Futures on the Nikkei Stock Exchange of Singapore opened down 175 points to 39,635.The UN Secretary-General is deeply concerned about the extensive violation of Syrian sovereignty. On the 12th, UN Secretary-General Guterres issued a statement through spokesman Dujaric, expressing deep concern about the recent extensive violation of Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity, especially the hundreds of Israeli air strikes against Syria. The statement said that the Disengagement of Forces Agreement signed in 1974 is still valid. Guterres condemned all violations of the agreement and called on all parties to fulfill their relevant obligations, including ending all unauthorized presence in the isolation zone and avoiding any actions that undermine the ceasefire and stability in the Golan Heights. (Xinhua News Agency)Haitong Securities: The moderate price reduction of traditional Chinese medicine varieties continues. The domestic pharmaceutical industry is expected to set off a wave of mergers and acquisitions. Haitong Securities released a research report saying that the moderate price reduction of traditional Chinese medicine varieties continues. In 2024, the traditional Chinese medicine industry was under pressure due to the pressure of pharmacy terminal sales and inventory pressure, and it is expected to return to a good situation in the next 25 years. In addition, the continuous technological changes in the pharmaceutical industry, the development of IPO to mergers and acquisitions and the promotion of corporate governance optimization at the shareholder level are the main reasons for promoting mergers and acquisitions in the industry. In terms of fields, mergers and acquisitions are expected to occur intensively in sub-sectors such as medical devices, Chinese medicine, medical services, blood products and scientific research services.
Senior Advisor of Shi Pomao: Japan must be prepared for Trump tariffs. One of Japan's top security officials said that Japan needs to be prepared for the threat of US President-elect Trump to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico, and adjust the supply chain to reduce the collateral damage to Japanese enterprises. Akihisa Nagashima, national security adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Shi Pomao, said that during his recent visit to the United States, he had a "frank" communication with Trump team members on tariff issues. "I realized that Japan must be ready for Trump to implement his plan," he said.Guotai Junan: It is expected that the lithium price will fluctuate in the bottom range in 2025, and there is a strong opportunity and space for rebound. Guotai Junan Securities recently reported that the lithium price has entered the bottom range by the end of 2024. If the demand maintains the current neutral estimate in 2025, the lithium price will fluctuate in the bottom range. At present, the market is optimistic about the demand in 2025, and the industry supply has slowed down. It is estimated that the price trend of lithium will fluctuate in the bottom range in 2025, in which the stage is affected by seasonal factors and there is a strong rebound opportunity and space. The market expected the trading of lithium plate earlier, that is, when the commodity price bottomed out, the lithium plate already contained the expectation of industrial clearing. When the industry actually enters the stage of supply and clearing, the sector will trade commodity price reversal expectations. From this, we infer that the rise of lithium plate will start before the spot price reverses.Palestinian President meets Lebanese Prime Minister, stressing the implementation of Security Council resolutions to promote a comprehensive ceasefire. On December 12, local time, Palestinian President Abbas met with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Mikati in Rome. The two sides discussed the situation in Palestine and Lebanon, agreed on the importance of strengthening efforts and unity, and stressed the need to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2735, promote a comprehensive ceasefire in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, safeguard Lebanon's stability, peace and security, ensure humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip, and realize the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip.
People's Daily: Ensure that artificial intelligence is always a "friend". At present, the ability of artificial intelligence is comparable to that of human brain in many aspects, but it cannot accurately distinguish right from wrong in terms of value. This means that it is necessary to strengthen the supervision and regulation of artificial intelligence from many aspects. In recent years, many countries, including China, have introduced artificial intelligence development plans, management methods and supervision principles, precisely to ensure that technology truly serves people and benefits society. No matter how far artificial intelligence develops, it all comes from human design and is an extension of human wisdom. Artificial intelligence is doing more and more work and becoming more and more intelligent. We must take precautions to ensure that it is always a "friend".The moderate increase in inflation in the United States consolidated the expectation of interest rate cuts in December. According to the data released by the US Department of Labor on December 11, local time, the US consumer price index (CPI) increased by 0.3% in November, an increase of 0.1 percentage point over October. Inflation continues to rise moderately, which is in line with the market's previous judgment and also supports the expectation that the Fed will continue to cut interest rates this month. However, considering the slowdown in inflation and the increase in uncertainties affecting the economy, many analysts believe that the Fed may slow down the pace of interest rate cuts in the future. (Economic Information Daily)Britain's GFK consumer confidence index was negative 17 in December, the highest since August, and negative 18 in November. The survey estimated that it was negative 18.