Foreign investors are pulling out of China at an unprecedented rate. In the June quarter of this year alone, a record 15 billion dollar was withdrawn. Watch in for more details!

China: Foreign investors pull record $15 billion in June quarter

Let's shift our focus to the accusations of China's subsidy-induced overcapacity. Discussions about China's overcapacity issue have been ongoing for many years. Most recently, various industriesm, such as those dealing with solar panels, wind turbines, steel, and cement, have started to debate the issue. Take a look at this next report for more.

Chinese firms gaining market share in strategic industries

Microsoft will expand recruitment and upgrade its campuses in China following plans of major US businesses, including chipmaker Nvidia, to expand their presence in the Chinese market, despite the US decoupling push. The recruitment will be expanded next year to increase the number of employees to over 10,000.&nbsp;

The company currently has around 9,000 employees in China, with 80 percent of them being research and development specialists and engineering technicians. Microsoft plans to upgrade its campuses in Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province over the next three to five years.&nbsp;

"We will continue to strengthen our confidence and determination to develop in the Chinese market and expand investment in human resources, campuses, education and the local ecosystem to find new opportunities in China, boosted by China's accelerated development of the digital economy," said Hou Yang, chairman and CEO, Microsoft Greater China.&nbsp;

Experts say that the move will be perceived as a statement that the US business community sees China an ideal market, even though the US has been trying to break away from the country.&nbsp;

Nvidia Corp Chief Executive Jensen Huang said on Wednesday that he continues to see a large market for Nvidia's data centre chips in China, despite US restrictions on exports of two of its top chips to the country, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

Microsoft will expand recruitment and upgrade its campuses in China following plans of major US businesses, including chipmaker Nvidia, to expand their presence in the Chinese market, despite the US decoupling push.

Microsoft will expand recruitment and upgrade its campuses in China following plans of major US businesses, including chipmaker Nvidia, to expand their presence in the Chinese market, despite the US decoupling push. The recruitment will be expanded next year to increase the number of employees to over 10,000. The company currently has around 9,000 employees in China, with 80 percent of them being research and development specialists and engineering technicians. Microsoft plans to upgrade its campuses in Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province over the next three to five years. "We will continue to strengthen our confidence and determination to develop in the Chinese market and expand investment in human resources, campuses, education and the local ecosystem to find new opportunities in China, boosted by China's accelerated development of the digital economy," said Hou Yang, chairman and CEO, Microsoft Greater China. Experts say that the move will be perceived as a statement that the US business community sees China an ideal market, even though the US has been trying to break away from the country. Nvidia Corp Chief Executive Jensen Huang said on Wednesday that he continues to see a large market for Nvidia's data centre chips in China, despite US restrictions on exports of two of its top chips to the country, Reuters reported. (With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft to upgrade its campuses in China, increase recruitment despite US' decoupling push

Airbnb will shut down all listings and experiences in mainland China from July 30, joining a long list of Western internet platforms that have opted out of the China market.

Airbnb to shut domestic business in China from July 30

China`s market regulator said on Friday it had fined 12 companies related to 10 deals that violated anti-monopoly rules.

The companies included Baidu Inc, Tencent Holdings, Didi Chuxing, SoftBank and a ByteDance-backed firm, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said in a statement on Friday.

The companies were fined 500,000 yuan ($77,000) each for behaviour that caused market concentration but did not exclude all competition from other companies, SAMR said.

Tencent said in a statement it would actively rectify operations and provide the regulator with timely reports on deals in future.

ByteDance said a joint venture between its affiliated firm and Shanghai Dongfang Newspaper Co Ltd, which were both fined, was never in operation and the JV was disbanded in January.

SoftBank declined to comment. Baidu and Didi did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

China has stepped up scrutiny of its internet giants in recent months, citing concerns over monopolistic behaviour and potential infringement of consumer rights.

The regulator has fined Alibaba, Tencent-backed China Literature and other firms for not reporting deals properly for anti-trust reviews. It also fined company involved in an auto-related deal on Thursday.

