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Hefei has overtaken Jinan in momentum by leaning into high-tech manufacturing and policy-backed investment, tying both cities at 1.42 trillion yuan in 2025. Shenzhen is the leading candidate to break the 4-trillion-yuan barrier in 2026, while Nanjing, Ningbo and Tianjin compete to reach the 2-trillion mark, each with different strengths and constraints.
Feitian Moutai is experiencing renewed scarcity and sharp price moves ahead of China’s spring festival, even as other premium baijiu brands show relative price stability. Online sales at promotional prices are heavily contested but have not significantly displaced offline demand, and producers are shifting to non‑price promotions to stimulate consumption.
Jiangxi is the only Chinese province to raise its 2026 GDP target, setting it at 5–5.5% after a 5.2% rebound in 2025. The revision reflects a concerted industrial-policy push, emerging high-tech clusters and an ambition to pair manufacturing upgrades with deeper science investment, even as talent shortages and weak external demand pose risks.
A sharp risk-off episode on February 5–6 swept US equities, precious metals and cryptocurrencies after mixed earnings and worrying guidance from chip suppliers. Microsoft lost about $152 billion in market value, spot silver plunged nearly 20%, and bitcoin fell over 14% as more than 430,000 leveraged crypto positions were liquidated. Chinese ADRs bucked the trend, posting gains in a selective rally.
A violent ownership dispute over Beijing Huiyuan has derailed a planned asset injection into Guozhong Water and triggered large impairments that put the company at risk of *ST designation and possible delisting. The turmoil exposes broader weaknesses in the Pengxin group controlled by Jiang Zhaobai — from disputed mining acquisitions and unmet performance guarantees to heavy share pledges and governance lapses — and raises questions about recoverability for creditors and minority shareholders.
The U.S. and Iran resumed indirect nuclear talks in Muscat on 6 February under Omani mediation after intense regional pressure, even as military tensions rose following a U.S. shootdown of an Iranian drone. Fundamental disagreements—over enrichment, missiles and regional influence—remain, making the talks a fragile de-escalation rather than a lasting solution.
The U.S. Defense Department and Raytheon signed multi-year framework agreements to boost annual production of Tomahawk cruise missiles, AMRAAMs, SM-6s and SM-3 interceptors, responding to heavy munitions use in recent crises and growing allied demand. While the increases are significant, analysts warn that even the expanded outputs leave high-end missile stockpiles relatively vulnerable and that rebuilding a resilient industrial base will be a long effort.
A wave of Chinese game companies handed employees gold as year‑end bonuses, reflecting the sector’s recovery and high bullion prices. Firms use gold gifts as both a tangible reward and a public recruiting tool, though the gestures are partly symbolic and hinge on continued financial improvement.
President Trump warned of military action if Iran builds new nuclear facilities as negotiations between the two countries were scheduled to begin in Muscat, Oman. The United States wants talks to cover missiles and regional activities, while Iran insists the agenda be confined to its nuclear programme and sanctions relief, creating a major sticking point that will test whether diplomacy can withstand heightened threats and regional pressure.
The White House said it will withdraw about 700 federal immigration and border officers from Minnesota and pivot to less visible, “smarter” enforcement while preserving its larger deportation objectives. The move is presented as a tactical de‑escalation; its success depends on local cooperation and may shift disputes from the streets to courts and jails.
U.S. threats of military action against Iran are best understood as coercive diplomacy: calibrated pressure meant to force concessions and test Tehran's red lines without triggering full-scale war. The approach raises risks of asymmetric retaliation, regional escalation, and economic disruption while leaving room for back-channel diplomacy to reduce tensions.
China’s Central Propaganda Department has posthumously named Dong Yijun a “Model of the Era,” an honorific designed to elevate exemplary behavior and further official ideological education. The move underscores Beijing’s continued reliance on symbolic figures to shape social norms and reinforce Party authority through state media and institutional channels.
China is marking the first anniversary of Huang Xuhua’s death, celebrating the engineer credited with guiding its early nuclear‑submarine programme. The commemorations frame his deep‑sea test dives in his sixties as emblematic of long‑term technical sacrifice that underpins Beijing’s present naval and nuclear capabilities.
Queen Máxima has joined the Dutch army reserves at 54, undergoing training and receiving the rank of soldier with a promised promotion to lieutenant-colonel upon completion. The enlistment is a symbolic show of solidarity with the armed forces amid broader European efforts to strengthen defence and reduce reliance on the United States.
A coalition of activists plans to send over 100 ships and thousands of people to try again to deliver aid to Gaza starting 29 March, while a parallel convoy will attempt to reach Rafah via Egypt. The renewed flotilla risks confrontation with Israel, legal disputes over blockades and further diplomatic escalation involving South Africa, Egypt and European ports of departure.
China used the Singapore Airshow to showcase both military and commercial aviation progress, with the PLA aerobatic team performing after a six‑year hiatus and a prominent J-35A model displayed amid COMAC’s C919 and C909 airliners. The appearances underline Beijing’s dual pursuit of defence modernisation and aerospace industry internationalisation.
Iran announced technical upgrades to its ballistic missile forces and a shift from defensive to offensive military doctrine after last year's 12-day conflict with Israel. The move is intended to strengthen deterrence, complicate potential strikes against Iran, and bolster Tehran’s leverage ahead of planned nuclear talks with the United States in Muscat.
An F-35C from the USS Abraham Lincoln shot down an Iranian drone about 500 miles off Iran’s coast, a move the U.S. called defensive and Iran described as a reconnaissance aircraft that lost contact after transmitting images. The incident exposes limits in carrier stealth, demonstrates Iran’s surveillance reach, and raises the risk of inadvertent escalation amid rising regional military activity and arms transfers.
President Trump warned on February 4 that the U.S. would strike Iran if it attempted to restart its nuclear programme or build new facilities abroad, saying U.S. intelligence had identified such plans. The public threat raises the risk of escalation, complicates diplomacy and places emphasis on independent verification from institutions like the IAEA.
The United States has urged Israel not to launch unilateral military strikes against Iran during U.S.-Iran talks in Oman, reflecting intense Washington–Jerusalem coordination to avoid derailing negotiations. Tehran confirmed the talks will proceed but remains wary; Washington wants a broader agenda while Iran insists on limiting discussions to the nuclear file.
