Asia Economy
China’s June factory activity unexpectedly expands, private survey shows
HANGZHOU, CHINA – JUNE 30, 2025 – A worker is working in the production workshop of a steel structure factory in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China on June 30, 2025. CFOTO | Future Publishing | Getty Images China’s factory activity unexpectedly returned to growth among export-oriented manufacturers in June, a private survey showed Tuesday, as […]
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Asia-Pacific markets poised for cautious open as investors assess gains on Wall Street and Trump’s tariff plans
Shanghai Bund skyline panorama Yangna | E+ | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets are set to have a cautious open Tuesday, with investors assessing the record gains on Wall Street and the global impact of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policies as his 90-day tariff reprieve is set to expire next week. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said […]
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China’s manufacturing activity contracts for a third month amid deflation woes
Workers producing garments at a textile factory that supplies clothes to fast fashion e-commerce company Shein in Guangzhou in southern China’s Guangdong province. Jade Gao | Afp | Getty Images China’s manufacturing activity contracted for a third straight month in June, an official survey showed on Monday, fueling hopes for more stimulus to cushion the […]
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Asia-Pacific markets rise as investors parse a slew of data releases
Aerial view of Seoul downtown city skyline with vehicle on expressway and bridge cross over Han river in Seoul city, South Korea. Mongkol Chuewong | Moment | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets rose Monday as investors parsed a slew of data points, including South Korea and Japan’s industrial output figures for May and China’s purchasing managers’ […]
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China, U.S. confirm details of their trade deal, Beijing says
China’s Ministry of Commerce in Beijing. Visual China Group | Getty Images The U.S. and China have confirmed details of a trade framework that seeks to allow rare earth exports and easing of tech restrictions, according to a statement released by China’s Ministry of Commerce Friday afternoon. China will review and approve export applications for […]
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China skirts U.S. sanctions as top buyer of Iranian oil — here’s how, and why that’s unlikely to change soon
An oil tanker is being pictured in the Persian Gulf near the seaport city of Bushehr, in Bushehr Province, southern Iran, on April 29, 2024. Morteza Nikoubazl | Nurphoto | Getty Images For years, China has been buying discounted Iranian oil in bulk, and the U.S. sanctions on Tehran have barely put a dent in […]
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China’s industrial profits plunge 9.1%, steepest fall in seven months
A worker checks a finished vehicle on the production line for electric vehicle maker Zeekr at its factory on May 29, 2025 in Ningbo, China. Kevin Frayer | Getty Images News | Getty Images China’s industrial profits plunged 9.1% in May from a year earlier, in the latest sign that Beijing’s stimulus efforts are falling […]
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Asia-Pacific markets track Wall Street gains after White House downplays tariff deadline
Aerial view of Osaka Skyline Nikada | E+ | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets mostly rose Friday, tracking Wall Street’s gains after White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt downplayed the impending start of the tariff deals, which have weighed on investor sentiment. July 8 is when the so-called liberation day tariffs are set to take effect after […]
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Japan rice crisis shows signs of easing as prices stabilize and stocks return to shelves
A worker puts konbu sea weed on rice on the riceball production line at the processing factory of Fuji Foods Co., in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan, on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Riceballs are one of the 7-Eleven Japan’s most important products, with more than 2 billion sold each year. Photographer: Noriko Hayashi/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg […]
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Adopt or die? How Southeast Asian small businesses are using AI to stay competitive
ASEAN member nations’ flags outside the Pullman Hotel, the venue for the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ retreat meeting in Luang Prabang, Laos, in January 2024. Tang Chhin Sothytang Chhin Sothy | Afp | Getty Images The U.S. and China are usually top of mind when it comes to artificial intelligence and generative AI. But Southeast Asia’s […]
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