A U.S. defense official said about 60 commercial vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, carrying crude oil volumes at the highest single-day level since early July.

Chinese President Xi arrived at Andrews Air Force Base on the afternoon of Sept 23 local time for a state visit to the United States at the invitation of US President Trump. Both leaders said they look forward to in-depth exchanges on major bilateral and global issues. Xi said China and the US should be partners rather than rivals and called for deepening a constructive strategic-stability relationship and expanding cooperation across multiple fields.

Two sources said the Japanese Ministry of Finance plans to discuss next week with primary dealers a reduction in the size of liquidity-enhancing auctions for 5–11 year JGBs. The sources said improved supply-demand in the JGB market, as the Bank of Japan scales back bond purchases, has reduced the need for additional supply and prompted the ministry to consider adjusting issuance. If implemented, it would be the first cut to these maturities since the mechanism change in April 2026. The ministry expects to finalise next-quarter issuance plans after month-end market consultations.