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Senior Chinese and US finance officials agree to ‘continue to meet regularly’

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Senior Chinese and US finance officials agree to ‘continue to meet regularly’

Beijing was also willing to promote the development of bilateral relations in a healthy, stable and sustainable direction, the news agency reported.

“Both sides should continue to make good use of the Financial Working Group mechanism, continue to accumulate results and consolidate the momentum of cooperation in the financial field,” He was quoted as saying.

The high-level dialogue comes at a time of serious economic headwinds for China and as the country sees a steep decline in its exports to the US.

Beijing’s challenges can be traced to a harder policy stance adopted by Washington. The Biden administration has moved to restrict US investments in China as it diversifies American supply chains away from the Asian giant.

However, the likelihood of the two sides resolving their differences appears limited, particularly because of political positioning in a US election year, according to Yun Sun of the Stimson Centre, a Washington-based think tank.

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Sino-American ties competitive despite being ‘notably stabilised’: US envoy

“There is no illusion that the [Biden] administration could remove things including investment restrictions, tariffs and de-risking measures. In fact, there possibly will be more,” said Sun, observing that “the Chinese understand that”.

“There could potentially be things that Washington will need Beijing to work with it on,” she added, including the purchase of US Treasury bonds as well as stable fiscal and monetary policy, with much depending on “the overall health” of bilateral ties.

The Financial Working Group, launched in September along with an Economic Working Group, aims to serve as a channel to facilitate progress on bilateral financial policy matters. He and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen lead the two groups.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen (left) shakes hands with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng during their meeting in Beijing on July 8, 2023. Photo: AP

Officials attending the first meeting of the new working group held in China discussed financial stability and capital markets issues, international financial institutions, sustainable finance, cross-border payments and data, and anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism, according to statements from both sides.

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The meeting included a review of technical exchanges that were held between the two sides in December and January on climate stress-testing and respective resolution-planning frameworks for global systemically important banks as designated by the Swiss-based Financial Stability Board of the Bank for International Settlements.

“The two sides had a professional, pragmatic and practical discussion on … issues of major concern to both parties,” according to a statement from the People’s Bank of China, the country’s central bank.

Meanwhile, “US officials also frankly raised areas of disagreement during the conversations”, according to the Treasury readout.

After years of emulating the West, China starts to turn on ‘predatory’ finance

The PBOC led the meetings in Beijing, during which Pan Gongsheng, China’s central bank governor, attended. Pan was joined by officials from China’s finance ministry, securities regulators and foreign exchange watchdog.

American members of the delegation led by the Treasury Department included representatives from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Reserve.
Sino-American tensions have risen sharply in recent years amid ongoing trade disputes, a simmering tech war, Washington’s de-risking efforts as well as controversies over Taiwan, which Beijing sees as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary.

Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.

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The meeting in November between Xi and Biden was their first face-to-face encounter in a year, and it delivered modest deals on military communication, drug controls and artificial intelligence, hitting a pause on the deteriorating bilateral ties.

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Quadient Recognized as a Leader in the 2026 SPARK Matrix for Accounts Receivable Applications

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Quadient Recognized as a Leader in the 2026 SPARK Matrix for Accounts Receivable Applications
QUADIENT

Quadient demonstrates continued innovation in AI-driven invoice-to-cash automation and unified finance operations

Paris

Quadient (Euronext Paris: QDT), a global automation platform powering secure and sustainable business connections, announced today it has been recognized for the fifth consecutive year as a Leader in the 2026 SPARK Matrix™ for Accounts Receivable Applications by technology analyst and advisory firm QKS Group. Quadient strengthened its position in the report year-over-year, with a notable improvement in Technology Excellence, reflecting continued innovation in its AI-driven invoice-to-cash solution.

According to QKS Group, Quadient’s leadership position highlights its evolution into a comprehensive, AI-powered platform that delivers strong predictive accuracy and straight-through processing. The analyst firm also emphasized the capability of Quadient’s solutions to unify accounts receivable (AR) and accounts payable (AP), offering finance leaders greater visibility and insights into their business finances to make faster, better decisions on working capital management.

Earlier this month, Quadient announced the release of its new cash dashboard capability for AR and AP that allows finance teams to bring together traditionally siloed data in a single view. An AI assistant summarizes key metrics and provides analysis that helps finance leaders accelerate cash on hand, improve forecasting, reduce risk and uncover opportunities to optimize working capital.

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“Quadient has established a strong position in the 2026 Accounts Receivable Automation market through its focus on intelligent automation, cash flow optimization and integrated financial operations,” said Sanjeevi C R, associate vice president, Enterprise Research at QKS Group. “The platform’s evolution from predictive analytics to AI-driven autonomous collections execution represents a meaningful step forward in reducing manual effort across the invoice-to-cash cycle. What differentiates Quadient is its ability to combine collections management, cash application, and payment processing with a unified accounts receivable and accounts payable ecosystem, providing finance leaders with a more holistic view of working capital performance. By enabling greater automation, enhanced cash flow visibility, and more efficient receivables operations, Quadient continues to deliver measurable value for organizations seeking to modernize their financial processes and improve liquidity management.”