China`s market regulator said on Friday it had fined 12 companies related to 10 deals that violated anti-monopoly rules. The companies included Baidu Inc, Tencent Holdings, Didi Chuxing, SoftBank and a ByteDance-backed firm, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said in a statement on Friday.

China`s market regulator said on Friday it had fined 12 companies related to 10 deals that violated anti-monopoly rules. The companies included Baidu Inc, Tencent Holdings, Didi Chuxing, SoftBank and a ByteDance-backed firm, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said in a statement on Friday. The companies were fined 500,000 yuan ($77,000) each for behaviour that caused market concentration but did not exclude all competition from other companies, SAMR said. Tencent said in a statement it would actively rectify operations and provide the regulator with timely reports on deals in future. ByteDance said a joint venture between its affiliated firm and Shanghai Dongfang Newspaper Co Ltd, which were both fined, was never in operation and the JV was disbanded in January. SoftBank declined to comment. Baidu and Didi did not immediately respond to requests for comment. China has stepped up scrutiny of its internet giants in recent months, citing concerns over monopolistic behaviour and potential infringement of consumer rights. The regulator has fined Alibaba, Tencent-backed China Literature and other firms for not reporting deals properly for anti-trust reviews. It also fined company involved in an auto-related deal on Thursday.

China market regulator fines 12 firms for violating anti-monopoly law

Chinese commercial banks overall posted a 9.4% fall in first half net profit, while the six biggest posted a 12% profit fall from a year ago

China banks' profits to drop as more loan are repriced

The cases of coronavirus were reported in China's capital Beijing in the past five days, health authorities said the virus was detected on "chopping boards" used to handle imported salmon at Xinfadi market. However, China's CDC has now confirmed that their is no evidence for this theory.

Inside Xinfadi | China's largest market | Market at centre of Beijing's 2nd COVID-19 wave

After 106 cases of coronavirus was reported in China's capital Beijing in the past five days, health authorities said the virus was detected on "chopping boards" used to handle imported salmon at Xinfadi market

Beijing's wholesale Xinfadi market at the centre of new COVID-19 cluster

&nbsp;The creator of the children`s song 'Baby Shark', which has become a global phenomenon, says the firm is eyeing the Chinese market, where the tune did not quite catch on, with a brand new character featuring dinosaurs. 
 
The popular song about a family of sharks has been a rallying cry at Lebanese anti-government protests, played at the White House and praised by President Donald Trump and become the unofficial anthem of the baseball World Series champions Washington Nationals. It has also prompted parodies and a dance craze. 
 
The co-founder and the chief financial officer of the South Korean publisher behind the viral song and video, the fifth-most viewed all time on YouTube, said it is targeting China next to make sure that it doesn't end a one-hit-wonder. 
 
"Who would have thought sharks could become this popular?" Ryan Lee of SmartStudy told Reuters in an interview. "Children who like dinosaurs definitely exist around the world, but there`s no brand name attached to them." 
 
The Baby Shark song, which has had 3.9 billion views on YouTube, is an under copyright to SmartStudy, a South Korean company that is planning an IPO. 
 
Lee said the company sees the song to Baby Shark as "evergreen content". It is planning a Baby Shark-themed animated TV series with the Nickelodeon television network. 
 
For Asia's fourth-largest but maturing economy, the so-called kid's industry&nbsp;has been a bright spot with a five-fold growth to 40 trillion won $34.3 billion&nbsp;in revenue in 2017 from 2002, according to eBEST Investment &amp; Securities, even though it's birth rate is one of the lowest in the world. 
 
SmartStudy sees the limitation of the domestic market and is eyeing China, where the absence of YouTube, and the clunky local word for shark, did little for Baby Shark's appeal.

Dinosaurs, on the other hand, will be a different story, Lee said, citing China's active research into the reptiles as a sign of great interest.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/childrens-baby-shark-song-goes-viral-tops-uk-charts-168814">&nbsp;Children’s 'Baby Shark' song goes viral, tops UK charts</a> 
 
"China is not an easy market, but there's no market more attractive other than China. More than a billion people speaking a single language and this is a country that evolved into a market from a factory."

