On the morning of June 20, President Xi Jinping met with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, who is in China for an official visit. President Xi Jinping noted that over the past 50-plus years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China-New Zealand relations have withstood changes in the international landscape. Both sides have always respected each other and moved forward hand in hand, with bilateral ties long leading China's relations with Western developed countries, bringing tangible benefits to the people of both countries. As the China-New Zealand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership enters its second decade, the two sides should jointly promote greater development of China-New Zealand relations in the new decade to better benefit the people of both countries. Xi Jinping emphasized that China and New Zealand should place cooperation in a more prominent position in bilateral relations, leverage complementary strengths, deepen trade and investment cooperation, tap into the potential for cooperation in areas such as scientific and technological innovation, climate change response, and infrastructure, and strengthen exchanges in education, culture, youth, people-to-people, and local sectors to enrich the substance of bilateral relations. There are no historical grievances or fundamental conflicts of interest between China and New Zealand. Both sides should respect each other, seek common ground while reserving differences, and correctly view and handle their differences and disagreements. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations. As builders and defenders of the post-war international order, China and New Zealand should jointly safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core, uphold the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, jointly maintain international fairness and justice, and promote the international order to develop in a more just and reasonable direction. Luxon stated that New Zealand-China relations are of great significance. In 2014, President Xi Jinping visited New Zealand, and the two sides established a comprehensive strategic partnership. Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, cooperation in various fields has flourished. New Zealand highly values its relationship with China, will continue to adhere to the One-China policy, and is willing to work with China to uphold mutual respect and understanding, maintain high-level exchanges, expand trade and investment, deepen cooperation in agriculture, fisheries, and dairy, and strengthen people-to-people exchanges in tourism, education, and other areas to promote greater development of New Zealand-China relations. The world today is full of uncertainties, and the international community expects China to play a greater role. New Zealand is willing to actively communicate and coordinate with China to maintain the multilateral trading system and jointly address global challenges. New Zealand supports China in hosting the APEC meeting next year. Wang Yi participated in the meeting.
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized the importance of continuously improving the quality and ensuring a reasonable growth in the quantity of employment. This should be based on promoting high-quality development, guided by the implementation of a pro-employment strategy, driven by strengthening pro-employment policies, and powered by deepening reforms in the employment system and mechanisms. Since the beginning of this year, with the vigorous development of new industries and business models such as the digital economy and new forms of consumption, a series of employment stabilization policies in fiscal, financial, and industrial sectors have taken effect, opening up new spaces for the job market. In recent days, the 2025 "100-Day and Ten Million Job Recruitment Special Action" has been launched nationwide. Over 100 days, various regions will provide more than ten million job opportunities. The previously concluded 2025 National Urban Joint Recruitment for College Graduates Spring Session saw 23,000 online and offline recruitment fairs held over two months, with 668,000 employers offering 14.135 million job positions. Data from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security shows that from January to April this year, 4.36 million new urban jobs were created nationwide, ahead of schedule. Employment for key groups such as college graduates and migrant workers remained stable. Employment is fundamental to people's livelihoods, concerning the vital interests of the people and the healthy development of society and economy. The CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has scientifically grasped the new changes in the employment situation and made major deployments and reform tasks to promote high-quality and full employment. During this year's "Two Sessions," General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized in a discussion with the Jiangsu delegation that special attention must be paid to employment, the most basic livelihood. The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee meeting held in late April proposed continuously improving the policy toolkit for stable employment and timely introducing incremental reserve policies based on changes in the situation. Recently, a series of "combo punches" of employment stabilization policies have been intensively implemented and are showing results. The state has allocated 66.7 billion yuan in central employment subsidies, continued to implement policies such as job retention refunds and reduced unemployment and work injury insurance rates, and increased the credit limit for special loans for small and micro enterprises to stabilize and expand employment. In the first quarter, 588,000 enterprises received 3.52 billion yuan in job stabilization funds, and the temporary reduction of unemployment insurance rates reduced enterprise costs by 45.6 billion yuan. As of the end of the first quarter, over 800 