Asia Economy
Australia raises rates for first time since late 2023 as inflation hits six-quarter high
Michele Bullock, governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), speaks during a news conference at the bank’s head office in Sydney, Australia, on Tuesday, Apr. 1, 2025. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Australia’s central bank raised its policy rate by 25 basis points to 3.85% on Tuesday, marking the Reserve Bank of Australia’s […]
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Asia-Pacific markets set to climb on U.S.-India trade deal optimism; gold and silver rebound
Bombay Gate Gateway of India, Mumbai Arutthaphon Poolsawasd | Moment | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets looked set to rise Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington and India had struck a trade deal and would immediately begin cutting tariffs on each other’s goods. Trump added that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to […]
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Trump says U.S. and India reached trade deal, will lower tariffs immediately
The U.S. and India have reached a trade deal and will immediately move to lower tariffs on each other’s goods, President Donald Trump announced Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also agreed to buy American products “at a much higher level” as part of the agreement, Trump said in a Truth Social post following a call […]
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From PopMart to JD.com: Britain and China rush to forge business deals as diplomatic thaw takes hold
China’s President Xi Jinping (R) and Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer shake hands before their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on January 29, 2026. Carl Court | Afp | Getty Images Chinese businesses have pledged hundreds of millions of pounds’ worth of investment in the U.K. and struck new partnerships […]
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India courts Big Tech with long‑term tax breaks as it doubles down on AI ambitions
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary and other officials outside the Finance Ministry prior to the presentation of the Union Budget 2026-27 at Kartavya Bhavan on Feb. 1, 2026 in New Delhi, India. Hindustan Times | Hindustan Times | Getty Images India has announced a 20-year tax […]
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China’s factory activity grows at fastest pace since October, private survey shows, beating official reading
An employee works on a carbon fiber production line at Zhongfu Shenying in Lianyungang, China’s eastern Jiangsu province on July 31, 2025. Str | Afp | Getty Images China’s factory activity gathered speed in January, according to a private survey released Monday, as manufacturers accelerated production and front-loaded cargoes ahead of the extended Lunar New […]
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Asia-Pacific markets trade mixed ahead of China manufacturing data
A study of affluent Chinese released this month by consulting firm Oliver Wyman found that 22% of respondents were negative about the economy when surveyed in May. It just exceeds the 21% seen in October 2022, just before Beijing announced plans to ease its stringent zero-Covid policy. Dukai Photographer | Moment | Getty Images Asia-Pacific […]
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India’s finance minister projects modest fiscal consolidation in budget
India’s government plans a modest improvement in its fiscal picture in the coming financial year, with reductions in the fiscal deficit and debt, while boosting manufacturing in sectors ranging from textiles to chips. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her ninth consecutive budget speech, said on Sunday that the government sees its fiscal deficit falling to […]
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Is ‘America First’ starting to backfire as Washington’s allies go it alone?
Members of President Donald Trump’s cabinet, including Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, listen to Trump address the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the Davos Congress Center on Jan. 21, 2026 in Davos, Switzerland. Chip Somodevilla | Getty […]
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Scenic trains, cruises and concerts: China’s new plan to get consumers spending again
BEIJING, CHINA – NOVEMBER 6: Women wearing Qing Dynasty-style costumes take photos inside the Forbidden City on November 6, 2025, in Beijing, China. Cheng Xin | Getty Images News As Chinese households remain reluctant to spend on big-ticket goods, Beijing is leaning on a new lever to revive consumption: experiences and everyday services. China’s cabinet […]
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