外汇交易员

The Japanese government has issued its strongest warning yet to foreign exchange market speculators. Japanese Finance Minister Kameyama Satsuki clearly stated that Japan has a "free hand" to take bold action against exchange rate fluctuations that deviate from economic fundamentals.

TikTok owner ByteDance’s valuation hits US$500 billion as US survival plan advances

South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT announced that it will require the country's three major mobile carriers—SK Telecom Co., KT Corp., and LG Uplus Inc.—as well as mobile virtual network operators to implement facial recognition when users apply for new phone numbers, in order to prevent criminals from activating new numbers through identity theft. The new policy will officially take effect in March 2026.

According to Debtwire, the one-year extension plan for 22 Vanke MTN004 was not approved, but the plan to extend the grace period for principal and interest payments by 30 trading days was approved. The extended grace period will end on January 28.

Ministry of Commerce of China: On December 19, Li Chenggang, China's International Trade Representative and Vice Minister of Commerce, met with Sabih Khan, Chief Operating Officer of Apple Inc. The two sides exchanged views on Apple's business development in China.

Jason Schenker, President of Prestige Economics, predicts that the exchange rate of the Chinese yuan against the US dollar may break through the closely watched 7.0 mark in about six months, after which the upward trend will slow down. It is expected to close around 7.03 by the end of 2026, as a strong yuan has little strategic value in resolving trade tensions.

Qianwen App released the "Top 10 AI Prompts for 2025" list, with the three most frequently asked categories being stocks, Bazi (Chinese astrology), and emotional counseling. The top 10 high-frequency prompts selected this time are: stocks, Bazi, emotional counseling, social media captions, attraction recommendations, lottery numbers, insomnia, solve this problem, divorce property division, and the meaning of life.

#Market Update Spot gold breaks through the October 20 high of $4,383 per ounce, hitting a new all-time high.

The People's Bank of China kept the one-year and five-year loan prime rates (LPR) unchanged at 3% and 3.5% respectively, marking the seventh consecutive month of no change.

French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed on Sunday plans to build a larger and more modern new aircraft carrier to replace the aging Charles de Gaulle and strengthen France's naval power. The French government stated that the new carrier will be operational by 2038, when the Charles de Gaulle is expected to be decommissioned.

The U.S. Department of Justice has begun releasing investigation documents related to the Epstein case. The DOJ added a note on the webpage where the documents were published, stating that it had made "every reasonable effort" to redact the personal information of the victims but warned that some information might be inadvertently disclosed. Deputy Attorney General Branch stated in a letter to Congress that during the comprehensive review of the files, the DOJ identified over 1,200 victims and their families, and all relevant names and identifying information had been redacted in accordance with the law. Branch earlier that day mentioned that hundreds of thousands of documents would be released on the 19th, but full disclosure might still take "several weeks."

#Market Pinduoduo's U.S. stock surged in pre-market trading, rising more than 8% at one point.

ByteDance issued an internal email to its global employees, announcing continued investment in talent, improving salary competitiveness, and enhancing stock option incentives. Specific measures include: increasing bonus (including performance-based options) investment, with the 2025 annual performance evaluation cycle increasing by 35% compared to the previous cycle; significantly raising salary adjustment investment, 1.5 times higher than the previous cycle; and raising the lower (starting) and upper (ceiling) limits of total compensation packages for all job levels. ByteDance stated that this move is to ensure employee salary competitiveness and incentive rewards are "leading the top tier" in global markets. (Yicai)

Luo Yonghao is promoting his "2025 Annual Technology Innovation Sharing Conference" on December 30, revealing that the conference will showcase AI software developed internally by Thin Red Line Technology.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Immigration Department announced today that starting from December 22 (next Monday), eligible visitors aged seven and above holding Mainland Travel Permits (Two-way Permits), electronic passports of the People's Republic of China, and using the "Easy Departure" service can use the "e-Channel" for self-service clearance, eliminating the need for traditional manual counters.

#Observation The widely circulated image in WeChat groups claiming "Ali's Q&A will kill Doubao" is AI-generated.

#Chart In terms of mobile usage time, Gemini is narrowing the gap with ChatGPT.

The National Medical Products Administration held a promotion meeting for brain-computer interface medical devices. The meeting emphasized the need to prioritize safety and effectiveness, establish a standard system, and strengthen technical guidance services. It also called for enhanced cross-departmental collaboration, bringing together industry, academia, research, and medical professionals to jointly address key technical challenges and improve the industrial and supply chains. Enterprises were urged to take primary responsibility, enhance product reliability and overall competitiveness, and actively promote the faster and better clinical application of brain-computer interface devices.

The Bank of Japan raised the benchmark interest rate from 0.5% to 0.75%, marking the highest interest rate level in 30 years. This is also the first rate hike by the Bank of Japan in 11 months since January 2025. The rate hike decision was unanimously approved. The Bank of Japan expects real interest rates to remain at extremely low levels. If economic and price trends align with expectations and improve, further rate hikes will continue. Even after the rate adjustment, monetary conditions remain accommodative, supporting the economy. The Bank of Japan maintains its assessment of the Japanese economy, stating that despite some weaknesses, the economy is recovering moderately, and core inflation is expected to continue rising gently.

A senior official in the Japanese government responsible for security policy under Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae told the media, "I believe we should possess nuclear weapons," expressing the view that Japan needs nuclear arms. The remarks were made during an off-the-record media interview. The official also mentioned that "this is not realistic." Japan is the only country to have suffered nuclear bombings in war, and the government is committed to achieving a "world without nuclear weapons." These pro-nuclear remarks significantly contradict the government's stance and may trigger backlash domestically and internationally. The Takaichi administration is considering a major shift in security policy, including revising Japan's long-held "Three Non-Nuclear Principles" as a peaceful nation. In light of these remarks, the government needs to fully explain its security policy approach, including nuclear issues. (Kyodo News)

Toyota plans to sell US-made cars in Japan from 2026.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew told employees in a memo that TikTok has signed an agreement supported by Donald Trump to divest its U.S. assets and create a new entity with a group primarily composed of American investors. Oracle, Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi-based MGX will collectively own 45% of the entity named "TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC." ByteDance retains nearly 20% of the shares.

U.S. Trade Representative Greer: Trump will meet with Xi Jinping in April next year. China should purchase medical equipment and aircraft from the United States.

The U.S. Senate confirmed that billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman will take over as the head of NASA. Isaacman is an ally of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the founder of payment processing platform Shift4, and also a private astronaut. Previously, Trump withdrew his nomination in June, leading to months of mutual attacks between Trump's camp and Isaacman's allies like Musk.

#Market Spot palladium rose above $1,700 per ounce for the first time since February 2023, gaining more than 3% intraday.