billion yuan in special loans for stabilizing and expanding employment had been disbursed. Supported by a series of policies to stabilize jobs and benefit enterprises, many enterprises are actively recruiting and expanding production. Recruitment platform research data shows that since the beginning of this year, the number of recruitments for positions such as automotive styling design and robot engineers has increased by over 60% year-on-year; as basic positions in manufacturing and service industries, the demand for general workers and operators has increased by over 50% year-on-year. New business forms have given rise to new occupations. Recently, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security announced the seventh batch of new occupations, proposing to add 17 new occupations such as cross-border e-commerce operations manager, drone swarm flight planner, and electronic circuit designer, and 42 new job types such as travel photographer, smart warehouse operator, and generative AI system tester. Focusing on key industries and fields such as new quality productive forces, new consumption hotspots, and major projects, the state has accelerated the exploration and expansion of job opportunities this year, launched the "Skills Light Up Future" training action, and focused on improving employment quality. In Fuyang, Anhui, a targeted training program jointly organized by a technician college and a power battery company is underway at a public training base, with basic learning, disassembly and inspection, and fault diagnosis synchronized with production lines, products, and the market. Currently, 414 public training bases and 1,292 national high-skilled talent training bases have been built nationwide, and the integrated work-study skill talent training model of technical schools annually delivers nearly one million skilled talents to the industry frontline. Recently, many regions have launched vocational skills competitions, with new events, new occupations, and new technologies being the biggest highlights. In Jiangxi, new occupation events such as IoT installation and commissioning debuted for the first time. In Hebei, the vocational skills competition added 23 new projects, including HarmonyOS application development. In Hainan, events such as intelligent connected vehicle installation and maintenance, digital twin application technology, and sewage treatment are all geared towards industrial needs to select urgently needed skilled talents. With the solid progress of high-quality development and the large-scale application of new technologies, new products, and new scenarios, the vitality of various business entities and innovation and entrepreneurship will be effectively stimulated, opening up broader space for stable and expanded employment.
On the afternoon of the 20th, Premier Li Qiang held a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing for New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who is on an official visit to China. State Councilor and Secretary-General of the State Council Wu Zhenglong and others attended the welcoming ceremony. The military band played the national anthems of New Zealand and China. Subsequently, Li Qiang accompanied Luxon in reviewing the Guard of Honor of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
Following the welcoming ceremony, Premier Li Qiang held talks with Prime Minister Luxon. Li Qiang stated that facing the current turbulent international situation, strengthening strategic communication and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation between China and New Zealand is of great significance to both sides. This morning (June 20), President Xi Jinping held a meeting with Prime Minister Luxon, charting the course for the development of bilateral relations in the next stage. China is willing to work with New Zealand to carry forward traditional friendship, consolidate political mutual trust, expand practical cooperation, and better promote the common development of the two countries. Li Qiang pointed out that the economies of China and New Zealand are highly complementary. China is willing to strengthen the alignment of development strategies with New Zealand, explore more common interests, further expand the scale of trade, and broaden cooperation in emerging fields such as new energy vehicles, green and low-carbon industries, and digital technology application. It is hoped that New Zealand will provide a fair and open business environment for Chinese enterprises operating in New Zealand. China is willing to deepen exchanges in education, tourism, and local areas with New Zealand to enhance mutual understanding and affinity between the peoples of the two countries. China is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with New Zealand within frameworks such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, uphold the rules-based multilateral trading system, and inject more stability and certainty into a turbulent world. Luxon stated that New Zealand-China relations have a long history, are increasingly mature, and have always been based on mutual respect and mutual benefit. The current bilateral relationship is developing well. New Zealand firmly adheres to the One-China policy and is willing to maintain high-level exchanges with China and deepen cooperation in economy and trade, agriculture, tourism, education, and other fields. The current international situation is undergoing profound changes, and New Zealand is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China in areas such as climate change response and green development, and jointly commit to safeguarding the international order and promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region. After the talks, the two prime ministers jointly witnessed the signing of multiple cooperation documents on customs, climate change, and other areas. The two sides jointly issued the "Joint Outcome Statement of the China-New Zealand Leaders' Meeting." Wu Zhenglong participated in the above activities.
Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, met with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Beijing on the morning of June 20. Zhao Leji stated that under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and New Zealand leaders, the China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership has maintained a good momentum of development, bringing benefits to the people of both countries. China is willing to work with New Zealand to continue traditional friendship, enhance understanding and mutual trust, adhere to mutually beneficial cooperation, openness, and inclusiveness, and continuously enrich the substance of China-New Zealand relations. The National People's Congress of China is willing to work with the New Zealand Parliament to deepen friendly exchanges, closely coordinate in multilateral mechanisms such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union, learn from each other's experience in legislative oversight and other work, and provide legal guarantees for practical cooperation between the two countries, focusing on implementing the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries. Luxon stated that New Zealand firmly adheres to the One-China policy, and bilateral relations continue to achieve high-quality development. New Zealand is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with China in economy, trade, culture, and other fields, closely engage with legislative bodies, and jointly address global challenges.
The 37th Chairperson's Meeting of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) was held in Beijing on June 20. Wang Huning, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, presided over and delivered a speech. The meeting conveyed and studied General Secretary Xi Jinping's recent important speeches and instructions. Wang Huning stated that it is necessary to strengthen ideals and beliefs, maintain political steadfastness, persistently implement the eight-point frugality guidelines, adhere to a pragmatic work style, and improve the quality of investigations, consultations, and proposals, so as to better contribute to the comprehensive promotion of building a strong country and national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization. It is necessary to diligently study and comprehend General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thoughts on strengthening and improving ethnic work and his important discourse on religious work, adhere to the direction of the Sinicization of religions in China, actively guide religions to adapt to socialist society, unite and guide the vast number of ethnic minority people and religious believers to enhance their identification with the great motherland, the Chinese nation, Chinese culture, the Communist Party of China, and socialism with Chinese characteristics, and better promote ethnic unity, religious harmony, and stable development and progress in Tibet. It is necessary to thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches at foreign affairs events such as the Second China-Central Asia Summit, and leverage the role of the CPPCC in public diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy to better serve the overall work of the Party and the state in foreign affairs. The meeting reviewed and approved the agenda (draft) and schedule for the 13th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC, deciding to hold the 13th session of the 14th CPPCC Standing Committee in Beijing in late August. Shi Taifeng, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, and Wang Dongfeng, Zhu Yongxin, and Yang Zhen, Vice Chairmen of the CPPCC National Committee, delivered speeches on studying and implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's recent important speeches and instructions. Wang Dongfeng and others provided explanations on relevant topics.
Since the beginning of this year, a series of policies aimed at boosting consumption have continued to yield results, accelerating the vitality of the consumer market and increasingly supporting economic growth. The latest statistics show that in May, total retail sales of consumer goods reached 4,132.6 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 6.4%, marking the highest monthly growth rate since 2024. Among units above designated size, nearly 90% of commodity categories saw growth in retail sales. Behind the rebound and improvement in the consumer market, new growth points are constantly emerging. New scenarios for service consumption are unleashing new vitality in consumption. In the first five months of this year, service retail sales increased by 5.2% year-on-year, a 0.1 percentage point acceleration compared to the first four months, and 0.1 percentage point higher than the growth rate of commodity retail sales during the same period. Driven by the holiday economy, residents' travel remained active, and cultural tourism, leisure, and catering consumption grew rapidly. Catering revenue in May increased by 5.9%, reaching its highest growth rate since April 2024. Consumption potential in counties and townships is accelerating. With the continuous improvement of commercial facilities in county areas and the increasingly smooth circulation channels, retail sales of consumer goods in counties and townships increased by 5.4% year-on-year in the first five months of this year, 0.6 percentage points higher than retail sales in urban areas. The proportion of the county and township consumer market in total retail sales of consumer goods further increased. Green, intelligent, and high-quality products are accelerating their entry into thousands of households. Driven by the policy of trade-ins for consumer goods, in May, retail sales of household appliances and audio-visual equipment, communication equipment, cultural and office supplies, and furniture increased by 25.6% to 53% year-on-year, collectively driving the total retail sales of consumer goods up by 1.9 percentage points. This led to double-digit growth in the production of new energy vehicles, tablet computers, electric bicycles, and other trade-in products.
