Domestic News
1. The Fourth Session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) opened on the morning of March 5th and will last for eight days.
2. Wang Yi held telephone conversations with UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal.
3. China's Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for February was 49%, down 0.3 percentage points from the previous month.
4. Lou Qinjian, spokesperson for the Fourth Session of the 14th NPC, stated that this year my country will formulate laws such as the Childcare Services Law; the draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan will be submitted to the NPC for review, approval, and promulgation; this year, the focus will remain on expanding domestic demand, vigorously boosting consumption, and promoting the construction of a strong domestic market; the central government will further deploy measures to support Hong Kong's unique advantages and important role in the 15th Five-Year Plan and will continue to introduce more policies and measures to benefit Hong Kong.
5. FTSE Russell announced quarterly review changes to its FTSE China Index series, including China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, Tianfu Communication, and Wanhua Chemical in the FTSE China A50 Index.
International News
1. Reports indicate the White House will convene a meeting with major US defense contractors to discuss increasing production. 2. South Korea says it will utilize its over 100 trillion won market stabilization program if necessary.
3. Fitch downgrades Indonesia's rating outlook to negative; maintains its "BBB" rating.
4. US Treasury Secretary Bessenter: (Regarding raising tariffs to 15%) Expected to be implemented this week.
5. US ADP employment increased by 63,000 in February, the largest increase since November 2025, exceeding market expectations of 50,000.
6. Apple announces the MacBook Neo, featuring an A18 Pro chip and side-speaker speakers, starting at $599.
7. Federal Reserve – ① Milan: Further rate cuts are appropriate at the March meeting; the outlook remains unchanged due to the Iranian conflict. A one percentage point rate cut this year is appropriate. ② Hamak: Inflation expectations have not risen significantly. I think we are likely to keep interest rates unchanged for a considerable period.
8. Energy Situation – ① Sources: Qatar will completely suspend liquefied natural gas production on Wednesday. ② Trump dispatched Interior Secretary Bergham to Venezuela to promote the oil and mining industry. ③ LME aluminum prices hit a new high since 2022. ④ Saudi Aramco: For security reasons, crude oil exports are now routed through Yanbu Port on the Red Sea; Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura refinery was attacked again, and employees have reportedly been evacuated. ⑤ Indian refiner MRPL suspended fuel exports due to the impact of the Iranian situation on raw material supplies. ⑥ The EU informed its member states that it currently has no plans to take any measures at the national or EU level to address the natural gas issue.
9. Iranian Situation—① US Defense Secretary: The US-Iran conflict could last eight weeks or longer, with the focus of attacks shifting inland. A US submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean; US Treasury Secretary: The US Navy will provide security escorts for oil tankers if necessary. ② Iran denies that its intelligence ministry has contacted or discussed matters with the CIA; an Iranian armed forces spokesperson stated that if Israel attacks the Iranian embassy in Beirut, Iran will target Israeli embassies around the world; Khamenei's senior aide: Iran has no intention of negotiating with the US. ③ Israel Defense Forces: The Israel Defense Forces attacked an underground Hezbollah weapons storage facility and several command centers in Beirut.
