HOT TOPICS
National long-term care insurance
China is shifting its long-term care insurance system from local pilots to a nationwide rollout. The National Healthcare Security Administration stated there will be no deductible, but reimbursement ratios will differ for residents and employees based on contribution variations to reflect the equivalence of rights and responsibilities. The premium rate will be controlled at around 0.3%, with the contribution base linked to income levels.
Airlines to raise fuel surcharges
Airlines in China will raise domestic flight fuel surcharges starting April 5, 2026. Spring Airlines Co. Ltd. has already published a notice, and the industry broadly expects other carriers to follow suit with sector-wide price adjustments.
Google’s AI memory compression
Google LLC launched an artificial intelligence memory compression algorithm called TurboQuant, which could achieve approximately sixfold memory savings. The move dragged down U.S. chip stocks on Tuesday amid market concerns that the technology could weaken demand for memory chips. The algorithm will be presented at the International Conference on Learning Representations in April.
Iran responds to U.S. ceasefire proposal
Iran has formally responded via intermediaries to a 15-point ceasefire proposal from the U.S. on March 26 local time, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Sources said Iran demanded an end to hostile aggression, objective conditions to prevent future wars, clear commitments to and implementation of war reparations, and a halt to operations by all resistance groups across the region.
NEWS SUMMARY
Companies
Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) reported a 16.5% year-on-year increase in its 2025 revenue to 67.3 billion yuan. The integrated circuit manufacturer’s net profit attributable to shareholders rose 36.3% to 5.0 billion yuan.
Metax Integrated Circuits (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. announced its 2025 revenue surged 121.3% year-on-year to 1.6 billion yuan. The company reported a net loss of 789 million yuan, narrowing from a net loss of 1.4 billion yuan the previous year.
Volkswagen AG’s Skoda brand plans to exit the Chinese market.
China Taiping Insurance Holdings Co. Ltd.’s massive dividend payout drew market attention, which was driven by a one-off tax policy factor.
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s artificial intelligence model Qwen has been integrated into Hongqi vehicles, becoming the industry’s first in-car AI assistant.
International
China’s foreign ministry advised Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan in the near term.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said regarding her meeting with the U.S. that it is difficult for Japan to dispatch its Self-Defense Forces to the Strait of Hormuz.
The Japanese government began releasing national oil reserves on March 26.
