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ATF China Bond 50 Index

Jack Ma under pressure to sell control of Ant, sources claim

Sources have alleged that Chinese regulators want the Alibaba founder to divest control of his companies and a new owner they consent to; But Ant denies it is exploring ways to help their founder sell out

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The eight must-reads from the world's most dynamic region

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*Isaac Poole: The increasing importance of ESG in China***

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Technology Apr 16

US 'China hawks' urge Huawei treatment for other firms

Republicans tell Commerce Secretary that rule requiring a special licence to sell advanced semiconductors should apply to any Chinese company

Asia News Apr 16

Mining gets green light as Duterte tries to kickstart economy

Controversial move aims to boost Philippines' revenue and follows landmark law that slashes corporate income tax in stimulus for pandemic-ravaged country

Asia News Apr 16

Citibank to dump Asia consumer business as earnings soar

Global lender to close about 200 branches in China, India and other regional markets although announcement is not expected to have an immediate effect

Asia News Apr 16

Japan manufacturers' optimism hits two-year high on strong demand

Companies highlight uncertainty about global economic outlook and cite problems with sourcing materials for production, in a sign of patchy recovery from pandemic

Indian small traders fight back Amazon, Walmart-Flipkart

Asia News Apr 16

Indian small traders fighting back against Amazon, Walmart-Flipkart

Small Indian businesses protested against large foreign retailers like Amazon in a sign of escalating tensions between smaller Indian traders and global e-commerce giants

China central bank paper calls for liberalisation of childbirth

Culture Apr 16

China central bank paper proposes full liberalisation of childbirth

Research paper says the country should “vigorously encourage” childbearing, otherwise the working age population will drop by 15% by 2050

Renewables gain global momentum, but coal in Asia the key concern

Asia News Apr 15

Renewables gain global momentum, but coal in Asia still the key concern

More than 260 GW of renewable energy capacity was added globally in 2020, beating the previous record by nearly 50%, according to a new study; More than 80% of new electricity capacity added last year was renewable, but coal remains a sticking point in Asia

Aviation and Transportation Apr 15

LG Chem powers into US with second battery factory

New plant would provide much-needed domestic production of advanced power cells as China supplied nearly half of US lithium-ion imports in last quarter of 2020

International News Apr 15

China faces uphill climate battle as Kerry arrives for talks

US climate envoy visits amid tense relations between Beijing and Washington over host of issues but says areas of potential regional cooperation hold key to success

ATF China Bond 50 Index Apr 15

Bonds climb on Tencent sale, BNY Mellon collateral decisions

Investors welcome news as nod of approval for Chinese fixed income, outweighs SOE declines on Huarong concern

Coinbase settles at $86bn value on Nasdaq, helping bitcoin hit new record

Digital Finance Apr 15

Coinbase settles at $86bn value on Nasdaq, bitcoin touches new record

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase settled at $86 billion after touching $112 billion in its Nasdaq debut, while bitcoin hit a new high near $65,000 before also easing

Asia News Apr 15

Second Covid wave dents India’s rebound but analysts hopeful

The new wave of lockdowns and curfews to tackle the soaring resurgence of Covid in India will hit the dramatic recovery seen over the past two quarters, but the country is tipped to emerge with less repercussions than the first wave once vaccinations progress

Technology Apr 13

Jiangxi province leads China in rare-earth magnet breakthrough

JL Mag Rare-earth Co in Ganzhou has developed a 'grain boundary diffusion' technology that can improve the performance of magnets by 20-30% while reducing the consumption of heavy rare earth elements by 50%, China's state TV has reported

The ATF Big Picture

The US President seeks routes to ending financial graft. Here are some methods he could use

Riding a wave of anti-money laundering momentum, will the US president from Delaware deliver on his pledges to tackle tax havens and make the wealthy pay more? Brenda Medina reports.

