The Asia Eight

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

December 30, 2020

1 TOP STORY: China fossil fuel discovery record

2 ATF BIG PICTURE: US economy to be eclipsed sooner

3 ATF TV: Huge potential of China bonds market

4 ASIA MARKETS: HSI, CSI300 climb; Nikkei 225 falls

5 NEWS: 2,000 SOEs 'turned around', says China

6 NEWS: Pompeo wins battle to extend sanctions

7 NEWS: Bitcoin surges to record $28,600

8 COMMENT: Poole on Point - China's recovery

01 Top Story Bumper year for Chinese oil and gas

Given President Xi Jinping's pledge in September that China would become carbon neutral before 2060, the country needs to slow the growth of new coal-fired power plants

02 The ATF Big Picture

03 ATF TV China bonds offer huge potential

Jean-Charles Sambor, head of emerging markets fixed income at BNP Paribas, looks over China's bond market

04 Asia Markets

HSI climbs 2.2% to 27,147.11, CSI300 adds 1.1% to 3.414.45; Nikkei 225 drops 0.5% to 27,444.17;

05 SOE 'turnaround'

Sasac's vice-chairman says nearly 5,000 professional managers were brought in to restructure ailing firms by reducing head-counts and trimming management layers

06 Pompeo extends ban

US Secretary of State won an internal battle in the Trump administration to toughen an executive order banning US investors from buying securities of Chinese military-linked companies; the proposed order will now apply to ETFs and index funds

07 Bitcoin's record jump

Cryptocurrency reaches $28,600 as 2020 rally scales new heights; demand driven by expectations the digital coin will become a mainstream means of payment

08 Comment

"China’s recovery has progressed against the backdrop of tense US-China relations. That backdrop will improve as Donald Trump’s administration gives way to president-elect Joe Biden in 2021. The new administration will continue to pressure China on key areas."

ATF columnist Isaac Poole

Poole on Point