Real-time News

On March 28, the UN Secretary-General's Zero Waste Advisory Committee released the first batch of cities selected for its global initiative of "20 Cities on the Road to Zero Waste," recognizing their efforts in reducing waste, promoting a circular economy, and building more sustainable and inclusive urban systems. Three Chinese cities—Hangzhou, Sanya, and Suzhou—were among those selected.

March 28 - According to a report by the German Press Agency (dpa) on March 27, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia does not rule out the possibility of reconciliation with European countries. According to a transcript released by the Kremlin, Putin said at a Russian Federation Security Council meeting on the 27th: "We have never rejected developing these relations, nor have we ever rejected restoring them."

On March 28, German Chancellor Merz stated on March 27 that if "regime change" is the goal of the US-Israel military action against Iran, he does not believe that goal can be achieved. Merz expressed his hope for an early end to the conflict, but noted that the US and Israel are "deeper in the game." He questioned whether the US and Israel have a strategy to end the conflict, and if so, whether it can be successfully implemented. Merz said the economic consequences of the Middle East conflict are "very direct," and Germany is one of the sufferers. If a ceasefire agreement is reached, Germany could consider jointly organizing military escorts across the Strait of Hormuz with other parties, but this requires international authorization, approval from the German Bundestag, and a cabinet resolution. However, as long as the conflict continues, this is "not an option" for Germany.

March 28th - Since 2026, passenger traffic at Shanghai ports has continued to climb. According to statistics from the Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection, as of 9:00 AM on March 28th, the cumulative number of inbound and outbound passengers inspected by Shanghai immigration authorities has exceeded 10 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 2.9%. The flow of people at Shanghai ports is showing a robust "two-way" trend, with approximately 5.055 million outbound passengers and approximately 4.945 million inbound passengers, representing year-on-year increases of 2.6% and 3.3%, respectively.

On March 28, the National Bureau of Data Science and Technology (NBD) released its 2026 departmental budget on its official website. The NBD comprises one administrative unit at the bureau level, with six internal departments: General Affairs Department, Policy and Planning Department, Data Resources Department, Digital Economy Department, Digital Technology and Infrastructure Construction Department, and International Data Governance Cooperation Department. It also has one affiliated institution, the National Data Development Research Institute.

March 28th - At a dialogue event held on the 27th themed "Making Friends Through Business, Connecting Shanghai Globally," it was learned that Shanghai is continuously improving its comprehensive overseas service system and accelerating its transformation into a "starting point" for enterprises going global. This is being achieved through initiatives such as launching a unified citywide service platform and establishing professional service alliances. Currently, private enterprises are playing an increasingly important role in the overseas expansion of Shanghai enterprises. Last year, private enterprises accounted for over 80% of the Chinese investment in all Shanghai's outbound investment projects, and their share of the city's total foreign trade import and export volume also exceeded 40% for the first time.

Market news: Thai Prime Minister Anutin said that the government initially kept oil prices unchanged for 15 days to ease the burden on the public, but as the Middle East conflict continues, it is necessary to take more appropriate measures to mitigate its impact.

Market news: Thai Prime Minister Anutin said the government is planning to reduce oil taxes and introduce other support measures to mitigate the impact of rising oil prices.

Market news: Thai Prime Minister Anutin said that Thailand's current oil reserves are sufficient to last for 100 days.

On March 28th, it was learned from Chipwise that since the beginning of 2025, the Beijing Brain Institute, in collaboration with Peking University First Hospital, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, and Beijing Tiantan Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, has been conducting clinical trials on fine motor decoding for motor dysfunction caused by spinal cord injury and stroke, and Chinese speech decoding for speech disorders caused by ALS. Among these trials, "BeiBrain No. 1" has been successfully implanted in seven individuals, including four patients with spinal cord injury, two patients with hemiplegia due to stroke, and one patient with speech disorders caused by ALS.

The Israel Defense Forces stated that a ballistic missile fired by Houthi rebels towards southern Israel was successfully intercepted by air defense systems. No one was injured in the attack.

On March 28, according to US media reports, the US House of Representatives passed a bill providing each agency under the Department of Homeland Security with funding at current levels until May 22. This is the latest attempt to end the partial government shutdown that began on February 14. The bill passed the House with 213 votes in favor and 203 against, with three Democratic members voting in favor and the rest being Republicans. However, the bill is not expected to pass the Senate, potentially prolonging the partial government shutdown deadlock. They rejected the Senate version of the appropriations agreement before passing the House version. US House Speaker Johnson stated that Republicans will not participate in any measures to reopen borders or halt immigration enforcement.

Market news: The Thai Prime Minister stated that the Thai government has developed contingency plans to address the prolonged oil crisis, and the fuel shortage situation in some parts of Thailand has improved.

March 28th - If approved by US President Trump, the US will soon deploy over 17,000 ground troops on Iran's doorstep. This is far from enough for a full-scale invasion, but they could seize strategic locations on the Iranian mainland, acquire Tehran's uranium reserves, or occupy an island. Previously reported, despite Trump weighing peace talks with Iran, the Pentagon is still considering sending an additional 10,000 ground troops to the Middle East. This is an increase on top of approximately 5,000 Marines and 2,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division. The additional troops would likely include infantry, armored vehicles, and logistical support. This is far less than the 150,000 troops the US deployed during its March 2003 invasion of Iraq, a country much smaller than Iran in both area and population.

On March 28, Zhang Zhili, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, met with a delegation of American business leaders led by Tan Sen, President of the US-China Business Council, in Beijing on March 26. The two sides exchanged views on Sino-US agricultural exchanges and cooperation, veterinary drug research and development, and the development and policies of bio-breeding. Zhang Zhili stated that China's 15th Five-Year Plan outlines key deployments for "accelerating the modernization of agriculture and rural areas and solidly promoting the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas," providing broad market space and cooperation opportunities for foreign-invested enterprises in agriculture. American companies in China should seize the historic opportunity of China's rural revitalization, closely integrate their own advantages with the actual needs of China's agricultural and rural development, and share the development dividends in the process of China's agricultural and rural modernization. He hoped that the US-China Business Council would continue to play a bridging role, promoting the steady and healthy development of friendly exchanges and agricultural cooperation between China and the US.

March 28th - The "No King" protest movement plans to revive on Saturday with over 3,000 rallies across the United States to protest against President Trump. Organizers say Saturday's protests could be one of the largest in U.S. history, covering a range of grievances from Trump's anti-immigration policies to his war with Iran. Large-scale protests are expected in Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, Chicago, and San Francisco.