In the highly anticipated US presidential election, regardless of the outcome, the elected candidate will significantly impact the international political and economic landscape. Trump’s foreign economic policy during his first term has already become apparent, with a strong focus on using tariffs as a negotiation tool. If re-elected, he intends to impose tariffs of up to 60% to 100% on Chinese products and 10% to 20% on goods from other countries.

[Financial Times Chinese column] Submarine cables carry approximately 99% of the global intercontinental data flow, making them crucial for the development of digital economy. The Chinese government has emphasized the need to accelerate digital infrastructure development in its “14th Five-Year Plan,” promoting the “Digital Silk Road.”

E-commerce sales in Hong Kong currently represent only 8% of total retail sales, significantly lower than in markets like mainland China, the UK, and South Korea. This suggests substantial growth potential for e-commerce and digital trade in the region. The city should seize future trade trends and focus on digitizing trade by achieving three KPIs: the realization of paperless trade, the development of cross-border e-commerce, and the advancement of digital services trade.

The complexity of financial products has led to widespread recognition of the need to protect financial consumers. Many countries have systems in place that allow consumers to file complaints against financial service providers with regulators. Whereas some jurisdictions keep this information private for internal regulatory purposes, others have begun to disclose it publicly. Proponents of public disclosure argue it educates consumers and helps them make informed decisions. A notable example is the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) initiative to disclose consumer complaints against banks. However, this approach can potentially harm the reputation of financial institutions if the complaints are

Artificial intelligence (AI) has advanced dramatically in recent years. In particular, deep learning and generative AI models have gained widespread popularity at both organizational and individual levels, with a range of innovative and viable applications being developed.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing is rapidly gaining traction in global financial markets, aiming to integrate environmental protection and social responsibility into investment decisions to promote sustainable development. Despite its wide support, ESG investing faces criticism, particularly in the United States, where some state governments and the energy sector express concerns about its potential negative impact on the economy and business competitiveness.

Environmental protection is traditionally seen as a state responsibility, and the private market is meant to focus on creating shareholder value rather than preserving nature. Still, market-based solutions such as green investing have emerged. The research addresses whether green investment funds can influence firm-level environmental performance in relation to the presence of state environmental- and shareholder protection policies.

Does a “free lunch” really exist? Some online shopping platforms let consumers disclose if they received products for free or at a discount when writing reviews. Although these reviews for free products are not the majority, they can energize online communities where reviews are limited. The lack of objectivity in free product reviews can trigger self-regulation within online communities, prompting more users to provide fair feedback. Voluntary disclosure policies can effectively boost the number of reviews at a lower cost than hiring experts to write positive reviews.