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Guan Ling, head of acupuncture at the PLA General Hospital, has developed an anatomy‑informed “structural acupuncture” approach that she and state outlets credit with reducing training injuries and drug use across pilot units. Her work — delivered in deserts, highlands and aboard ships — has been scaled through a large training programme that aims to keep minor injuries treatable at the unit level and protect combat readiness. The initiative highlights the PLA’s pragmatic integration of traditional Chinese medicine into force health protection while raising questions about the need for independent clinical validation.

The White House said President Trump will attend a March 7 ceremony at Dover Air Force Base to receive the remains of six U.S. service members killed in operations against Iran. Their deaths follow a major Feb. 28 strike by U.S. and Israeli forces that killed Iran’s supreme leader and provoked Iranian retaliatory attacks across the region.

An Israeli naval action on March 5 accidentally struck an empty UN fuel tanker off Gaza, damaging the vehicle but causing no injuries. The UN has called for a full investigation as the incident raises fresh concerns about the protection of humanitarian assets and the fragility of Gaza's fuel-dependent services.

China’s human-resources ministry said it is studying measures to use artificial intelligence to create new jobs and enhance traditional ones, positioning AI as a tool for inclusive development. The move signals Beijing’s intent to manage technological disruption through reskilling, new-occupation recognition and incentives for augmentation, but implementation and measurable outcomes remain uncertain.

China’s labour ministry is drafting measures to harness artificial intelligence to create new jobs and to augment traditional occupations, emphasising reskilling and the formal development of new professions. The policy reflects Beijing’s dual goal of boosting productivity while protecting employment stability amid rapid AI adoption and a large cohort of new graduates.

China’s human-resources minister announced that the ministry is preparing measures to use AI to create new jobs and empower traditional ones, part of a broader effort to align technological progress with social and employment goals. The move signals Beijing’s attempt to marry its AI ambitions with domestic stability concerns, though the impact will depend on the design and scale of forthcoming policies.

Magic Atom, the Beijing startup that showcased humanoid and quadruped robots at the 2026 Spring Festival Gala, announced a major management reshuffle while not addressing reports that founder and former CEO Wu Changzheng has left to start a new company. The firm emphasised continuity of technical leadership and bolstered its research bench with senior appointments, but the timing raises questions about governance as Magic Atom eyes rapid commercialisation and a possible 2026 market move.

Flight suspensions and airspace closures tied to the Middle East conflict have stranded large amounts of gold in Dubai, driving traders to sell at discounts of up to $30 per ounce to avoid mounting storage and financing costs. The disruption has created short-term tightness for Asian refiners and increased logistics costs, highlighting vulnerabilities in the physical bullion supply chain.

Meituan and Lenovo have launched a nationwide remote deployment service for OpenClaw, offering a one-stop solution to install and manage software across device fleets. The move accelerates the commercialization of agent-driven deployment in China while raising operational and security questions for users and regulators.

A Russian research team has developed an AI neural network that analyses CT scans to mark areas suspicious for early breast cancer and forwards annotated images to doctors. The tool could convert routine CTs into opportunistic screening opportunities, but its clinical value remains unproven pending independent validation, transparency about performance metrics, and resolution of privacy and regulatory issues.

At the NPC economic press conference, Beijing announced record fiscal spending, a large new government bond issuance and coordinated monetary easing while unveiling social, industrial and infrastructure targets for the coming Five-Year Plan. The package pairs near-term demand support with long-term state-led investment in six emerging sectors and major energy and transport projects, alongside capital-market reforms and stronger investor protections.

A sharp global oil rally has pushed international benchmarks to multi‑month highs, triggering China’s scheduled fuel‑price review on March 9. Regulators are expected to raise retail caps by about 500 yuan per tonne, the largest increase this year, raising pump prices and transport costs for consumers and businesses.

Escalating hostilities around Iran and Israel have pushed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz toward paralysis, sending oil prices sharply higher and prompting warnings that prices could surge toward $150 a barrel if exports halt. Markets and policymakers face a renewed inflation‑growth dilemma as storage constraints, production cuts and higher freight and insurance costs turn a regional conflict into a global energy risk.

Gold posted wild intra‑week swings after a US–Iran escalation in late February and early March, briefly spiking above $5,400/oz before plunging below $5,000/oz. Short‑term reversals were driven by a stronger dollar, rising US yields and deleveraging in paper markets, even as long‑term drivers such as central‑bank buying and de‑dollarisation remain intact.

JD.com grew revenue to ¥1.3 trillion in 2025 but saw operating profit collapse and free cash flow shrink sharply as losses from new businesses, especially food delivery, ballooned. Management says investment intensity could ease in 2026 if competition stabilises, but the company must show that its retail margins and newly listed subsidiaries can deliver independent, durable profits.

Laopu Gold’s 20–30% price rise at the start of 2026 produced a buying frenzy rather than deterring customers, underscoring the brand’s transition from jeweller to luxury-asset maker. Strong resale demand and elevated gold prices have reinforced the perception of jewellery as an investable, appreciating good, but rising raw-material costs and intensifying competition threaten margins and the sustainability of the model.

China has made the development of an ‘intelligent economy’ a national priority, with central targets to grow AI‑related industries to more than 10 trillion yuan. All 31 provinces have laid out AI plans for 2026, but strategies vary widely: Beijing focuses on research and governance, Shanghai on finance and open source, coastal provinces on manufacturing upgrades, and interior regions on compute and niche specialisation.

Iran’s recent toggling between closing the Strait of Hormuz and targeting only Western-linked vessels has injected fresh volatility into oil markets, driving weekly price jumps and heightening geopolitical risk. Tehran’s calibrated strikes aim to pressure the United States and its allies while limiting damage to Iran’s own oil revenue, but the situation leaves global consumers and Asian importers dangerously exposed.

Beijing has enshrined a new urban and rural residents’ income plan in the 2026 government work report, combining wage, social‑security and wealth‑income measures to lift household incomes and stimulate consumption. The move responds to weak external demand and aims to rebalance growth toward domestic consumption, but success depends on sustained, coordinated implementation and financial safeguards.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that Britain will send four Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Qatar to bolster regional air defences, supplementing an RAF deployment that arrived in January. The move is intended to reassure Gulf allies, preserve forward basing options and signal British commitment to regional security while avoiding a large-scale escalation.