U.S. dollar ticks down

The U.S. dollar weakened in late trading on Thursday.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, fell 0.41 percent to 98.359 at 15:00 (2000 GMT).

In late New York trading, the euro rose to 1.1744 dollars from 1.1682 dollars in the previous session, and the British pound increased to 1.3491 dollars from 1.3415 dollars in the previous session.

The U.S. dollar bought 158.4 Japanese yen, lower than 158.5 Japanese yen in the previous session. The U.S. dollar slipped to 0.7901 Swiss francs from 0.7964 Swiss francs, and it was down to 1.3792 Canadian dollars from 1.3827 Canadian dollars. The U.S. dollar decreased to 9.0102 Swedish kronor from 9.1111 Swedish kronor.

Chinese officials attending a recent study session at the National Academy of Governance in Beijing have pledged to make solid efforts for the country's development over the next five years.

Speaking at the opening meeting for the session, Chinese President Xi Jinping called the session attendees, principal officials at the provincial and ministerial levels, to secure a good start for the country's 15th Five-Year (2026-2030) Plan.

Xi said it is necessary to develop a comprehensive, profound and accurate understanding of the strategic arrangements for economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, which were made at the fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

He stressed that China is currently at a stage where strategic opportunities and risks coexist, with increasing uncertainty and unpredictable factors. He added that building a modern industrial system and achieving an overall industrial structure upgrade are key strategic tasks for the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

"The year 2026 marks the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan period. For the first time in a Five-Year Plan, the CPC Central Committee has proposed making China strong in the energy sector, clearly defining the strategic direction and priorities for the country's energy development. Building a country strong in the energy sector means to make the country independent in energy supply so as to provide reliable energy assurance for the country's modernization," said Dai Houliang, chairman of China National Petroleum Corporation.

Yin Hejun, minister of science and technology, said the next five years is a critical phase for building a solid foundation and exerting comprehensive efforts to basically achieve socialist modernization.

"We must focus on the goal of building a strong country in science and technology, take a holistic approach to formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for science and technology innovation, strengthen strategic, forward-looking, and systematic planning for basic research, promote the deep integration of sci-tech innovation and industrial innovation, and provide solid support for comprehensively advancing Chinese modernization through high-level sci-tech self-reliance and self-improvement," Yin said.

Chen Zhongyue, chairman of China Mobile Communications Group, said it is essential to study and comprehend the spirit of the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee.

"Currently, digital-intelligence technologies are deeply integrated into all sectors of the economy and society, presenting broad opportunities for the information and communications industry. We will deepen scientific and technological innovation, develop new quality productive forces, and contribute more to Chinese modernization with new achievements in building a strong cyber power and a Digital China," he said.

Speaking at the study session, Xi said that improving livelihoods should be prioritized to promote social development. And while advancing economic growth, steady efforts should be made to raise quality of life for the people.

"We will strive to make healthcare security services more accessible to the public, support the development of the medical and health sector, and foster the growth of the pharmaceutical industry. Healthcare security is not only a traditional undertaking in the health domain but also a concrete manifestation of new quality productive forces in health. We are continuously exploring ways to drive emerging industries with new technologies so as to benefit all people," said Zhang Ke, head of the National Healthcare Security Administration.