On Aug. 17 China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a routine briefing that Jordan’s King Abdullah II will make his ninth visit to China since ascending the throne. The king will hold talks with President Xi Jinping, meet Premier Li Qiang and NPC chair Zhao Leji, and will visit Shanghai and Shenzhen. China said it seeks to use the visit to advance the China‑Jordan strategic partnership and contribute to regional peace, stability and development.

澳元兌美元AUD/USD向上觸及0.71，日內漲0.25%。

Ship-tracking data and trade sources say Vietnam has, for the first time in eight years, directly imported diesel produced by India’s Reliance Industries after Hanoi removed fuel import taxes in March to widen supply. About 70,000 tonnes of diesel from Reliance’s Jamnagar refinery was loaded onto Panamax vessel Magic Victoria and discharged Aug. 14-16 at PetroVietnam’s Yunfeng terminal in Khanh Hoa province. LSEG and Kpler data show Vietnam’s diesel imports had previously come mainly from South Korea and other Southeast Asian suppliers; the tax removal follows Middle East shipping risks that pushed buyers to seek nontraditional sources.