On the afternoon of June 8 local time, CHINA will hold talks with N. KOREA Workers’ Party General Secretary and State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un at the Kumsusan Guesthouse in Pyongyang.

China Academy of Sciences on June 8 published results from the 'Black Soil Granary' science campaign. The programme produced a baseline and change map of black-soil resources, identifying nearly 40 years of degradation characterized by thinning, reduced depth and soil hardening. Researchers reported a dual-source synergistic control mechanism for targeted fertility improvement and said they have developed key technologies including targeted blocking/containment, gully erosion repair, bio-enabled healthy cultivation and intelligent farm machinery, plus a full-coverage zonal classification protection-and-use model. Seven 10,000-mu core demonstration zones were established (total 193,500 mu / ~12,900 ha); reported impacts include soil organic matter rising 0.25–0.70 percentage points, soil erosion falling 80%, arable land quality improving by 0.5 grade and grain yields increasing more than 5.2%. The programme says the technical models have been extended to over 540 million mu (~36 million ha), providing scientific support for black-soil protection and sustainable use.

Zhipu (02513.HK) shares rose over 10% intraday on the Hong Kong market.