Today (June 20), heavy rainfall continued in many parts of southern China, and the Central Meteorological Observatory continued to issue an orange alert for rainstorms. Local governments and departments are actively responding. Today, Hunan Provincial Meteorological Observatory issued an orange alert for rainstorms. The Lishui River, part of the Dongting Lake water system, experienced its first flood of the year. A total of 234 reservoirs across the province overflowed, and more than 38,000 people have been evacuated in Xiangxi, Zhangjiajie, Changde, and other areas. The Hunan Provincial Emergency Management Department dispatched fire and rescue teams to carry out emergency rescue operations in Sangzhi County, Longshan County, and other places. Yesterday, Sangzhi County was in the middle of its senior high school entrance examination, and some candidates' travel was obstructed. Community Party members, cadres, and firefighters formed a rescue team, using kayaks to escort candidates to safe areas. At the same time, the local authorities arranged for over 1,900 candidates who live far away to be accommodated near the examination centers. Many areas in Hubei encountered the first round of heavy rainfall during the plum rain season. In Hefeng County, Enshi Prefecture, continuous heavy rainfall led to rising river levels and localized urban flooding. Cadres at all levels in Hefeng County were deployed to the frontline to evacuate and transfer residents and conduct thorough inspections of key areas. Guizhou activated a Level IV emergency response for flood control, and many areas issued orange and yellow alerts for geological disasters. In Zhijin County, Bijie, temporary relocation sites were set up in severely affected townships to properly accommodate evacuated residents. In Huaiji County, Zhaoqing, Guangdong, all 569 communication stations that were disrupted by heavy rainfall have been restored today, and power and water supply have been restored to most urban areas. The Guangdong Provincial Department of Transportation dispatched over 100 engineering vehicles and more than 300 rescue personnel for reinforcement. Currently, 28 of the 30 disrupted roads in Huaiji County have been cleared, and all major national and provincial roads have been re-opened. Post-disaster recovery work is progressing steadily. The Central Meteorological Observatory predicts that in the next three days, some areas in the south will still experience heavy rainfall. Areas from the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River to Guizhou should be vigilant against secondary disasters such as urban flooding and small and medium-sized river floods that may be caused by continuous rainfall. The public needs to take precautions.
The State Council Information Office held a press conference for Chinese and foreign journalists today (June 20) titled "Strivers on the New Journey." Five representatives from the broadcasting, television, and online audio-visual industries met and communicated with Chinese and foreign journalists around the theme of "Keeping in Mind the Original Mission of Broadcasting and Television, Serving the People with Heart." They shared their practical experiences in creating high-quality television artistic works, empowering film and television production with new technologies, and upgrading broadcasting and television network transmission quality, showcasing the vibrant development of the broadcasting, television, and online audio-visual industries in the new era.
