China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has announced plans to accelerate the development of automotive standards in 2026, focusing on driving automation, automotive data, and vehicle-road-cloud integration. The initiative aims to promote innovation in intelligent and connected vehicles, automotive electronics, and chips, with priority given to developing standards for driving automation, connected applications, and data security. The ministry will also revise standards for critical components like automotive electronics and chips to support the transformation of innovative outcomes. In other news, mainland Chinese investors are increasingly using Hong Kong brokerages to trade over-the-counter options, circumventing domestic restrictions. This shift has led to a cross-border gray market, with investors leveraging high-risk trading tools such as total return swaps and vanilla options. Despite the allure of high returns, this market is fraught with regulatory and legal risks, including potential insider trading activities.