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Geely Automobile (00175.HK) and Ford Motor (FN) announced that they will produce two electric SUVs at Ford’s plant in Spain in 2028.

According to Business Insider, Amazon (AMZN.O) has redesigned Alexa to reduce its reliance on the Anthropic model.

July 23 - The "National Fitness Plan (2026-2030)" points out that the construction of national fitness venues and facilities will be incorporated into local land use planning. It promotes the alignment of the layout and construction of venues and facilities near residents with the total number, structure, and mobility trends of the resident population, prioritizing new resources in densely populated areas with significant supply-demand imbalances. The plan implements a plan to expand public sports spaces, making full use of urban "golden corners and silver edges," revitalizing existing spaces such as industrial plants, warehouses, commercial buildings, under elevated bridges, and building rooftops to create age-friendly fitness spaces tailored to local conditions, and building more "small but beautiful" national fitness venues and facilities near residents. It calls for the construction or renovation of a number of small (micro) sports parks, small fitness centers, multi-functional sports fields, small football fields, and public skating rinks, increasing the supply of venues and facilities for sports with rapid population growth, such as ball games and ice and snow sports. It also continues to allocate small fitness facilities such as table tennis tables in urban communities and parks.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard: The Iranian Revolutionary Guard sends an important message to the Jordanian people that it is our legitimate, religious, and rational right to strike US bases that launch aggression against Iran from its territory.

July 23 – From January to June 2026, 31,617 new foreign-invested enterprises were established nationwide, a year-on-year increase of 5.3%; actual use of foreign capital amounted to RMB 402.14 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 5%. In June alone, actual use of foreign capital increased by 15.1% year-on-year. By industry, actual use of foreign capital in manufacturing reached RMB 105.03 billion, and in services RMB 289.62 billion. Actual use of foreign capital in high-tech industries reached RMB 170.33 billion, a year-on-year increase of 33.2%, accounting for 42.4% of the national total, an increase of 12.2 percentage points compared to the same period last year. Among these, actual use of foreign capital in R&D and design services, electronic and communication equipment manufacturing, and computer and office equipment manufacturing increased by 82%, 52%, and 29.2%, respectively.

According to the Iranian news agency IRNA: Iraqi Prime Minister Zaidi has arrived in Tehran, the capital of Iran.

July 23rd Futures News: 1. Greige Fabric Inventory: On July 23rd, greige fabric weaving inventory was approximately 32.8 days. Currently, greige fabric prices are unlikely to rise, and profit margins are being squeezed by raw material demand. Market sentiment is cautious, resulting in a slight increase in greige fabric inventory. 2. Loom Operating Rate: After downstream users replenished their stocks, many withdrew from the market to observe, leading to sluggish trading in the polyester filament market. The operating rate remained at 58.2% this week. 3. Greige Fabric/Fabric Trading: According to data monitoring and analysis from 350 price-collecting units, the Ministry of Commerce's China•Shengze Silk and Chemical Fiber Index rose slightly on July 23rd. The chemical fiber fabric price index closed at 101.14 points, an increase of 0.01 compared to the previous trading day.

July 23 – A Reuters survey shows that investors have significantly reduced their bearish bets on the South Korean won as South Korea attempts to expand its foreign exchange market, trade performance is strong, and sentiment towards the won has improved. A two-week survey of 10 respondents showed that short positions in the won fell to their lowest level in five months, while bearish bets on the Thai baht and New Taiwan dollar rose to multi-month highs. A combination of factors has boosted market participants' confidence in the won: the launch of 24-hour onshore USD/KRW spot trading, strong AI chip exports driving economic recovery, and tighter monetary policy. “Confidence in the won has increased as South Korean authorities have opened up the foreign exchange market. South Korea’s strong trade performance is also likely to drive capital inflows,” said Jeff Ng, head of Asia macro strategy at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation.

UAE Foreign Trade Minister: The UAE will soon import high-end AI chips from the United States.

On July 23, Chow Tai Fook (01929.HK) released its unaudited key operating data for the three months ended June 30, 2026, showing a 15.1% year-on-year increase in retail sales. Same-store average selling price for gold jewelry remained strong during the quarter. The average selling price in mainland China continued to rise to HK$10,600 (Q1 Fiscal Year 2026: HK$8,400), while the average selling price in Hong Kong and Macau rose to HK$17,100 (Q1 Fiscal Year 2026: HK$15,600).

Russian Defense Ministry: Russian troops have taken control of Bilitsk in eastern Ukraine.

The onshore yuan closed at 6.7706 against the US dollar at 16:30 on July 23, up 34 points from the previous trading day.

On July 23, a press conference was held in Shanghai. Huang Binbing, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the Shanghai Municipal Committee and Deputy Director of the Shanghai State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, stated that Shanghai will focus on building a service platform for the overseas expansion of games, continue to support the development of the online literature platform "Qidian International," and promote the establishment of micro-drama overseas expansion bases in relevant districts. The city will also continue to compile country-specific "Guides for Chinese Games Going Global," and, relying on universities and industry associations, provide copyright protection and financial services in the game industry. Furthermore, a one-stop service center for micro-dramas will be established, integrating overseas expansion services such as government consultation, marketing promotion, copyright protection, and financial support.

Taiwan's M2 money supply annual rate was 8.13% in June, compared with 7.83% in the previous month.

US Secretary of State Rubio: The United States seeks a denuclearized Iran.

July 23 – ING analyst Francesco Pesole stated in a report that while the European Central Bank might hint at a possible September rate hike through media leaks following Thursday's meeting, this is unlikely to prevent the euro from falling in the coming days. He noted that ING's near-term bias for the euro remains "tilted to the downside" as the foreign exchange market appears to be "dangerously complacent" about the escalating Middle East conflict. "Unless more positive news emerges, we expect the euro to fall to around $1.1380 in the coming days."

U.S. Secretary of State Rubio: We have honored our agreement with Iran, and perhaps they will change their minds in the next few days.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio: We hope to reach a peace agreement in Ukraine. A peace agreement requires a lot of work.

The Hang Seng Index closed up 318.15 points, or 1.28%, at 25,210.81 on Thursday, July 23; the Hang Seng Tech Index closed up 30.25 points, or 0.65%, at 4,698.48; the H-share Index closed up 101.6 points, or 1.23%, at 8,352.67; and the Red Chip Index closed up 71.84 points, or 1.74%, at 4,193.12.

Texas Instruments (TXN.O) shares fell 4.8% in pre-market trading after the company reported poor second-quarter results and outlook.