Recently, the central working group for in-depth education on implementing the CPC Central Committee's eight-point frugality guidelines, in conjunction with the General Office of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, issued a public circular on typical cases of severe violations of the eight-point frugality guidelines, including illicit dining and drinking by Wei Shuanshi, a member of the Party Leadership Group and deputy director of the Financial and Economic Committee of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region People's Congress, and a full department-level official of the Autonomous Region State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, among others. Wei Shuanshi, as a full department-level Party leading cadre, took the lead in violating regulations by gathering for meals and drinking, and took the lead in violating the eight-point frugality guidelines during the in-depth education period on implementing these guidelines, causing serious consequences and negative impact. The involved cadres participated in the study education while accepting illicit banquets, completely disregarding the eight-point frugality guidelines. This is a typical case of blatant disregard for laws and regulations and a defiant violation, which is extremely serious in nature and has extremely painful lessons. This indicates that some Party members and cadres, even leading cadres, have extremely weak political awareness and concept of discipline and law, a gravely unclear understanding of comprehensive strict governance over the Party, and an extreme disregard for the special and important responsibilities of leading cadres in Party style and clean governance. Some localities and units are not strict or practical in promoting study and education, are indifferent to the requirements for concentrated rectification of illicit dining and drinking, and are lacking in implementing the main responsibility for comprehensive strict governance over the Party and supervision responsibility, failing to truly form a strict atmosphere. Currently, the study education is at a critical juncture. Party organizations at all levels must resolutely shoulder their primary responsibilities and continuously promote integrated learning, investigation, and rectification. It is necessary to earnestly implement the requirements for concentrated rectification of illicit dining and drinking, adhere to learning from cases, guide Party members and cadres to reflect on themselves, and examine themselves against the cases. It is necessary to focus on the key tasks of rectifying illicit dining and drinking and severely punish defiant violations in accordance with regulations and discipline. It is necessary to press for responsibilities in promoting rectification and governance through cases, strengthen warning through cases, and intensify efforts in investigating and rectifying both corruption and malpractices. It is necessary to distinguish between normal dining consumption and illicit dining and drinking, avoid adding unnecessary layers of requirements, and avoid simplification or "one-size-fits-all" approaches to prevent deviations. Party leading cadres must set an example and lead by example, taking the lead in resisting the unhealthy trend of illicit dining and drinking.
National Real Estate Registration Processing Time Significantly Reduced Today (June 20), the Ministry of Natural Resources announced that all cities and counties nationwide have achieved "one-window acceptance and parallel processing" for real estate registration, transactions, and tax payments. General registration and mortgage registration are completed within 5 working days. "Annual Report on Consumer Rights Protection in China (2024)" Released The "Annual Report on Consumer Rights Protection in China (2024)" released by the China Consumers Association today (June 20) shows that consumer associations nationwide handled a total of 1.7619 million consumer complaints throughout the year, recovering 1.28 billion yuan in economic losses for consumers, effectively safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of a large number of consumers. Total Number of Water Conservancy Projects Under Joint Dispatch in Yangtze River Basin Increases to 132 This Year The Ministry of Water Resources recently approved the "2025 Yangtze River Basin Water Conservancy Project Joint Dispatch Operation Plan." Compared to last year, the total number of water conservancy projects included in joint dispatch this year has increased from 127 to 132, and the dispatch operation methods of some reservoirs have been optimized, continuously enhancing the overall water security guarantee capability of the basin. 40 Key Projects Signed at the 6th Qingdao Multinationals Summit The 6th Qingdao Multinationals Summit concluded today (June 20). A total of 40 key foreign investment and foreign trade projects were signed at the summit, with a total value of 5.93 billion US dollars, involving high-end equipment, new energy and new materials, and new-generation information technology, among other industries. Seven Platform Projects Unveiled in Xiong'an High-tech Zone Yesterday (June 19), seven platform projects, including the New Quality Productive Forces Innovation Center and the Future Sci-Tech City Rail Smart Transportation Joint Laboratory, were unveiled in the Xiong'an High-tech Zone. At the same time, a batch of innovative enterprises and high-end businesses officially moved in, forming a "technology + industry + service" full-chain layout. 2025 National College Entrance Examination "Cloud Consultation Week" to be Held from June 22 to 28 The 2025 National College Entrance Examination "Cloud Consultation Week" will be held from June 22 to 28 on the Ministry of Education's "Sunshine Gaokao" information platform. The platform will provide both text Q&A and live video streaming to offer accurate, authoritative, thoughtful, and detailed guidance and consultation services for college application methods to students and parents.