QKS Group highlighted the following key strengths for Quadient AR:

  • Autonomous AI capabilities that simplify accounts payable processes with greater clarity and keep invoices moving from capture to payment resolution;

  • A unified AR and AP platform, reducing silos and simplifying financial operations;

  • And advanced cash application that improves matching accuracy and minimizes manual reconciliation

“CFOs and their teams are facing more complex challenges than ever before. They need a trusted partner who offers cash flow management optimization solutions that deliver faster cash application, improved collections performance and enhanced AI-based forecasting,” said Lilac Schoenbeck, senior vice president for Digital solutions at Quadient. “This recognition as a Leader in the SPARK Matrix reflects how we’re helping customers transform finance operations end-to-end, automating time-consuming tasks, improving accuracy and freeing up resources to focus on strategic initiatives that drive business growth.”

For the complimentary report, visit: quadient.com.

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About Quadient
Quadient designs and builds human-centered, AI-driven automation solutions for business communications. Our software empowers hundreds of thousands of customers to create, deliver, and manage world-class communications with speed and ease. From financial automation and customer communications to mail and parcel management, Quadient reduces friction and waste so customers can focus on growth and customer connections. Quadient is listed on Euronext Paris (QDT) and part of the CAC® Mid & Small and CAC Technology indexes. Make room for the remarkable at quadient.com.

Contacts

Quadient
Joe Scolaro
+1 203-301-3673
j.scolaro@quadient.com  

Walker Sands
Kiley Ribordy
quadientpr@walkersands.com   

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G7 Recommits to Development, Investment Finance to Drive Shared Prosperity

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G7 Recommits to Development, Investment Finance to Drive Shared Prosperity
In a message of “convergence and unity in response to multiple crises,” the Group of 7 (G7) leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US, together with the EU, have agreed to foster mutually beneficial international partnerships.

The G7 Leaders’ Summit took place in Évia

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Protecting Bolivia’s forest watersheds with sustainable finance

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Protecting Bolivia’s forest watersheds with sustainable finance

Why financing matters for forest restoration 

Over the past several years, Armonía and local communities have made significant progress restoring parts of the Tunari protected area. To date they have planted 1.25 million trees, with more than half of these planted in the Tiquipaya municipality. Community wildfire brigades have been strengthened, reservoirs built to secure water, and new systems created for communities to participate in watershed management.

One of the most important actions was strengthening the structure and function of a watershed governance body, known as Organismo de Gestión de Cuencas (OGC). This coordinates restoration activities and helps design sustainable development strategies for the communities living in the park, helping rebuild trust between them, park authorities and conservation organisations. Women leaders have played an important role in shaping this work. 

However, a major challenge was highlighted – restoration takes decades, but most conservation funding arrives through short-term projects. Without stable long-term financing, restoration gains are difficult to maintain. 

Community members have helped plant more than a million trees in Tiquipaya © Asociación Armonía.

How the financing model would work 

The proposed PES mechanism would collect small contributions directed into a transparent trust fund with independent governance. Resources would then be invested in three main areas: 

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  • Forest restoration and protection – Communities would receive incentives for protecting existing forest and payments tied to successful restoration outcomes. 
  • Community sustainable development – Investments would support livelihood activities that reduce pressure on the forest, such as sustainable agriculture, water management and local enterprises. 
  • Strengthening park management – Funds would help support ranger capacity, wildfire prevention and long-term monitoring within Tunari National Park. 

For communities, the system recognises their role as custodians of the watershed. For urban residents, it offers a practical way to support the ecosystems that provide their water. For public and private partners, it creates a transparent structure for long-term investment in landscape restoration.

Once fully implemented, the mechanism could generate an estimated £3 million per year for watershed protection and restoration.  

Cochabamba, Bolivia © JC Fotografia/Shutterstock

Local people have played a key role by planting saplings in Tunari National Park, Bolivia © Asociación Armonía.

Designing a Payment for Ecosystem Services mechanism  

Over the past two years, Armonía has worked with municipalities, communities and regional institutions to explore how a PES mechanism could work in the Cochabamba region.

The PES concept is straightforward. Communities living in the upper watershed protect and restore forests that provide essential services such as water regulation, erosion control and biodiversity conservation. Downstream users who benefit from these services contribute financially to support that stewardship.

Through the Accelerator process, Armonía undertook studies, assessments and consultations across the Cochabamba metropolitan area’s seven municipalities. Many residents recognised that protecting the forest is directly linked to their water security. Based on these encouraging results, Armonía and their partners are developing a regional trust fund.  

Cochabamba Mountain-finch © Dubi Shapiro.

Building the institutions behind the mechanism 

The financing system is only one piece of the puzzle – strong governance and community participation are also essential. With FIA support, Armonía is now helping communities develop ten-year sustainable development strategies that identify restoration priorities and income opportunities. A multi-stakeholder platform will oversee the initiative and guide decisions, while the park administration is also receiving support to strengthen monitoring, prevent wildfires and improve co-ordination.  

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A new model for watershed protection 

The work underway in Tunari is about more than planting trees. It’s about building a durable system that links ecological restoration, community leadership and long-term financing. Once the mechanism is operational, it could transform how the Tunari watershed is managed. Instead of relying on intermittent  projects, the region would have a locally supported financing system that rewards stewardship and protects the Kewiña forests that has supported life in the Andes for centuries. 

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