China Business Apr 15

Cash-rich Xiaomi determined to boost its share price

CEO Lei Jun says it has up to HK$10 billion to fund stock repurchases; while legal case continues in the US over the group's controversial inclusion on a US Defence Dept list as a 'military-linked company'

Aviation and Transportation Apr 15

Xpeng’s stock value loses power despite new EV model launch

The Chinese EV maker, touted as a future rival to Tesla, has been showing off its all-singing, all-dancing latest high-tech model, the P5, but that didn’t help its share price

Markets Apr 14

Huarong panic may prompt China sovereign wealth fund move

Concern spreads about spillover from a Huarong Asset Management failure, prompting speculation that China’s sovereign wealth fund may step in with support

Asia News Apr 14

Walmart-Flipkart forms a ‘deadly trio’ with Adani

India's fastest rising billionaire, Gautam Adani, has joined Walmart and Flipkart in the fight for supremacy in India's online shopping market, in a bid to offer a serious challenge to Amazon and Mukesh Ambani

Australia’s green pivot helped by another large offshore wind project

Asia News Apr 14

Australia’s green pivot helped by another big offshore wind project

UK-based developer Australis Energy is planning a 300MW wind farm in Geographe Bay in Western Australia; renewables are projected to supply over 30% of the country’s power this year and 55% by 2030, a Federal government report released in December said

Digital Finance Apr 14

Crypto sector tops $2 trillion in value despite scepticism

Bitcoin is among digital currencies seen to rival or potentially surpass gold as a haven investment, despite its volatility and limitations as a means of payment

Asia News Apr 14

Biden sends delegation to Taiwan as supply chain looms large

Senator and former deputy secretaries of state set to land in Taipei in move that will annoy China but also signify island's importance to US and global infrastructure

Toshiba CEO resigns after storm over a $20-billion buyout bid

Asia News Apr 14

Toshiba CEO resigns after storm over $20-billion buyout bid

Nobuaki Kurumatani steps down amid controversy over private buyout bid from CVC Capital Partners, his former employer; shares rise on reports that KKR & Co and Brookfield are also planning offers

Huawei says its first self-driving car surpasses Tesla

Aviation and Transportation Apr 14

Huawei says its first self-driving car 'HI' surpasses Tesla

Chinese tech giant will partner with 3 carmakers on electric vehicles with autonomous driving capacity; first 'HI' model to be unveiled at Shanghai this weekend; Huawei chief said panic over US sanctions led to stockpiling of chips and the current global shortage

International News Apr 14

Suez Canal chiefs’ $916m damages claim could run aground too

Insurers of the now dislodged Ever Given say the canal operator’s huge claim is ‘largely unsupported’ but say they are committed to striking a deal and allowing the ship to finish its journey

China Business Apr 14

Time to upgrade! China clicks 'agree' on tech sector evolution

A new nationwide industrial quality brand has been launched as part of the ‘intelligent transformation’ of the country’s high-tech brands

Asia News Apr 14

Grab Holdings confirms $40 billion SPAC record

Singapore's Grab Holdings has confirmed that its planned record SPAC merger will go ahead; food delivery market tipped to explode

ATF TV New bill hoped to revive India ailing manufacturing sector

Can India revitalise its manufacturing industry? The government thinks so and has announced an incentive to do that. Shubhada Rao, founder of QuantEco Research, assesses the prospects.

Asia News

India looks to infrastructure for economic multiplier effect

The country needs proper funding bodies for its infrastructure projects, which is why there is hope this gap will be filled by the proposed National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development, economic adviser Shubhada Rao says
Covid-19

India acts to head off its looming vaccine supply crisis

Panicked by impending shortages, New Delhi has banned the export of anti-viral drug Remdesivir and approved Russia’s Sputnik jab in a hurry

International News Apr 13

Biden vows action on semiconductor shortage, citing China threat

President says US must build up its own infrastructure to prevent future supply crises as Intel chief executive pledges to boost domestic chipmaking

China Business Apr 13

Ant rejig cools investor appetite for revived IPO

Chinese regulators warned more than 30 internet platforms on Tuesday to stop using practices banned under the country's new anti-monopoly laws, such as forcing vendors to use their platform exclusively

China Business Apr 13

Beer festival city Qingdao toasts 226.5bn yuan investment inflow

The cash is going to be pouring into the coastal city after 63 key modernisation projects were announced to help modernise its manufacturing and service sectors

Asia News Apr 13

Hyundai execs face insider trading probe after Apple talks

South Korea's regulator is investigating a number of trades made by the motor firm’s chiefs following the firm’s ultimately curtailed auto-vehicle discussions

China Business Apr 13

South China Sea tensions spike, as oil and gas drilling continues

According to a US study in 2010, there is a 95% chance there is at least 750 million barrels of oil in the South China Sea platform and a median chance of around 2 billion barrels

Culture Apr 13

China to create hundreds of 'new' cities

China is set to rezone hundreds of areas currently classed as 'rural' or 'county' as cities; The move is likely to transform life for hundreds of millions of citizens because 'urban residents' receive far more access to services and benefits than those in rural areas

