China's futures market sees over 30-pct growth in transaction value in Sept

Futures trading in China registered a significant increase in transaction value in September, with a clear trend towards structural optimization in the market, data showed on Monday.

Calculated on a single-side basis, the transaction value of the futures market hit 71.5 trillion yuan (about 10.05 trillion U.S. dollars) last month, up 33 percent, according to data from the China Futures Association.

The transaction volume of the market stood at 770 million contracts in September, down 3.03 percent year on year.

From January to September, the cumulative volume of futures trading increased by 18 percent to some 6.7 billion contracts.

The total transaction value of the market surged by 24.11 percent to over 547 trillion yuan during the period.

"The overall market shows a situation of 'decreased volume but increased value'. This is mainly due to the divergence across sectors. The transaction volume of agricultural products, such as traditional soybeans and oils, has seen a certain decline, while the precious metals sector, which has been highly sought after, experienced comprehensive and significant growth. The active trading of high-value products has driven the overall increase in transaction value," said Yang Yinghui, deputy general manager of COFCO Futures.

Yang said that global factors have spurred investor activity, particularly in the precious metals sector.

"The U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate in September led to a significant surge in investors' interest in precious metals. Additionally, uncertainties caused by U.S. tariff policies heightened investors' risk aversion sentiment toward precious metals, resulting in highly frequent trading," she said.

In the financial market, the China Financial Futures Exchange (CFFEX) recorded a transaction volume of more than 35 million contracts for financial futures and options in September, accounting for 4.5 percent of the national market.

The CFFEX handled over 29 trillion yuan in transactions last month, accounting for 41.42 percent of the national market.

China's futures market sees over 30-pct growth in transaction value in Sept

The Chinese Navy's hospital ship "Silk Road Art" will provide emergency aid to Jamaica after a powerful hurricane lashed the country in the end of October, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Guo Jiakun confirmed on Monday.

"Recently, the Chinese Navy's hospital ship the 'Silk Road Ark' arrived in Jamaica and will dock at multiple ports to provide humanitarian medical services to the Jamaican people affected by Hurricane Melissa. China empathizes deeply with Jamaica over the severe hurricane disaster it has suffered, and has provided emergency disaster relief assistance based on Jamaica's needs," Guo said at a press conference in Beijing in response to a media query.

"We believe that the 'Silk Road Ark' will convey China's friendship to the affected communities in Jamaica, helping to bolster their confidence as they overcome the disaster and rebuild their homes," said the spokesman.

The "Silk Road Ark" arrived at Montego Bay of Jamaica on Thursday for a 12-day visit. At the request of the Jamaican side, the Chinese hospital ship will dock at three ports in Jamaica - Montego Bay, Kingston, and Falmouth - to provide medical services to local residents.

On October 28, Jamaica was struck by a severe storm, which put the local healthcare system under immense pressure. Many patients urgently needing surgery have been waiting for treatment as the island sufferes medical facility damages and resource shortages.

Chinese naval hospital ship offers emergency aid to hurricane-hit Jamaica: spokesman