NATO'S RUTTE: NATO IS ALSO THERE TO PROTECT THE US

A-SHARES OPEN LOWER: SHANGHAI COMPOSITE INDEX -0.69%, SHENZHEN COMPONENT INDEX -0.81%, CHINEXT INDEX -0.94%

US consumer spending rose by just 0.1% in February, following a stagnant January, as persistent inflation pressures continued. The core personal consumption expenditures price index, excluding food and energy, increased by 0.4% from January, with annual growth of 3%. The data, released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, suggests inflation is poised to accelerate, further impacted by the ongoing Iran war.