International News Apr 12

HSBC reaches deal with Huawei's Meng over dispute

Telecom giant's chief financial officer, who says she is innocent, sought publication of documents relating to her efforts to battle extradition from Canada to the US

Digital Finance Apr 13

Coinbase's Nasdaq IPO to make cryptocurrency history

Investors heartened by preliminary figures showing net revenue at $1.8 billion, which is almost twice as much as Euronext revenue in all of 2020

Asia News Apr 12

Kerry meets Modi, vows funds to help India shift to clean energy

Climate envoy John Kerry said the US would help India mobilise finance for 'clean and green' power sources and help the country to reduce its carbon emissions and its dependence on coal

CATL takes $137m stake in Congo’s Kisanfu copper-cobalt mine

China Business Apr 12

CATL takes $137m stake in Kisanfu copper-cobalt mine

Investment in Democratic Republic of Congo mine gives battery maker access to one of the world’s largest undeveloped sources of cobalt, an expensive metal it needs for its EV batteries; Cobalt prices are up more than 50% this year on surging demand

Markets Apr 12

Charlie Munger’s Daily Journal added Alibaba to his portfolio

Warren Buffett's deputy at Berkshire Hathaway appears to have made a healthy gain after buying 165,000 shares in the Chinese tech giant while the price was down in recent months; HK shares of Alibaba jumped 9% today

International News Apr 12

China no longer the US’ top trading partner

Mexico ousts world’s second-largest economy in first two months of the year; China expected to regain position by end of 2021

Comment and Opinion Apr 12

China scolds its reckless corporate borrowers: No more debt for you!

Regulators have imposed 3 Red Lines for debt-laden giants like Evergrande in the property sector, while Beijing has made clear it will let weak local companies default or go bankrupt, as with HNA; others like Suning have been forced to sell non-core assets to cut debt to more responsible levels

Covid-19 Apr 12

Top scientist raises efficacy issues with Chinese Covid-19 vaccines

Overall success rate is just 50.7%, but rises to 62% if there is an interval of more than 21 days between doses, according to long-awaited Brazil report on phase 3 trial data

Economy Apr 12

China’s central bank releases first quarter data for 2021

'Broad' money (M2) grew by 9.4% and 'narrow' money (M1) expanded by 7.1% during the first three months of the year, the People's Bank of China says

Markets Apr 12

China tech startups favour Hong Kong over Mainland for IPOs

Prospective listers put off after the halting of Alibaba affiliate Ant Group's $37-billion float last year as HKEX vigorously promotes itself to 'new economy' candidates

Asia News Apr 11

Thais face biggest Covid wave, while Myanmar crisis intensifies

Thailand has set up field hospitals in Bangkok as it faces its most serious Covid advance; meanwhile, Fitch Solutions expects Myanmar's economy to shrink by at least 20% this fiscal year and says the political upheaval could cause the country to 'be ostracized like North Korea'

Aviation and Transportation Apr 11

Korean EV giants settle bitter trade secrets dispute in US

After losing a bid to win Volkswagen orders, LG Chem accused rival SK Innovation of stealing trade secrets by poaching nearly 80 of its employees

Markets Apr 11

Markets this week: Inflation outlook, vaccine progress key

Opening tone in Asia will be one of optimism after the S&P 500 and the Dow notch record closing highs on Friday as investors note yuan erased all 2021 gains against dollar

Digital Finance Apr 10

China regulator hits Alibaba with record $2.8 billion fine

Shares rise 2 days after antitrust body tells embattled internet group to strengthen its internal control compliance and ensure fair competition

Comment and Opinion Apr 11

China’s fast-growing onshore corporate bonds offer opportunities

Rising corporate default rates since 2016 and uncertainties in the post-default process have stymied foreign interest, while poor liquidity is another major challenge

Technology Apr 09

A glimpse at China's burgeoning edge cloud market

Equal Ocean report notes cloud computing industry growing rapidly and in China deepening digital transformation initiates new chapter with more accessible Internet

Technology Apr 09

US restricts trade with Chinese supercomputer centres

Washington targets machine once considered world's fastest and six others amid concern over their military applications; meanwhile, search engine Baidu fends off a lawsuit in California alleging it defrauded shareholders