SmartStudy eventually plans an initial public offering, the company said, hoping to capitalise on its 2019 sales projected at more than 60 billion won, eight times the figure five years ago.

Lee said the timing and location of the planned listing had not been decided yet although the company had picked South Korea’s Mirae Asset Daewoo as its IPO underwriter earlier this year.&nbsp; 
 
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XqZsoesa55w" width="560"></iframe> 
 
Backed by Baby Shark`s popularity, shares of Samsung Publishing, SmartStudy`s second-top shareholder, have jumped 60% this year, versus the wider market`s 4% rise.

The creator of the children`s song 'Baby Shark', which has become a global phenomenon, says the firm is eyeing the Chinese market, where the tune did not quite catch on, with a brand new character featuring dinosaurs.

The creator of the children`s song 'Baby Shark', which has become a global phenomenon, says the firm is eyeing the Chinese market, where the tune did not quite catch on, with a brand new character featuring dinosaurs. The popular song about a family of sharks has been a rallying cry at Lebanese anti-government protests, played at the White House and praised by President Donald Trump and become the unofficial anthem of the baseball World Series champions Washington Nationals. It has also prompted parodies and a dance craze. The co-founder and the chief financial officer of the South Korean publisher behind the viral song and video, the fifth-most viewed all time on YouTube, said it is targeting China next to make sure that it doesn't end a one-hit-wonder. "Who would have thought sharks could become this popular?" Ryan Lee of SmartStudy told Reuters in an interview. "Children who like dinosaurs definitely exist around the world, but there`s no brand name attached to them." The Baby Shark song, which has had 3.9 billion views on YouTube, is an under copyright to SmartStudy, a South Korean company that is planning an IPO. Lee said the company sees the song to Baby Shark as "evergreen content". It is planning a Baby Shark-themed animated TV series with the Nickelodeon television network. For Asia's fourth-largest but maturing economy, the so-called kid's industry has been a bright spot with a five-fold growth to 40 trillion won $34.3 billion in revenue in 2017 from 2002, according to eBEST Investment & Securities, even though it's birth rate is one of the lowest in the world. SmartStudy sees the limitation of the domestic market and is eyeing China, where the absence of YouTube, and the clunky local word for shark, did little for Baby Shark's appeal. Dinosaurs, on the other hand, will be a different story, Lee said, citing China's active research into the reptiles as a sign of great interest. Children’s 'Baby Shark' song goes viral, tops UK charts "China is not an easy market, but there's no market more attractive other than China. More than a billion people speaking a single language and this is a country that evolved into a market from a factory." SmartStudy eventually plans an initial public offering, the company said, hoping to capitalise on its 2019 sales projected at more than 60 billion won, eight times the figure five years ago. Lee said the timing and location of the planned listing had not been decided yet although the company had picked South Korea’s Mirae Asset Daewoo as its IPO underwriter earlier this year. Backed by Baby Shark`s popularity, shares of Samsung Publishing, SmartStudy`s second-top shareholder, have jumped 60% this year, versus the wider market`s 4% rise.

Beyond Baby Shark: creator of viral hit eyes China with dinosaurs

Many attendees to the economic summit of the ongoing China Development Forum are bullish about the Chinese economy and believe that it will continue to be a key driver of the global economy.

The three-day China Development Forum, which opened Saturday, focuses on key issues such as the supply-side structural reform, new measures of proactive fiscal policy, and the opening-up of the financial sector and financial stability.

More than 50 officials from the Chinese central government departments and over 150 overseas delegates have participated in the forum, including 96 executives from the world's leading companies and nearly 30 globally well-known scholars.

China has set its GDP growth target for 2019 at between six per cent and 6.5 per cent, according to the annual Government Work Report delivered by Premier Li Keqiang at the opening meeting of the second session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing.

The target is lower than last year's goal of around 6.5 per cent, as the country pursues higher-quality development amid mounting uncertainties in the international economic landscape. And experts believe that China will continue to be a key contributor to the world economic growth.

