commodity range has exacerbated market volatility.

January 29th - According to US financial media Semafor, US President Trump and Federal Reserve Chairman Powell, whom he has long wanted to replace, have reached a rare consensus on one thing: the US economy is doing better than Americans realize. Trump exclaimed on Wednesday, "I think nobody realizes it – the economy is booming." Hours later, Powell also told reporters, "The economy has once again surprised us with its strength." However, he also pointed out, "Consumer surveys look very negative, and then there's spending. The economy has been out of sync with consumption and spending for some time. People are still consuming, but they're feeling the affordability. One of our jobs is price stability, and the best thing we can do for those who are feeling the pressure is to control inflation."

January 29th - On the evening of the 29th local time, the Union Election Commission of Myanmar continued to release the list of elected members of parliament for the third phase of the general election. According to preliminary results, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), Myanmar's largest political party, has won more than half of the seats in the House of Nationalities (Upper House) of the Union Parliament. As of now, the USDP has won more than half of the seats in both the House of Representatives (Lower House) and the House of Nationalities (Upper House) of the Union Parliament.

U.S. Border Affairs Director Homan: Federal officials have abandoned targeted enforcement.

January 29th - Driven by a rebound in imports and a decline in exports, the U.S. trade deficit widened sharply to $56.8 billion in November, far exceeding the median economist forecast of $44 billion and significantly higher than the previous month. The deficit in October had previously been the smallest since 2009. Data released by the U.S. Commerce Department on Thursday showed that the trade deficit in goods and services nearly doubled in November, reaching $56.8 billion. Imports rose 5%, mainly reflecting increased exports of pharmaceutical preparations and capital goods. The total value of all U.S. exports of goods and services fell 3.6% in November; these figures do not take inflation into account.

On January 29, Premier Li Qiang and British Prime Minister Keith Starmer jointly attended the closing ceremony of the China-UK Business Council meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing and delivered speeches. More than 110 representatives from Chinese and British enterprises and institutions attended. Li Qiang stated that China and the UK are important economic and trade partners with broad common interests. As long as both sides adhere to mutual respect, move in the same direction, eliminate interference, and cooperate openly, they can achieve win-win results and create common prosperity through mutual benefit. Currently, unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, and geopolitical conflicts are intensifying, severely impacting the world economy and business development. Against this backdrop, China and the UK should continue to uphold the "ice-breaking spirit" and strengthen cooperation ties. This is not only a rational choice for both countries to cope with risks and promote common development, but also a due responsibility for China and the UK as major powers to work together to solve global problems.

U.S. Border Affairs Chief Homan: Targeted operations will continue.

U.S. Border Affairs Director Homan: Agents will be required to adhere to professional standards.

January 29th - Canada's trade deficit widened more than expected, driven by increased volatility in gold exports and declines in both imports and exports of motor vehicles and parts. Statistics Canada reported on Thursday that the country's trade deficit reached C$2.2 billion in November. Economists had previously predicted a deficit of C$690 million. The agency stated that total exports fell 2.8% in November, with exports of metal and non-metallic mineral products experiencing the largest drop at 24.4%. This was primarily dragged down by a 36% decline in exports of unwrought gold, silver, platinum, and their alloys. The report noted that gold has been the main driver of volatility in Canadian exports in recent months. In November, Canadian exports of unwrought gold to the UK, the US, and Hong Kong all declined sharply.

U.S. Border Affairs Director Homan: Agents who do not meet the standards of conduct will be severely punished.

U.S. border official Homan plans to cut the number of federal officials in Minnesota.

U.S. Border Affairs Director Homan: The power to reform U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement laws rests with Congress.

U.S. Border Affairs Chief Homan: Targeted operations will be conducted in Minnesota.