On the international stage, there has been a new turn in the situation in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Zelensky arrived in Washington on August 18 for in-depth consultations with U.S. President Trump regarding the ceasefire. On the same day, representatives from the EU and NATO, as well as European leaders including Italian Prime Minister Meloni, gathered at the White House to jointly advance the framework for Ukraine's security guarantees and the trilateral peace negotiation process.

At the same time, the U.S. government has taken a tougher stance on trade policy. Starting from August 18, the U.S. has significantly expanded the scope of the 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, adding hundreds of related derivative products. This move will undoubtedly have a profound impact on the global trade landscape.

In the economic sector, different countries are showing varied development trends. China's energy giant China Shenhua resumed trading on August 18, and the company plans to acquire 13 subsidiaries from the State Power Investment Corporation, with total assets amounting to 250 billion yuan, demonstrating the determination of state-owned enterprises to integrate. Meanwhile, China's insurance industry has also shown strong growth momentum, with the balance of funds used by insurance companies reaching 36.23 trillion yuan at the end of the second quarter of 2025, a year-on-year increase of 17.4%.

Japan's financial innovation has also taken an important step forward. The Financial Services Agency of Japan is about to approve the country's first yen-denominated stablecoin JPYC, operated by the fintech company JPYC Inc., marking a significant breakthrough for Japan in the field of digital currency.

In terms of the capital market, the Chinese A-share market has performed brilliantly. On August 15, the Shanghai Composite Index closed at 3696.77 points, reaching a nearly four-year high. The market trading was active, with the trading volume exceeding 2 trillion yuan for three consecutive days, and the margin balance also breaking through the 2 trillion yuan mark, indicating the high enthusiasm of investors.

It is worth noting that two important economic indicators will be announced on August 18: the Eurozone's adjusted trade balance for June will be released at 17:00, reflecting the Eurozone's external trade situation; the NAHB Housing Market Index for August in the United States will be announced at 22:00, which is a key indicator measuring the confidence of U.S. home builders, and its trend will provide important reference for assessing the health of the U.S. real estate market.

The current global political and economic situation is complex and changeable, with various factors such as the peace process, trade policies, financial innovations, and market performance interwoven, making the impact on the global economic landscape worthy of ongoing attention.