"Though the target of China's economic growth rate is a little bit lower, the economic quality will improve in exchange. Besides, China's influence on the world economy is still growing. In the past ten years, the Chinese economy contributed about 30 to 50 per cent of the world economic growth. Such a figure was stood at 50 per cent in 2009 and is expected to reach up to 30 per cent this year. So China is still an important impetus for the world economic growth," said Zhu Min, Chairman of the National Institute of Financial Research of Tsinghua University.

"We're always looking for opportunities in China. And so we look at China as very investable, and we have funds available. China will continue to occupy a major growth role in the global economy," said Stephen Allen Schwarzman, CEO of the Blackstone Group, a global private equity firm.

A similar idea is also shared by Liu Shijin, deputy director of the Economic Committee of the National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

"China has always been a key force in promoting economic globalisation. That's not only because China has provided the world with more opportunities in trade investment and technology after its opening-up, but also because it will become an important and active force in improving the structure of global governance," said Liu.

Many businessmen also expressed their willingness to invest in China as the country is pursuing high-level opening-up of its financial sector.

"I think China has to be really commended in the way that it's managed that path of economic growth, and it's been very successful as we have seen over really a very long term now. I think as we go forward from here, what's been interesting is to see how many more areas China is willing and indeed leading the way in terms of developing new thinking internally, which has become very attractive to external investors," said Anne Richards, chief executive officer of Fidelity International, a company that provides investment management services.

"We are always investing in the market place, and we do it through a variety of ways. We have a physical location, a massive manufacturing facility, already in place, but we continue to invest through innovation and through building up our partnerships in the market place so that we can increase our approach to the consumers, to the market place and our operational support. So we continue to invest and see great potential in the market here in China. And we are going to do our best to compete in the market place," said Doug DeVos, co-chairman of the board of directors of Amway, one of the world's leading direct selling companies.

Many attendees to the economic summit of the ongoing China Development Forum are bullish about the Chinese economy and believe that it will continue to be a key driver of the global economy.

Many attendees to the economic summit of the ongoing China Development Forum are bullish about the Chinese economy and believe that it will continue to be a key driver of the global economy. The three-day China Development Forum, which opened Saturday, focuses on key issues such as the supply-side structural reform, new measures of proactive fiscal policy, and the opening-up of the financial sector and financial stability. More than 50 officials from the Chinese central government departments and over 150 overseas delegates have participated in the forum, including 96 executives from the world's leading companies and nearly 30 globally well-known scholars. China has set its GDP growth target for 2019 at between six per cent and 6.5 per cent, according to the annual Government Work Report delivered by Premier Li Keqiang at the opening meeting of the second session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing. The target is lower than last year's goal of around 6.5 per cent, as the country pursues higher-quality development amid mounting uncertainties in the international economic landscape. And experts believe that China will continue to be a key contributor to the world economic growth. "Though the target of China's economic growth rate is a little bit lower, the economic quality will improve in exchange. Besides, China's influence on the world economy is still growing. In the past ten years, the Chinese economy contributed about 30 to 50 per cent of the world economic growth. Such a figure was stood at 50 per cent in 2009 and is expected to reach up to 30 per cent this year. So China is still an important impetus for the world economic growth," said Zhu Min, Chairman of the National Institute of Financial Research of Tsinghua University. "We're always looking for opportunities in China. And so we look at China as very investable, and we have funds available. China will continue to occupy a major growth role in the global economy," said Stephen Allen Schwarzman, CEO of the Blackstone Group, a global private equity firm. A similar idea is also shared by Liu Shijin, deputy director of the Economic Committee of the National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. "China has always been a key force in promoting economic globalisation. That's not only because China has provided the world with more opportunities in trade investment and technology after its opening-up, but also because it will become an important and active force in improving the structure of global governance," said Liu. Many businessmen also expressed their willingness to invest in China as the country is pursuing high-level opening-up of its financial sector. "I think China has to be really commended in the way that it's managed that path of economic growth, and it's been very successful as we have seen over really a very long term now. I think as we go forward from here, what's been interesting is to see how many more areas China is willing and indeed leading the way in terms of developing new thinking internally, which has become very attractive to external investors," said Anne Richards, chief executive officer of Fidelity International, a company that provides investment management services. "We are always investing in the market place, and we do it through a variety of ways. We have a physical location, a massive manufacturing facility, already in place, but we continue to invest through innovation and through building up our partnerships in the market place so that we can increase our approach to the consumers, to the market place and our operational support. So we continue to invest and see great potential in the market here in China. And we are going to do our best to compete in the market place," said Doug DeVos, co-chairman of the board of directors of Amway, one of the world's leading direct selling companies.