China coal strategy hits importers and consumers, data show

China Business Apr 10

China's coal strategy hits importers and consumers, data show

Importers of foreign fuel have been facing higher costs, with prices for alternatives to supplies from Australia rising as the market adjusts to the unofficial ban

Technology Apr 10

Italy blocks Chinese company from taking over chip firm

Cabinet decision to veto acquisition frustrates Shenzhen Investment Holdings as semiconductor shortage continues to batter global technology sector

Asia News Apr 09

Pandemic and weather help coal reassert its dominance in India

Coal’s share of India’s electricity generation mix has risen to its highest in more than two years, reversing renewable energy's growth and setting back the world's second most populous country's hopes of a net zero future

Aviation and Transportation Apr 10

China faces challenge as Europe energises EV market

Mainland car sales soar for 12th consecutive month as Serbia and Spain join push to develop economic and manufacturing infrastructure

Technology Apr 09

US restricts trade with Chinese supercomputer centres

Washington targets machine once considered world's fastest and six others amid concern over their military applications; meanwhile, search engine Baidu fends off a lawsuit in California alleging it defrauded shareholders

China Business Apr 09

China’s $111 billion boost to Guangdong’s tourist industry

The southern sub-tropical region is to see major investment in its resorts, forests and coastline to lure even more visitors to the country’s holiday hotspot

Markets Apr 08

Trip.com to raise $1.4 billion in Hong Kong secondary listing

Travel booking site will become the fourth US-listed Chinese company to seek a secondary listing in Hong Kong; it is aiming to raise up to HK$10.5 billion ($1.4 billion) to fund an expansion of its offerings as travel rebounds within its home market

French energy giant caught in turmoil rocking Myanmar gas sector

Asia News Apr 07

French energy giant caught in turmoil shadowing Myanmar gas sector

Oil and gas major Total finds itself in the geopolitical crosshairs over its decision to remain in Myanmar while other corporate giants are pulling up stakes; it has also had to cancel a resumption of work at a $20bn gas project in Mozambique

HK challenge over defaulted SOE may impact foreign bond purchases

Bonds Apr 09

HK challenge over SOE default may impact foreign bond purchases

Examination of Chinese Keepwell deed protection agreements is hoped to shed light on the enforceability of so-called ‘letters of comfort’

Asia News Apr 07

CVC makes $18 billion offer to take Toshiba private

Proposal comes three weeks after shareholders approve independent probe into Japanese conglomerate hit by repeated accounting and governance scandals

Forex Comment Apr 07

China's central bank floats plan for yuan futures exchange market

A yuan exchange-rate futures market has long been a hot issue of concern to regulatory authorities, the business community and finance sector

Digital Finance Apr 07

China crypto sector battered by claims of fake sales, energy use

Short-seller Hindenburg Research attacks bitcoin equipment company Ebang over figures while new report says coal-intensive mining efforts could undo climate goals

Aviation and Transportation Apr 07

The panda now arriving on platform one is the 2021 service from Chongqing

Rail service themed on national mammalian mascot is among new infrastructure projects funded with money raised in Covid relief bond sales

Digital Finance Apr 07

Could a digital yuan dethrone the mighty US dollar?

China’s new blockchain-enabled currency has some Fed chiefs worried about a threat to the US currency’s dominance of world financial affairs – but others argue Beijing’s urge to control will scupper any global dreams

Thailand prepares for tourists who've had a Covid vaccine

Hotel workers in Phuket and local people in a handful of 'tourist provinces' will also be given the vaccine to boost faith that foreign visitors will be safe in those areas; Visitors who can show they had the 'jab' should be able to avoid undergoing quarantine if they arrive in the fourth quarter

More foreign firms suspend or cut ties with Myanmar military

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Covid outbreak in southern China, as troops mass on Myanmar border

The ATF Big Picture

Facing pressure at home, Chinese tech giants expand in Singapore

"Chinese tech companies are facing regulatory pressures and sanctions from governments in other countries, notably the US but also other nations such as India"

The Big Read International pushbacks threaten Amazon's worldwide ambitions

Amazon may find itself in hot water this week if votes, set to be counted in the coming days, lead to the creation of a union in the United States. It would cement a historic effort by its employees over a five month-long David vs Goliath campaign. Indrajit Basu examines the potential fallout worldwide.

