>>20774077 lb
Dub Dubs confirm berry noice
Taken
SAM276 C32ABlinkenlanded in Shanghai earlier on Weds local time however his last reported position is over southern Japan after departing Yokota AB towards Shanghai
He better have brought the chapstick cuz he’s hated by the Chinese so if he actually gets anything done (highly doubt it) he’s gonna have a sore mouth and knees
Blinken Lands in China For Tense Talks as US Sanctions Loom
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has opened his first full day of meetings in China by talking with local government officials in Shanghai. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken opened his first full day of meetings in China on Thursday by talking with local government officials in Shanghai.
Blinken discussed local and regional issues with Chen Jining, the Chinese Communist Party Secretary of Shanghai. He also planned to speak to students and business leaders before heading to Beijing by train for what are expected to be contentious talks with national officials, including Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Blinken arrived in Shanghai on Wednesday shortly before President Joe Biden signed a $95 billion foreign aid package that has several elements likely to anger the Chinese, including $8 billion to counter China’s growing aggressiveness toward Taiwan and in the South China Sea. It also seeks to force TikTok’s China-based parent company to sell the social media platform.
China has railed against U.S. assistance to Taiwan, the self-governing island that it regards as a renegade province, and immediately condemned the move as a dangerous provocation. It also strongly opposes efforts to force TikTok’s sale.
Still, the fact that Blinken made the trip — shortly after a conversation between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, a similar visit to China by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and a call between the U.S. and Chinese defense chiefs — is a sign the two sides are at least willing to discuss their differences.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/blinken-shanghai-begins-expected-contentious-talks-chinese-officials-109601832
Saudi Ministry of FinanceSVA7311 737-700 arrived at Rzsesow Airport from a Riyadh depart
Z looking for even moar munee and another “visit to Kiev” going on here? Don’t think Saudis risk that so likely it’s green screens like so many of the others if another fake visit to Kiev is reported
In muh Yen/JGB news (they don’t have to buy them as why would they with 10y still under 1%)….the BOJ will as they own something like 60% of the entire internal debt market anyway and largest holder of US Treasuries
Japan insurers to halve bond purchases, awaiting next BOJ hike
Japan's top life insurers plan to halve net purchases of Japanese government bonds in fiscal 2024, a Nikkei survey has found, as they keep an eye out for the Bank of Japan's next rate hike amid sluggish long-term yields.
Nikkei asked 10 major players about their investment strategies for the year: Nippon Life Insurance, Dai-ichi Life Insurance, Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance, Sumitomo Life Insurance, Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance, Taiyo Life Insurance, Daido Life Insurance, Asahi Mutual Life Insurance, Taiju Life Insurance and Japan Post Insurance.
The eight players with comparable data from fiscal 2023 said they plan to increase their combined JGB holdings this fiscal year by nearly 600 billion yen ($3.86 billion). They had planned a roughly 1.2 billion yen increase last fiscal year. Five companies, including Nippon Life and Dai-ichi Life, said they plan to increase their JGB holdings, compared with eight last fiscal year. Three, including Sumitomo Life and Fukoku Mutual, are planning cuts.
Insurers typically focus on ultra-long-term bonds with maturities of 20 to 40 years. While 10-year yields are seen rising after the BOJ ended negative interest rates in March, 30-year yields are currently hovering around the 1.8% to 1.9% mark. “Given the current rates, we're not at a point where we need to be making active purchases," said Junya Morizane at Fukoku Mutual. He said the insurer will instead focus on offloading low-yield government bonds to update its portfolio.
Insurers are instead turning to alternative assets as a way to boost returns. All 10 said they plan to expand holdings of such assets.
"We will acquire more floating-rate assets, such as direct lending and collateralized loan obligations," said Akira Tsuzuki at Nippon Life.
Floating-rate assets are expected to help offset the rise in hedging costs as well. Dai-ichi Life now holds over 3 trillion yen in alternative assets, and plans to expand its portfolio in fiscal 2024.
Regarding hedged foreign bonds, of which nine of the companies sold a total of 3 trillion yen in fiscal 2023, three companies said they would reduce their holdings this year, while five would remain the same. The cost of hedging to reduce the impact of exchange rate fluctuations remains high.
Nippon Life, meanwhile, said it will increase its holdings.
"We sold hedged foreign bonds from fiscal 2022 to the first half of fiscal 2023 when hedging costs rose, leaving bonds that could generate returns even after deducting costs," Tsuzuki said. The company now plans to resume investing in these assets, which offer relatively high returns, as it expects the yen to start strengthening gradually against the dollar.
The insurers are more divided on unhedged foreign bonds. Three, including Meiji Yasuda Life, said they expected to increase their holdings, while three others, including Asahi Mutual and Taiyo Life, said they would hold steady. Dai-ichi Life and Sumitomo Life said they would decide based on market prices.
The focus going forward is on how far long-term yields will rise. Some observers see yields on ultra-long-term bonds rising to the 2% range if the BOJ tightens monetary policy further after ending its negative-rate policy, by raising interest rates or reducing government bond purchases.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Insurance/Japan-insurers-to-halve-bond-purchases-awaiting-next-BOJ-hike
https://tradingeconomics.com/japan/government-bond-yield
https://tradingeconomics.com/japan/currency
On that 45 Aso meeting earliehe’s old skool and never really seemed to be onboard with much of the fuckery but he still was a politician and like Abe has much to answer for but imo was working to help right the wrongs of the past.