China continues to be key driver of global economy: Experts

An Indian startup is turning its attention towards usurping the West's largest hotel chains after establishing itself as India's biggest player and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/south-asia-losing-faith-china-169123">shaking up the Chinese market</a>.

Oyo Rooms, which specialises in no-frills accommodation, was only formed in 2013 but is already worth an estimated $5 billion after receiving funding from international venture capitalists.

The app-based company has quickly become India's largest hotel firm by number of rooms and one of the biggest in China as it pursues an aggressive expansion abroad.&nbsp;

Oyo, as it is commonly called, entered the British market in September and is eyeing other European countries, fuelled by money from Japanese group SoftBank and America's Sequoia Capital.&nbsp;

"We are seeing great results in all our global markets and are growing aggressively in London," Oyo's founder, 25-year-old Ritesh Agarwal, told AFP.&nbsp;

"We will definitely consider expanding into the broader European region," he added in the telephone interview.

Oyo teams up with owners of budget hotels to help connect them with tourists looking for cheap but clean accommodation that meets certain hygiene standards.

Oyo staff carry out inspections of hotels. If they are deemed to be up to scratch then they are made available for booking on Oyo's website and mobile app.

Many offer hot water, free wifi and regular laundry services for as little as 1,800 rupees ($25) a night, well below what mid and high-range hotels charge.

The startup takes a commission for facilitating bookings while the hotels often small, independent ventures are re-branded as an "Oyo hotel".

The company's distinctive red and white logo has been put up outside thousands of Indian hotels across the vast Asian country over the past five years.

Those signs could soon become omnipresent across Europe's main cities, unsettling major hotel chains like Marriott International if Agarwal has his way.

"We want to bring quality affordable spaces for travellers and help neighbourhood hotels beat the big hotel chains," he said.

"Small asset owners are finding it hard to survive while the big hotel companies are continuing to win in every neighbourhood.&nbsp;

"We want to lead and empower those small franchise owners and make sure that they thrive," Agarwal added.

Growth&nbsp;

The entrepreneur, now one of India's youngest billionaires, founded Oyo when he was just 19 years old.&nbsp;

He had seen enough dingy hotels promising services that they didn't offer to know that there was a gap in the market for a company that would give accommodation a stamp of approval.

It started with a tie-up in New Delhi and now vouchers for 164,000 hotel rooms in India and 180,000 in China.

Oyo claims it has broken into China's top 10 hotel chains since entering in October 2017 and announced last month that it was investing $600 million there to bolster operations further.

Oyo received $1 billion in funding from a consortium of investors led by SoftBank in September this year, increasing its valuation five-fold and making it one of India's wealthiest startups.

Oyo also operates in Nepal, Malaysia, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates and could feasibly stake a claim to be the world's fastest-growing hotel chain.

The company has been on a hiring spree and recently appointed the former chief of budget Indian airline IndiGo Aditya Ghosh as its new CEO to lead its forays into new markets.

It is also tying up with more upmarket properties through its Oyo Townhouse project.

Analysts warn that Oyo could be in danger of overstretching itself if it continues to grow at the same pace.

"(Their) key challenge is to ensure a level of services and maintaining quality over a period of time, especially during the fast growth stage with a lean team," Bhairav Dalal, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, told AFP.&nbsp;

Their expansion hasn't been welcomed by everyone in India.

Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India, claimed to AFP that Oyo was involved in "predatory pricing" while plenty of users have left negative comments about some of the hotels online.&nbsp;

Agarwal insists he always welcomes criticism and feedback.

