The National Bureau of Statistics said seasonally higher electricity and coal demand in August pushed coal mining and washing prices up 2.8% MoM and electricity supply prices up 1.4% MoM. High temperatures and rainfall disrupted construction activity, weighing on ferrous metal smelting and rolling prices (-0.9% MoM) and non-metallic mineral products (-0.2% MoM).

Samsung Electronics said it has opened an advanced semiconductor packaging R&D center in Yokohama, Japan. The company plans to invest about 40 bln yen over five years from 2024 to expand lab hardware and bolster advanced packaging capabilities, and will collaborate with Japanese firms, universities and research institutes to develop next‑generation packaging materials and processes. Samsung targets more than 100 researchers at the facility by 2027.

卡塔爾外交部：霍爾木茲海峽的開放對我們和該地區所有人至關重要。