ASIA: U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said on Wednesday she expects to engage “in the near term” with Chinese officials to assess their implementation of the “Phase 1” trade deal between the two countries, with the outcome to influence the fate of Washington’s punitive tariffs on Beijing. Tai told that she respects the need for […]

ASIA: China urged the Philippines on Tuesday to observe “basic etiquette,” and eschew megaphone diplomacy after the southeast Asian nation’s foreign minister used an expletive-laced Twitter message to demand that China’s vessels leave disputed waters. In a statement, China’s foreign ministry urged the Philippines to respect the nation’s sovereignty and jurisdiction and stop taking actions […]

ASIA: A report published by group of analysts says that the “peak” of China’s economic growth has already passed or will soon do so and momentum will only “wane” further for the remainder of the year, after slowing domestic and overseas demand led to lower-than-expected sentiment in the manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors in April. The […]

The fundamental shift within the economy due to COVID has been unfolding and is illustrated by just looking at the earnings of AMAZON which finished 2020 with $21.3 billion in net income, making it one of the most profitable companies in the world, and in the first quarter of this year, the company posted a bottom-line result […]

ASIA: The US and China have long had a tumultuous relationship, but now Beijing has said that it would like to remain diplomatic partners with the US so long as the nation respects its domestic policies. “It is normal for China and the US to have some differences, but the key is to have mutual […]

ASIA: President Joe Biden proposed a sweeping new $1.8 trillion plan in a speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, pleading with Republican lawmakers to work with him on divisive issues and to meet the stiff competition posed by China. He said, “China and other countries are closing in fast,” adding that he […]

ASIA: China is set to report its first population decline since records began in 1949 despite the relaxation of the government’s strict family planning policies, which was meant to reverse the falling birth rate of the world’s most populous country. The latest Chinese census, which was completed in December but has yet to be made […]

ASIA: China will launch a series of promotional activities, including a new consumer goods expo in southern Hainan province, in May to boost spending as the Chinese retail sector recovers from COVID-19-induced consumer caution. Expanding domestic consumption is a priority in China’s “dual circulation” economic strategy, first highlighted by President Xi Jinping last year in […]

ASIA: China’s economic indicators for the first quarter of 2021 have been released. At an annualized rate, the economy grew 18.3% from January through to April, facilitating a complete economic recovery as the world deals with the disruption of COVID-19, and consumption reasserts itself, registering the highest tally since 1993. In line with the GDP […]

ASIA: China on Tuesday kept the one-year loan prime rate (LPR) unchanged at 3.85% and five-year LPR at 4.65%. That was in line with predictions from a majority of traders and analysts in a Reuters poll, who had expected no change to either the one-year or five-year LPR. India will waive its 10% customs duty […]