"We have had many good and bad days and in time we have been able to learn and improve and not just improve incrementally but become a market leader," he said.

An Indian startup is turning its attention towards usurping the West's largest hotel chains after establishing itself as India's biggest player and shaking up the Chinese market.

An Indian startup is turning its attention towards usurping the West's largest hotel chains after establishing itself as India's biggest player and shaking up the Chinese market. Oyo Rooms, which specialises in no-frills accommodation, was only formed in 2013 but is already worth an estimated $5 billion after receiving funding from international venture capitalists. The app-based company has quickly become India's largest hotel firm by number of rooms and one of the biggest in China as it pursues an aggressive expansion abroad. Oyo, as it is commonly called, entered the British market in September and is eyeing other European countries, fuelled by money from Japanese group SoftBank and America's Sequoia Capital. "We are seeing great results in all our global markets and are growing aggressively in London," Oyo's founder, 25-year-old Ritesh Agarwal, told AFP. "We will definitely consider expanding into the broader European region," he added in the telephone interview. Oyo teams up with owners of budget hotels to help connect them with tourists looking for cheap but clean accommodation that meets certain hygiene standards. Oyo staff carry out inspections of hotels. If they are deemed to be up to scratch then they are made available for booking on Oyo's website and mobile app. Many offer hot water, free wifi and regular laundry services for as little as 1,800 rupees ($25) a night, well below what mid and high-range hotels charge. The startup takes a commission for facilitating bookings while the hotels often small, independent ventures are re-branded as an "Oyo hotel". The company's distinctive red and white logo has been put up outside thousands of Indian hotels across the vast Asian country over the past five years. Those signs could soon become omnipresent across Europe's main cities, unsettling major hotel chains like Marriott International if Agarwal has his way. "We want to bring quality affordable spaces for travellers and help neighbourhood hotels beat the big hotel chains," he said. "Small asset owners are finding it hard to survive while the big hotel companies are continuing to win in every neighbourhood. "We want to lead and empower those small franchise owners and make sure that they thrive," Agarwal added. Growth The entrepreneur, now one of India's youngest billionaires, founded Oyo when he was just 19 years old. He had seen enough dingy hotels promising services that they didn't offer to know that there was a gap in the market for a company that would give accommodation a stamp of approval. It started with a tie-up in New Delhi and now vouchers for 164,000 hotel rooms in India and 180,000 in China. Oyo claims it has broken into China's top 10 hotel chains since entering in October 2017 and announced last month that it was investing $600 million there to bolster operations further. Oyo received $1 billion in funding from a consortium of investors led by SoftBank in September this year, increasing its valuation five-fold and making it one of India's wealthiest startups. Oyo also operates in Nepal, Malaysia, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates and could feasibly stake a claim to be the world's fastest-growing hotel chain. The company has been on a hiring spree and recently appointed the former chief of budget Indian airline IndiGo Aditya Ghosh as its new CEO to lead its forays into new markets. It is also tying up with more upmarket properties through its Oyo Townhouse project. Analysts warn that Oyo could be in danger of overstretching itself if it continues to grow at the same pace. "(Their) key challenge is to ensure a level of services and maintaining quality over a period of time, especially during the fast growth stage with a lean team," Bhairav Dalal, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, told AFP. Their expansion hasn't been welcomed by everyone in India. Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India, claimed to AFP that Oyo was involved in "predatory pricing" while plenty of users have left negative comments about some of the hotels online. Agarwal insists he always welcomes criticism and feedback. "We have had many good and bad days and in time we have been able to learn and improve and not just improve incrementally but become a market leader," he said.

After shaking up China, India's Oyo eyes European markets

Asian markets mostly rose Monday as traders look ahead to a key meeting of the Federal Reserve, and a Chinese policy-setting conference this week.

However, there is still caution on trading floors after Friday's sharp sell-off fuelled by concerns over China's economy, and despite a tweet from Donald Trump suggesting a trade deal could be hammered out between Washington and Beijing.

