The Asia Eight

Daily must-reads from the world’s most dynamic region

November 30, 2020

1 TOP STORY: China concern prompts EU to reset US ties

2 ATF BIG PICTURE: SPACs are huge and getting bigger

3 ASIA MARKETS: Nikkei 225, HSI and CSI300 drop

4 NEWS: China factory PMI data surges to 3-year high

5 COMMENT: Much is at stake in China's debt markets

6 NEWS: China banks on hydrogen - but how green is it?

7 NEWS: UK to hasten ban on use of Huawei equipment

8 ATF TV: Broad implications of Ant's postponed IPO

01 Top Story EU takes new stance on China ties

Donald Trump’s loss of the presidency has given the EU the impetus to reset relations with the US as it struggles to deal with the rise of China.

02 ATF Big Picture SPAC domination of IPOs

03 Asia Markets

Nikkei 225 declines 0.8% to 26,433.62; Hang Seng Index falls 2.1% to 26,341.49; CSI300 drops 0.5% to 3,391.76

04 Factory PMIs up

China's factory activity expanded at the fastest pace in more than three years in November as the country's economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic stepped up.

05 Comment China debt market gamble

China’s authorities are laser-focused on a grand plan to rev up foreign investment in the debt market to ease pressure on its banks; market watchers are calling for foreign best-practice standards, but authorities are already acting on that.

06 Green hydrogen

China is the world's largest producer, but it makes hydrogen by burning coal and uses it for industrial and chemical processes; it should consider 'green hydrogen' made via renewables and allocate it to other energy needs.

07 UK turns the screw

A proposed parliamentary bill aims to hasten the deadline for when the UK’s telecom companies must stop using Huawei equipment.

08 ATF TV Ant in focus

Ant Financial’s pulled IPO has been shelved indefinitely, ATF has exclusively reported. ATF Executive Editor Umesh Desai speaks to ATF TV about the implications of the decision.

Read the ATF Exclusive