South-East Asia
Asean ambassadors hold meeting with ICC Bangladesh president
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Bangladesh President Mahbubur Rahman urged ambassadors of the Asean Dhaka Committee (ADC) to increase imports from Bangladesh to reduce trade gaps.
Sri Lanka inflation eases to 0.8% in Sep
Sri Lanka’s consumer price inflation rate eased to 0.8 percent year-on-year in September from 2.1 percent in August, the statistics department said on Monday.
Russian and Chinese firms ink deals in various sectors
Chinese and Russian companies attending a regional conference in northeastern China signed a raft of cooperation deals on Monday in sectors ranging from manufacturing and logistics to e-commerce and agriculture, Chinese state media reported.
China may further cut its US debt holdings
China may continue to cut its US debt holdings amid global worries over shrinking liquidity and safety risk of the assets and the country’s ramped-up efforts to diversify its foreign exchange reserves, experts said last week after reviewing the latest data from the US Treasury Department.
Prepare now for post-LDC challenges
Bangladesh needs to increase the productivity of its manufacturing sector to make use of potential opportunities after graduating from a least developed country (LDC)
China's outbound tourism sees robust recovery
Prominent travel platforms reporting full bookings, bustling queues in international departure halls at airports, and Chinese tourists flocking to popular global destinations.
China's power sector investments may top $13.7tri by 2060
China's investments in its power sector may exceed 100 trillion yuan ($13.7 trillion) from 2020 to 2060, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Monday, citing utility behemoth State Grid Corp. of China.
Japan's business mood improves
Japan's business sentiment improved in the third quarter, a central bank survey showed, suggesting conditions for a durable economic revival are falling into place even as a global slowdown keeps policymakers cautious about the outlook.
China’s economy cools sharply as lockdowns bite
China’s economic activity cooled sharply in April as widening Covid-19 lockdowns took a heavy toll on consumption, industrial production and employment, adding to fears the economy could shrink in the second quarter.
US rate hikes strain Hong Kong’s economy
Recent rate hikes from the Federal Reserve have come at a bad time for Hong Kong which, thanks to its US dollar peg, must follow suit despite its own flagging economy.
Saudi Aramco net profit soars 82pc in first quarter
State-owned oil producer Saudi Aramco on Sunday reported an almost 82 per cent rise in first-quarter net profit, broadly in line with analyst forecasts, helped by strong oil prices.
Bitcoin drops below $30,000, lowest since July 2021
Bitcoin slumped below $30,000 for the first time since July 2021 on Tuesday as cryptocurrencies track sinking markets with investors spooked by aggressive US monetary tightening and surging inflation.
Japan’s spending dips amid worries over surging prices
Japan’s household spending dipped 2.3 per cent in March from a year earlier as the cost of fuel and other items surge, though the fall was smaller than expected.
Malaysia may cut palm oil export tax
Malaysia’s commodities ministry has proposed cutting export tax on palm oil by as much as half to help fill a global edible oil shortage and grow the market share of the world’s second-largest palm oil producer.
China’s export growth hits 2-year low amid virus curbs
China’s export growth slowed to single digits, the weakest in almost two years, while imports barely changed in April as tighter and wider Covid-19 curbs halted factory production and crimped domestic demand, adding to wider economic woes.
Dictator Marcos’ son in lead for Philippines presidency with huge margin
Ferdinand Marcos Jr looked on course for a huge victory in the Philippines presidential election on Monday, after an unofficial tally of two thirds of the votes showed the son of the notorious late dictator surging ahead of his nearest rival.
Xi warms up China’s economy, but virus narrows options
President Xi Jinping has offered state backing for tech, infrastructure and jobs to revive China’s economy, but analysts warn growth will continue to wilt until Beijing drops its rigid virus controls.
China offers relending facility for transport
China’s central bank said on Friday it launches a 100 billion yuan ($15 billion) relending facility to support the transport, logistics and storage sectors which have been hit hard by Covid-19.