While there are signs the world's top two economies are beginning to move towards a resolution in their bitter tariffs spat, there are increasing concerns about the global outlook following another dour set of indicators out of China.

A string of below-par readings this year have highlighted a slowdown in the Asian giant and observers are forecasting leaders will unveil fresh measures to pep up the economy, which is on course for another year of relatively weak growth.

A speech from President Xi Jinping to mark 40 years since China's economy began opening up will be closely followed Tuesday, and that is expected to be followed by a start of a conference setting out the country's 2019 economic plan.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

"We should expect a raft of stimulus measures from China policymakers in an attempt to stabilise the domestic economy," said Stephen Innes, head of Asia-Pacific trade at OANDA.

The Fed will conclude its rate-setting policy meeting Wednesday and while expectations are for another hike in borrowing costs, comments from chairman Jerome Powell will be closely watched for an idea of its plans for 2019.

In light of the China-US trade row and signs of weakness in the global economy, the bank has sounded a little more dovish in recent weeks, fuelling speculation it will slow down its pace of rate hikes -- which has provided some much-needed support to equities.

"The upcoming (Fed) meeting and China's policy-setting meeting, have been the most actively discussed topics around the markets," Innes added.&nbsp; 
"And both events have a smoothing effect on risk sentiment."&nbsp;

In early business, Hong rose 0.2 per cent, Shanghai edged up 0.1 per cent and Tokyo finished the morning 0.8 per cent higher while Sydney put on 0.5 per cent and Singapore jumped 1.3 per cent.

Seoul added 0.2 per cent and Taipei gained 0.3 per cent but Wellington lost 0.3 per cent.

Steve Goldman, fund manager at Kapstream Capital, told Bloomberg TV in Sydney that "we're going to see a lot of volatility" in the new year because of global uncertainty.

Hopes that China and the US can reach a deal to end their trade war were given a boost by Trump Friday, when he tweeted: "China wants to make a big and very comprehensive deal. It could happen, and rather soon!"&nbsp;

That came after China earlier in the day backed off fresh levies imposed this summer on US-made cars and auto parts.

While a full-blown deal is some way off, the developments have provided some hope to dealers.

On currency markets the pound remains bogged down around 20-month lows as Prime Minister Theresa May struggles to win concessions from EU leaders over her

Brexit agreement, which a majority of lawmakers in Westminster oppose.

Facing growing calls for another referendum to break the deadlock, May is expected to tell MPs that such a move will do "irreparable damage" to British politics.

However, with her agreement all but dead in the water, there is a growing expectation Britain will leave the EU without a deal, which commentators warn could hammer the British economy.

Asian markets mostly rose Monday as traders look ahead to a key meeting of the Federal Reserve, and a Chinese policy-setting conference this week. However, there is still caution on trading floors after Friday's sharp sell-off fuelled by concerns over China's economy, and despite a tweet from Donald Trump suggesting a trade deal could be hammered out between Washington and Beijing.

