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On February 8th, a closed-door seminar on policy prospects for the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (NPC & CPPCC) was held at the Beijing Advanced Research Institute of Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics. The seminar was chaired by CPPCC member Yin Yanlin, and Vice President Li Chungen of Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics attended and delivered a speech. Experts at the seminar suggested the following: First, fiscal policy should play a greater regulatory role this year, with the deficit ratio higher than or at least no lower than last year, increasing the scale of national debt issuance, and expanding the overall expenditure. Second, given the current high actual financing costs, a substantial overall interest rate cut should be implemented to stimulate investment and consumption, at least 50 basis points throughout the year, while better utilizing the space for reserve requirement ratio (RRR) cuts. Third, the coordination between fiscal and monetary policies should be strengthened, the role of new financial policy tools should be better utilized, and their scale should be appropriately expanded to achieve a leverage effect on investment. Fourth, to stabilize investment, boost consumption, and restore the basic conditions for effective credit issuance as soon as possible, greater efforts are needed to stabilize the real estate market.

February 8th - On February 7th, the closed-door meeting of the 2026 China All-Solid-State Battery Industry-University-Research Collaborative Innovation Platform Annual Meeting was held in Beijing. The meeting brought together representatives from government, industry, academia, and research institutions to conduct in-depth discussions on the progress of all-solid-state battery R&D, common strategic assessments, and common key technical issues. Platform Chairman Ouyang Minggao pointed out that major technological changes require accumulated experience, and solid-state batteries are a major strategic direction for the next generation of battery upgrades. Currently, my country's all-solid-state battery R&D has made significant progress, but it also faces many practical challenges. High-energy-density sulfide all-solid-state batteries still need to overcome a series of key scientific challenges at multiple levels, including key materials, interfaces, composite materials, electrodes, and cells. Looking to the future, we must remain confident, overcome difficulties, and actively strive to maintain China's leading position in the global lithium battery market.

Ukrainian President Zelensky: Ukraine will start drone production in Germany in mid-February.

Renowned tech journalist Gurman predicts the new iPhone 17e will feature the A19 chip and MagSafe charging, as well as Apple's latest in-house cellular and wireless chips. Apple plans to keep the price unchanged at $599.

Renowned tech journalist Gurman reports that Apple (AAPL.O) is scheduled to release the first iOS 26.4 beta for developers (planned to include some features of the new Siri) the week of February 23. In addition, Apple plans to release new products the week of March 2, including the iPhone 17e, a new iPad, and a brand-new Mac computer.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi: I hope to accelerate the rare earth project on Minamitorishima Island and invite the United States to participate.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi: I hope to make good investments in crisis management and growth.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi: Restrictions on the export of lethal weapons will be eased.

Japan's Liberal Democratic Party is poised to win a single majority in the House of Representatives.

The Japanese Prime Minister called on the Japanese Diet to debate constitutional revision.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi: There are currently no plans to make major changes to the current cabinet lineup.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi: We will strive to fulfill our tax reduction commitments, because we have already made those commitments.

Market news: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has stated her willingness to listen to reasonable suggestions from the opposition.

Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama: The government maintains good dialogue with the Bank of Japan. I explained this in my meetings with executives from BlackRock and the International Monetary Fund, and they understand our position.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi: The alliance with the Japan Restoration Party will continue.

Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama: I will hold dialogues with the market on Monday, depending on the need.

Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama: Using foreign exchange reserves to fund national spending may be feasible, but given that foreign exchange reserves are often used for foreign exchange intervention, there could be problems with doing so.

Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama: (When asked whether Japan could use its foreign exchange reserves to fund tax cuts and spending) It's not easy; it requires a professional approach.