AI and Stock Market Reactions Under Scrutiny Following High-Level Discussion / AFP Xi Jinping, President of China, recently held a meeting with leaders from major private enterprises, a move that may signal a shift towards supporting the private sector after several years of stringent government regulations. This meeting could indicate a potential relaxation of the government's regulatory stance, particularly as the country’s economic growth slows. According to state-run news agency Xinhua, President Xi met with representatives from private enterprises on February 17th (local time) to hear their views before delivering a speech. While the details of the participating companies or executives were not disclosed, it has been suggested by sources such as Bloomberg that Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma and Liang Wenfeng, founder of AI startup DeepSeek, could have been among the invitees. If true, their attendance would be interpreted as a significant signal of the Chinese government's wi...

U.S. businesses face a significant cost increase as Trump imposes reciprocal tariffs on trading partners President Donald Trump signed an executive order introducing reciprocal tariffs, marking a new chapter in the ongoing trade war. This move aims to match U.S. tariffs on imported goods with the tariff rates that other countries impose on American products. As a result, not only are foreign trade partners affected, but U.S. businesses are set to experience a monumental rise in tariffs, with estimates suggesting that the burden could increase to $480 billion. The trade consultancy firm, Trade Partnership Worldwide (TPW), cited in a report by CNBC, predicts that the total tariff burden on American companies could surge to a staggering $433 billion once all proposed tariffs come into effect. In comparison, the tariff burden for U.S. businesses in 2024 is projected to be only $78 billion. This increase represents more than a fivefold rise in the total tariff costs that businesses across ...