Asian markets mostly rose Monday as traders look ahead to a key meeting of the Federal Reserve, and a Chinese policy-setting conference this week. However, there is still caution on trading floors after Friday's sharp sell-off fuelled by concerns over China's economy, and despite a tweet from Donald Trump suggesting a trade deal could be hammered out between Washington and Beijing. While there are signs the world's top two economies are beginning to move towards a resolution in their bitter tariffs spat, there are increasing concerns about the global outlook following another dour set of indicators out of China. A string of below-par readings this year have highlighted a slowdown in the Asian giant and observers are forecasting leaders will unveil fresh measures to pep up the economy, which is on course for another year of relatively weak growth. A speech from President Xi Jinping to mark 40 years since China's economy began opening up will be closely followed Tuesday, and that is expected to be followed by a start of a conference setting out the country's 2019 economic plan. "We should expect a raft of stimulus measures from China policymakers in an attempt to stabilise the domestic economy," said Stephen Innes, head of Asia-Pacific trade at OANDA. The Fed will conclude its rate-setting policy meeting Wednesday and while expectations are for another hike in borrowing costs, comments from chairman Jerome Powell will be closely watched for an idea of its plans for 2019. In light of the China-US trade row and signs of weakness in the global economy, the bank has sounded a little more dovish in recent weeks, fuelling speculation it will slow down its pace of rate hikes -- which has provided some much-needed support to equities. "The upcoming (Fed) meeting and China's policy-setting meeting, have been the most actively discussed topics around the markets," Innes added. "And both events have a smoothing effect on risk sentiment." In early business, Hong rose 0.2 per cent, Shanghai edged up 0.1 per cent and Tokyo finished the morning 0.8 per cent higher while Sydney put on 0.5 per cent and Singapore jumped 1.3 per cent. Seoul added 0.2 per cent and Taipei gained 0.3 per cent but Wellington lost 0.3 per cent. Steve Goldman, fund manager at Kapstream Capital, told Bloomberg TV in Sydney that "we're going to see a lot of volatility" in the new year because of global uncertainty. Hopes that China and the US can reach a deal to end their trade war were given a boost by Trump Friday, when he tweeted: "China wants to make a big and very comprehensive deal. It could happen, and rather soon!" That came after China earlier in the day backed off fresh levies imposed this summer on US-made cars and auto parts. While a full-blown deal is some way off, the developments have provided some hope to dealers. On currency markets the pound remains bogged down around 20-month lows as Prime Minister Theresa May struggles to win concessions from EU leaders over her Brexit agreement, which a majority of lawmakers in Westminster oppose. Facing growing calls for another referendum to break the deadlock, May is expected to tell MPs that such a move will do "irreparable damage" to British politics. However, with her agreement all but dead in the water, there is a growing expectation Britain will leave the EU without a deal, which commentators warn could hammer the British economy.

Asian markets mostly up ahead of key meetings in China and US

The price of goods at the factory gate rose in China for the first time in more than four years in September, officials said on Friday, in a positive sign for demand in the world&#39;s second-largest economy.

The producer price index (PPI) rose 0.1 per cent year-on-year in the month, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, adding it &quot;ended 54 consecutive months of year-on-year falls&quot;.

Chinese firms have for years been battered by falling prices for their goods in the face of chronic overcapacity and weak demand, putting a damper on growth in a key driver of the world economy. &nbsp;

Protracted drops in PPI bode ill for industrial prospects and economic growth, as they put off customers, who seek to delay purchases in anticipation of cheaper deals in future, starving companies of business and funds.

September&#39;s increase was the first rise since January 2012 and came in ahead of expectations of a 0.3 per cent fall in a survey of economists by Bloomberg News.

The consumer price index, a key gauge of retail inflation, rose 1.9 per cent, also above expectations of 1.6 per cent.

China expanded last year at its slowest rate in a quarter of a century as Beijing strives to effect a difficult transition from reliance on exports and fixed-asset investment to an economy driven by consumers.

(AFP)

The producer price index rose 0.1%, ending 54 consecutive months of year-on-year falls

The price of goods at the factory gate rose in China for the first time in more than four years in September, officials said on Friday, in a positive sign for demand in the world's second-largest economy. The producer price index (PPI) rose 0.1 per cent year-on-year in the month, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, adding it "ended 54 consecutive months of year-on-year falls". Chinese firms have for years been battered by falling prices for their goods in the face of chronic overcapacity and weak demand, putting a damper on growth in a key driver of the world economy. Protracted drops in PPI bode ill for industrial prospects and economic growth, as they put off customers, who seek to delay purchases in anticipation of cheaper deals in future, starving companies of business and funds. September's increase was the first rise since January 2012 and came in ahead of expectations of a 0.3 per cent fall in a survey of economists by Bloomberg News. The consumer price index, a key gauge of retail inflation, rose 1.9 per cent, also above expectations of 1.6 per cent. China expanded last year at its slowest rate in a quarter of a century as Beijing strives to effect a difficult transition from reliance on exports and fixed-asset investment to an economy driven by consumers. (AFP)

First rise in China producer prices in over 4 years: Officials

china-market

China Market, News on China Market, stories on China Market, articles on China Market, China Market stories at Wion, China Market news, China Market latest news

china market