Korea Zinc Plans $6.78 Billion U.S. Smelter Investment With Government Partnership 
Coca-Cola’s Proposed Sale of Costa Coffee Faces Uncertainty Amid Price Dispute 
Fortescue Expands Copper Portfolio With Full Takeover of Alta Copper 
Taiwan Political Standoff Deepens as President Lai Urges Parliament to Withdraw Disputed Laws 
Jimmy Lai Convicted Under Hong Kong National Security Law in Landmark Case 
Trello Outage Disrupts Users as Access Issues Hit Atlassian’s Work Management Platform 
Syria Arrests Five Suspects After Deadly Attack on U.S. and Syrian Troops in Palmyra 
Trump Sues BBC for Defamation Over Edited Capitol Riot Speech Clip 
Supporters Gather Ahead of Verdict in Jimmy Lai’s Landmark Hong Kong National Security Trial 
United Airlines Tokyo-Bound Flight Returns to Dulles After Engine Failure 
SUPERFORTUNE Launches AI-Powered Mobile App, Expanding Beyond Web3 Into $392 Billion Metaphysics Market 
Nvidia Weighs Expanding H200 AI Chip Production as China Demand Surges 
FDA Says No Black Box Warning Planned for COVID-19 Vaccines Despite Safety Debate 
Ford Takes $19.5 Billion Charge as EV Strategy Shifts Toward Hybrids 
European Leaders Tie Ukraine Territorial Decisions to Strong Security Guarantees 
U.S. Soldiers Killed in ISIS Attack in Palmyra, Syria During Counterterrorism Mission 
Coca-Cola’s Costa Coffee Sale Faces Uncertainty as Talks With TDR Capital Hit Snag 
Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to chair a rare symposium next week to boost confidence in the private sector. Business leaders, including Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma, Tencent CEO Pony Ma, and Xiaomi’s Lei Jun, are expected to attend, along with executives from Huawei, Yushu Technology, and DeepSeek.
This event highlights the mounting challenges facing China’s private sector, including slowing domestic growth and escalating tensions with the U.S. over technology restrictions. Xi is expected to encourage business expansion both domestically and internationally amidst the ongoing Sino-U.S. tech war.
Jack Ma’s attendance is particularly significant, as he has largely remained out of the public eye since the 2020 suspension of Ant Group’s IPO, following his criticism of China’s regulatory system. The crackdown that followed reshaped China’s tech landscape, signaling increased government oversight.
Xi’s last major private sector symposium was in 2018, where he pledged tax cuts and financial support. Since then, his focus on “common prosperity” has emphasized wealth redistribution and corporate responsibility.
DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng’s participation further underscores China’s AI ambitions, as his startup has gained attention for developing AI models at lower costs than Western competitors. Xi continues to stress self-sufficiency in semiconductor production, though U.S. export controls remain a significant hurdle.
News of the symposium boosted Hong Kong-listed shares of Alibaba, Tencent, and Xiaomi, with gains of up to 7%. As China navigates economic headwinds, the meeting could be a crucial step in restoring investor and business confidence.
