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A surge in Chinese defence and aerospace stocks reflects investor excitement about SpaceX’s merger with xAI and a renewed push on China’s large civilian aircraft programmes. The merger reframes commercial space as a potential trillion‑dollar market for space‑grade power, laser communications and thermal systems, while COMAC’s accelerated C929 testing signals upward movement in China’s civil aerospace supply chain.

Zhiyuan Robotics will forgo the 2026 Spring Festival Gala to host Robot Wonderful Night, a live-streamed spectacle featuring hundreds of performing robots, as it concentrates resources on embodied intelligence R&D. The event underscores a broader industry pivot from demonstration to productization amid booming forecasts for humanoid robots, rising memory costs driven by AI demand, and shifting infrastructure needs for compute and power.

Pfizer’s long‑acting GLP‑1 candidate PF‑08653944 produced a 12.3% placebo‑adjusted mean weight loss at 28 weeks and sustained reductions after switching to monthly dosing, with mainly mild‑to‑moderate gastrointestinal side effects. The company has launched an ambitious phase 3 programme of ten trials and plans to advance full development in 2026, positioning itself to challenge incumbent GLP‑1 therapies if larger trials confirm efficacy and safety.

China’s subsidy programme for appliance trade‑ins and purchases of digital and smart products produced more than 15 million unit sales in January, generating nearly 590 billion yuan in turnover. The rapid local rollout — with all 32 regions activating subsidies — signals an early policy success in boosting consumption and encouraging greener, higher‑tech upgrades, though risks remain around front‑loading, fiscal cost and recycling capacity.

A sharp fall in global gold prices at the end of January and early February prompted Chinese retail investors to average down aggressively while major banks raised minimums and issued warnings to curb risk. The episode reflects growing retail participation in precious‑metals markets and a tension between long‑term structural demand drivers for gold and short‑term monetary policy signals that can reverse price gains rapidly.

Chinese equities advanced broadly on February 3, buoyed by gains in space, photovoltaic and chip-related sectors while international spot gold spiked nearly 6%, lifting mining stocks. Key industrial developments included the first flight of a hybrid-propulsion unmanned transport aircraft and a private reusable rocket planned for mid-2026, amid renewed travel flows and provincial housing-stability measures.

Sichuan and Chongqing together have surpassed 10 trillion yuan in GDP, underscoring the re-emergence of the Chengdu–Chongqing twin-city economic corridor as China’s largest western growth pole. The milestone reflects not just fiscal transfers and infrastructure spending but the maturation of industrial clusters in electronics, advanced manufacturing and new energy.

The onshore renminbi strengthened intraday past 6.94 to a 32-month high as the US dollar softened. Market strategists see room for further dollar weakness this year if US jobs data disappoint and rate-cut expectations move forward, a dynamic that will shape China’s exchange-rate, trade, and monetary policy considerations.

Gold and silver rebounded in early February after unprecedented intraday plunges at the end of January and renewed selling on Feb. 2. The shocks were driven by a rapid deleveraging of positions and a renewed expectation of a stronger US dollar following Kevin Warsh’s nomination for Fed chair, while Chinese state banks raised margins and issued risk warnings to curb retail exposure.

A‑shares rallied on February 3 as photovoltaic supply‑chain stocks and AI/compute hardware names led gains, while overall market turnover contracted slightly. The advance was broad—nearly 4,900 stocks rose—but lower volume suggests the move may be more sentiment‑driven than conviction‑led.

President Trump’s simultaneous threat of force and offer of talks toward Iran reflects deliberate brinkmanship intended to maximize U.S. leverage. Tehran remains resistant on core issues such as ballistic missiles and regional influence, and a military campaign would carry heavy regional and global costs that complicate any claimed benefits for China.

Alibaba is investing RMB 3 billion in a Spring Festival campaign that stitches its Qianwen AI into commerce and local services to serve as an action-capable assistant. The move contrasts with Tencent’s cash-driven social push and ByteDance’s entertainment-focused AI experiences, and could determine which platform secures the mainstream AI entry point in China.

Ningxia has redesigned veteran assistance from ad hoc charity into a coordinated, multi‑agency welfare system that pairs caseworkers with needy veterans, uses dynamic ledgers, and mobilises social organisations. The programme reports thousands assisted and measurable exits from poverty, while raising questions about financing and scalability beyond small autonomous regions.

African public figures have criticised remarks by Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Tokyo’s perceived tilt toward military expansion as threats to the post‑World War II international order. Their comments highlight wider anxieties about remilitarization, colonial nostalgia, and possible ramifications for regional stability around Taiwan and East Asia.

The U.S. ambassador to Greece said President Trump plans an official visit to Athens, a move that signals renewed American attention to the eastern Mediterranean. The announcement, made at a first-lady documentary premiere, carries strategic weight amid regional maritime disputes and growing U.S. energy and defence interests. Key questions remain over timing and whether the trip will include other regional players such as Israel, Cyprus or Turkey.

Boeing said it is no longer actively pursuing construction of F‑15EX fighters for Indonesia, casting doubt on a 2023 agreement for 24 jets that required U.S. government approval. The development signals friction between commercial plans and political clearance processes, with implications for Indonesia’s procurement choices and U.S. influence in the Indo‑Pacific.

China’s leading tech firms have poured 45 billion yuan into Spring Festival promotions that tie cash rewards to usage of AI assistants, aiming to convert holiday curiosity into habitual use. The campaign marks a strategic shift from traffic grabs to direct competition for the status of ‘AI super‑entry,’ but its long‑term success will depend on retention and differentiated product value.

Shenzhen posted 2025 GDP of 3.873 trillion yuan, growing 5.5% and nearing the 4-trillion threshold, powered by advanced manufacturing, exports and world-leading R&D intensity. Guangdong province, by contrast, grew 3.9%, weighed down by sluggish industrial recovery and a sharp fall in fixed-asset investment, exposing the province’s reliance on Shenzhen and Guangzhou as growth engines.

Shanghai has begun buying second‑hand flats to convert into guaranteed rental housing for new urban residents, youth and graduates, piloting the scheme in Pudong, Jing’an and Xuhui. Backed by China Construction Bank, the programme aims to speed up delivery of affordable units using existing stock, bolster market liquidity and address urban rental shortages while posing valuation and governance challenges.

China has issued three implementing measures to clarify how businesses deduct input VAT, treat high‑value long‑term assets and manage VAT prepayments, along with transitional filing changes. The rules reduce legal ambiguity but require firms to adjust accounting systems and cash‑flow planning, with construction, real estate and oil & gas particularly affected.