Domestic News
1. Xi Jinping emphasized at a symposium on strengthening basic research that greater efforts and more concrete measures should be taken to strengthen basic research and further solidify the foundation for building a strong nation in science and technology.
2. Vice Premier He Lifeng held a video call with US Treasury Secretary Bessant and Trade Representative Greer on the evening of April 30.
3. Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister, spoke by phone with US Secretary of State Rubio on April 30.
4. Yi Huiman, former vice chairman of the Economic Committee of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, was expelled from the Party and dismissed from public office for serious violations of discipline and law.
5. The People's Bank of China and the General Administration of Customs: Further optimize the "not one batch, one license" management of import and export permits for gold and gold products.
6. The National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the Ministry of Commerce will support local governments in carrying out commercial reserve storage of frozen pork.
7. Public security organs issued a safety reminder for drone flight activities: real-name registration, clear airspace, and flight in accordance with regulations. 8. The second batch of 91.5 billion yuan in ultra-long-term special treasury bonds for 2026 to support equipment upgrades has been allocated.
9. National Bureau of Statistics: my country's manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) was 50.3% in April, continuing its positive trend.
10. The Cyberspace Administration of China has launched a special campaign to "Clean Up the Internet and Rectify the Chaos in AI Applications."
International News
1. Meta Platforms plans to raise up to $25 billion through a bond issuance.
2. Sources: India's gold imports in April are expected to fall to 15 tons, potentially a near 30-year low.
3. The European Central Bank (ECB) held rates steady for the seventh consecutive meeting; ECB sources indicate a very high probability of a rate hike in June.
4. The Bank of England voted 8-1 to keep interest rates unchanged; the statement hinted at a possible rate hike, prompting Governor Bailey to urgently address the issue at a press conference.
5. White House National Economic Council Director Hassett: GDP data was strong. Powell's continued tenure as a Fed governor may influence rate cuts.
6. The JPY/USD exchange rate experienced significant volatility, briefly falling below 160 to a 19-month low before rebounding above 155 during the US session; Japanese media reported that Japan intervened in the foreign exchange market.
7. The initial estimate for the annualized quarterly rate of US real GDP in the first quarter was 2%, lower than expected; the March PCE price index rose to 3.5% year-on-year, the highest in nearly three years; weekly initial jobless claims reached 189,000, the lowest since the week ending September 24, 2022.
8. US media: The US has proposed forming an alliance to restore ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
9. An Iranian parliamentarian stated that a naval blockade would be tantamount to a declaration of war. A decision on military action to remove these obstacles may be made tomorrow or next week.
10. US House Speaker Johnson stated that the US is not at war with Iran; Congress does not need to vote on military action against Iran.