The military conflict between Israel and Iran entered its eighth day today (June 20). The Israeli Defense Forces stated today that the Israeli military dispatched over 60 fighter jets using approximately 120 missiles and bombs to strike dozens of targets in central Tehran, the capital of Iran, including missile production facilities and Iranian nuclear program research and development institutions. Early this morning local time, several loud explosions were heard in Tehran. According to a CMG reporter, an industrial park in Rasht, northwestern Iran, was also attacked. Iranian state television reported that the East Azerbaijan province in northwestern Iran was hit by Israeli airstrikes, killing several members of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The IRGC stated on the 19th that Iran used missiles and drones to strike Israeli anti-missile defense systems and other military targets in Tel Aviv and Haifa, as well as some Israeli military industrial centers. The IRGC emphasized that it would continue to strengthen missile strikes in the future. Iranian air defense systems shot down Israeli drones in Tehran and other locations, including two Israeli "Heron" drones. According to the Israeli military and emergency services, approximately 30 ballistic missiles were fired from Iran towards Israel on the 19th. Israeli media reported today that the southern city of Beersheba was hit by a missile, causing damage to buildings and vehicle fires. As a result, Beersheba train station was temporarily closed. According to Iran's Mehr News Agency, Iran attacked a technology park in Beersheba today, which houses several high-tech companies and Israeli cybersecurity agencies. US Says Decision on Striking Iran Within Two Weeks; Iran Says Any Talk of Surrender Is Grave Error White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on the 19th that US President Donald Trump would decide "within the next two weeks" whether to order US forces to strike Iran. She also stated that communication between the United States and Iran is ongoing. The Israeli Defense Forces stated on the 19th that 14 planes carrying military equipment arrived in Israel from the United States. According to Iran's Mehr News Agency, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi stated today that in light of continuous Israeli attacks, Iran is not prepared to engage in any negotiations with any party. Ali Larijani, an advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said on the 19th that any talk of Iran surrendering is a grave error. In addition, United Airlines and American Airlines announced on the 19th that they are suspending some passenger flights between the United States and the Middle East due to the regional conflict.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated on the 19th that Russian forces struck 152 targets, including Ukrainian military industrial facilities, and shot down 7 US-made guided bombs and 234 Ukrainian drones. In addition, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said that two Ukrainian drones were shot down near Moscow this morning (June 20). The Ukrainian military stated today that Ukrainian forces attacked 22 areas of concentration of Russian personnel, weapons, and military equipment, and 6 missile and artillery facilities, among other targets. They repelled Russian attacks in the Toretsk and Pokrovsk directions. On the 19th, Russia and Ukraine once again exchanged a batch of detained personnel. Russia Says Russia-Ukraine Talks to Discuss Further Prisoner Exchanges, Ukraine Says Ready for High-Level Meeting with Russia The Russian side stated on the 19th that it plans to continue negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul, Turkey, after June 22. Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that the negotiations would include issues such as the exchange of detained personnel. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is ready for a highest-level meeting with Russia.
UNCTAD Report: Global Foreign Direct Investment Declines The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released its "World Investment Report 2025" on the 19th, stating that global foreign direct investment (FDI) declined by 11% to approximately $1.5 trillion in 2024, marking the second consecutive year of decline. Data shows that the decline in global FDI last year was largely due to a 22% reduction in FDI flows to developed economies, with Europe experiencing a sharp drop of 58%. The report points out that escalating trade tensions, geopolitical fragmentation, and economic volatility have led to a sharp downward revision of most FDI prospects. The report also emphasized that the global investment landscape has been severely affected by escalating global trade tensions due to US government tariff measures, coupled with uncertainties in trade negotiations and economic policies. Japan's May CPI Reaches Over Two-Year High Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications announced data today (June 20) showing that Japan's core consumer price index (CPI), excluding fresh food, was 111.4 in May, a year-on-year increase of 3.7%. The increase was larger than the 3.5% in April, reaching a new high since January 2023. Data shows that rising food prices, represented by rice, are still the main reason for the increase in Japanese prices. Japanese media reported that the strengthening trend of price increases may also affect the Bank of Japan's decision on interest rate hikes. Small Plane Crashes in Massachusetts, USA On the 19th, a small plane crashed shortly after taking off from Beverly Airport in Massachusetts, USA. The accident resulted in 1 death and 1 serious injury. The US National Transportation Safety Board said that witnesses saw thick smoke before the plane crashed, which could be a sign of engine failure. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation.
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