ASIA: China on Tuesday asked India to approach ties with Taiwan “prudently and properly,” and said it would “firmly oppose” any official exchanges between New Delhi and Taipei. The statement from China’s Foreign Ministry came in response to reports that India and Taiwan were considering going forward with talks on a trade deal. India and […]

ASIA: The IMF estimated China’s GDP will grow by 1.9 percent for all of 2020–the only major economy to inch back into positive territory in a year that saw economies around the globe tumble sharply. Chinese officials announced this week that the country’s economy grew by 4.9 percent in the third quarter, a positive sign […]

ASIA: Chinese cotton mills have been told to stop using Australian cotton, deepening fears that Australian produce is being specifically targeted by the Chinese government. Chinese processors set import quotas each year by the Chinese Communist Party but have been verbally warned by the National Development Reform Commission that they will have their intake cut […]

ASIA: China’s consumer inflation slowed in September, driven by a moderation in food price gains. The consumer price index rose 1.7% last month from a year earlier, following a 2.4% gain in August, the National Bureau of Statistics said Thursday. The median forecast was for a 1.9% increase. The producer price index registered a 2.1% […]

ASIA: China’s stock market has soared to a record high of more than $10tn as the world’s second-largest economy continues a rapid bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic. The total value of all company shares listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen markets rallied to hit USD 10.08tn (£7.7bn) on Wednesday, according to figures compiled by […]

ASIA: The Australian government is seeking assurances from China over the impact of reported curbs of coal imports, while calling on Beijing to end the freeze on ministerial talks as concerns grow about widening trade tensions. There has not yet been any official confirmation of the move – first reported by S&P Global Platts and […]

  ASIA: Shenzhen is one of the four Chinese cities to begin internal testing of the digital yuan, announced a government notice in August without going into the specifics. The latest distribution to consumers is seen as the country’s first large-scale, public test of the centrally issued virtual currency. Nearly 2 million individuals in Shenzhen […]

ASIA: The recovery in China’s service sector activity extended into a fifth straight month in September, an industry survey showed on Friday, with hiring increasing for the second month in a row. The Caixin/Markit services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 54.8 from August’s 54.0, the highest reading since June and staying well above the […]

ASIA: China represents a strategic threat to Britain as its Navy could reach the North Atlantic via the Arctic by a route opened up by global heating, the head of the Royal Navy has said. Adm Tony Radakin, the first sea lord, said an “increasingly assertive” China had the capability to reach waters north of […]

ASIA: The major Asian stock markets had a mixed day today: NIKKEI 225 decreased 10.91 points or -0.05% to 23,422.82 Shanghai closed Hang Seng increased 262.21 points or 1.09% to 24,242.86 ASX 200 increased 74.30 points or 1.25% to 6,036.40 Kospi increased 21.04 points or 0.89% to 2,386.94 SENSEX increased 304.38 points or 0.77% to […]