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‘No challenges can stop China’s progress’ Xi Jinping says in 75th anniversary speech

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China’s President Xi Jinping speaks during an awards ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Sept. 29, 2024, ahead of China’s National Day.

Adek Berry | Afp | Getty Images

BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday that no challenges can stop the country from moving forward and reiterated Beijing’s reunification aims with Taiwan.

He was speaking at a reception commemorating the 75th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, which was founded on Oct.1, 1949.

“The path ahead will definitely see challenges,” Xi said, before calling on the country to overcome uncertainties and risks. “No challenges can stop China’s progress.”

The comments were translated by CNBC from a Chinese state media broadcast.

The brief speech, aired during the state broadcaster’s daily evening news program, noted that Xi and other top Chinese leaders entered the reception shortly after 5 p.m. local time on Monday.

Mobius: China represents 30% of the Emerging Market Index."

About 3,000 people, including foreigners, attended the event in Beijing, according to state media.

During his speech, Xi emphasized the need to unify under the Chinese Communist Party’s leadership and reiterated Beijing’s “firm opposition” to Taiwan “separatist” activities, while calling for both sides to increase economic and cultural cooperation.

He cast reunification with Taiwan as an inevitable development of history — something he has said previously.

Beijing considers the democratically self-ruled island as a part of its territory.

No mention of trade tensions

Tensions between China and the U.S. and Europe have increased over the last several years, with Western nations increasing tariffs and restrictions on Beijing’s access to advanced technology.

Xi did not mention specific countries or trade conflicts in his Monday speech, instead portraying China as upholding globalization. He broadly thanked “friendly” countries and supporters of China’s development.

He also emphasized Beijing’s claim to Greater China by saying “national rejuvenation” was the hope of Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and all Chinese peoples.

The Beijing leader added that China would “spur” the development of Hong Kong and Macao — both self-governed regions which are ruled by Beijing under the “one country, two systems” principle.

In a 2019 speech commemorating the PRC’s 70th anniversary, Xi had said that no force could sway China’s development, amid festivities involving a military parade and large-scale celebrations. Events for the 65th anniversary were more subdued.

Xi’s speech comes at a time of uptick in Chinese markets in recent weeks, with major mainland Chinese and Hong Kong stock indexes recently surging to their highest in more than a year after authorities announced plans to support economic growth. On Thursday, a high-level meeting led by Xi called for halting the real estate decline, and for strengthening fiscal and monetary policy.

While the People’s Bank of China has cut rates in the last week, the Ministry of Finance has yet to announce additional fiscal support.

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Biggest banks planning to sue the Federal Reserve over annual stress tests

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A general view of the Federal Reserve Building in Washington, United States.

Samuel Corum | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

The biggest banks are planning to sue the Federal Reserve over the annual bank stress tests, according to a person familiar with the matter. A lawsuit is expected this week and could come as soon as Tuesday morning, the person said.

The Fed’s stress test is an annual ritual that forces banks to maintain adequate cushions for bad loans and dictates the size of share repurchases and dividends.

After the market close on Monday, the Federal Reserve announced in a statement that it is looking to make changes to the bank stress tests and will be seeking public comment on what it calls “significant changes to improve the transparency of its bank stress tests and to reduce the volatility of resulting capital buffer requirements.”

The Fed said it made the determination to change the tests because of “the evolving legal landscape,” pointing to changes in administrative laws in recent years. It didn’t outline any specific changes to the framework of the annual stress tests.

While the big banks will likely view the changes as a win, it may be too little too late.

Also, the changes may not go far enough to satisfy the banks’ concerns about onerous capital requirements. “These proposed changes are not designed to materially affect overall capital requirements, according to the Fed.

The CEO of BPI (Bank Policy Institute), Greg Baer, which represents big banks like JPMorgan, Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, welcomed the Fed announcement, saying in a statement “The Board’s announcement today is a first step towards transparency and accountability.”

However, Baer also hinted at further action: “We are reviewing it closely and considering additional options to ensure timely reforms that are both good law and good policy.”

Groups like the BPI and the American Bankers Association have raised concerns about the stress test process in the past, claiming that it is opaque, and has resulted in higher capital rules that hurt bank lending and economic growth.

In July, the groups accused the Fed of being in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act, because it didn’t seek public comment on its stress scenarios and kept supervisory models secret.

CNBC’s Hugh Son contributed to this report.

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Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Nordstrom, Honda, MicroStrategy, Broadcom and more

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These are the stocks posting the largest moves in midday trading.

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