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International News Apr 04

Iridium holds at record $6,000 on 5G and green hydrogen hopes

Iridium is holding on to its record price of $6,000 per ounce; as an investment it is outperforming bitcoin but 5G phones and green hydrogen prospects are driving long term demand

Comment and Opinion Apr 04

Assessing Investment Options in a low-yield world

Enhanced diversifiers and alternative growth strategies offer routes to returns

K-Pop star makers to buy Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande management

Culture Apr 04

K-Pop star makers to buy into Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande

BTS backer HYBE proposes to merge with Ithaca in $2bn deal; "This is an opportunity for us to make history”

Borrowing limits raised in changes to Asian financial safety net

Asia News Apr 03

Borrowing limits raised under changes to Asian financial safety net

The Chinese currency has a slightly bigger role after changes to the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilaterisation, a regional arrangement brought in after the Asian financial crisis in the late 90s; negative impacts from the Covid pandemic spurred a need to update the scheme

Comment and Opinion Apr 03

Navigating the new financial landscape

Investors must grapple with changing interest rate and inflation expectations

India reports record rise of daily coronavirus cases

Asia News Apr 06

India reports record rise in daily coronavirus cases

India's Covid numbers breached 100,000-a-day on Monday with new mutations playing havoc and politicians hosting huge election rallies

Myanmar heading for state collapse, ICG warns

Asia News Apr 02

Myanmar 'heading for state collapse' with banks and ports paralysed

Banks are barely operating, crippling domestic businesses, supply chains and trade; Ports also shut down by civil disobedience movement; food security collapsing, as threat of more conflict grows, International Crisis Group warns

China Business Apr 02

SMIC records first profit after listing on China’s tech board

Country's biggest chipmaker made a net profit of 1.7bn yuan ($259 million) last year, but has just raised prices 15-30% amid the global chip shortage

International News Apr 02

Vaccines, stimulus boost US jobs

Non-farm payrolls increase the most since August as biggest boom in decades looms

Technology Apr 02

China derails Applied Materials’ $3.5bn bid for Kokusai Electric

California chip gear maker fails to get approval from Chinese regulator for takeover of Japanese firm amid tension over semiconductors and Trump administration sanctions put on Huawei

Adani Group's share prices on a bull-run on MSCI-inclusion hopes

Asia News Apr 02

Adani Group shares continue to rally on MSCI-inclusion hopes

Gautam Adani-controlled Adani Group’s shares continued to be the biggest gainer on the bourses in the new FY amid a sharp surge in prices in a post-pandemic rally

International News Apr 01

SPACs and Covid spark M&A frenzy not seen since the dotcom boom

Deals worth $1.3tn were struck in the first quarter of 2021 in a year-to-date record driven by a number of mega deals and the surge in SPACs

Singapore cements arbitration venue dominance over Hong Kong

Asia News Apr 02

Singapore heads for arbitration dominance over Hong Kong

Dispute resolution venue hears a record 1,080 new cases in 2020, more than double the figure of the previous year, underscoring quiet push to become a regional hub for dispute negotiation hearings

Markets Apr 01

Singapore aims for tighter rules than US to attract SPAC listings

Stock market proposing to allow only independent shareholders to vote on merger proposals so sponsors won't be able to force decisions on business combinations

Aviation and Transportation Apr 01

Boeing urges US to separate China business and human rights

Chief executive expresses hope that intellectual property and other issues can be split so free trade environment between two economic juggernauts is encouraged

International News Apr 01

Global chip supply chain can’t take a punch, industry admits

The world’s semiconductor supply chain has become increasingly concentrated leaving it open to massive disruption from world events – natural and political – a study has found

Comment and Opinion Apr 01

The great cotton 'conspiracy'

Western retailers are being squeezed in an ethical debate over lucrative returns in the huge China market, or claims of forced labour, which China rejects; but geopolitical tension has risen because of other factors as well

International News Apr 01

Trillion dollar man: Biden unveils vast new jobs package

Republicans slam employment plans as 'far-left demands' after president plans to raise corporate taxes to 28% to help pay for projects that put millions of people in work

Aviation and Transportation Apr 01

China's Xiaomi to launch electric car business with $10bn investment

The company will set up an EV subsidiary and is pledging to invest $10 billion over the next 10 years in the business

Bonds Apr 01

China gets to grip with green bonds but net zero goal still way off

The world’s biggest emitter of carbon dioxide has surpassed the US this year in green bond issues but many more investors still don’t like the yields they offer

8 must-reads from the world's most dynamic region

The most important news, commentary, charts and TV that are moving markets in Asia today