China‘s growing influence on Hong Kong has triggered concerns and protests, but Beijing will want to keep the city politically stable given its economic importance to the mainland and appeal to Western firms looking to set up a base in the region, analysts said. “From Beijing’s perspective, Hong Kong is still very important as a […]
Read moreChina’s move to open up its fixed income market to foreign investors will eventually unleash “massive” demand for the mainland’s bonds, Charles Li, CEO of Hong Kong’s stock exchange, told CNBC on Friday. In May, regulators in Hong Kong and on the mainland approved a “bond connect” program to allow investors operating in Hong Kong […]
Read moreTwenty years ago, on the 30th of June 1997 the sovereignty of Hong Kong was reversed to China. Two days later, the devaluation of the Thai baht marked the start of the Asian crisis. At the time emerging markets (EM) assets had already underperformed developing markets (DM) assets for a number of years and the […]
Read moreThe U.S. Federal Reserve should defer on its rate hike agenda until concrete reforms emerge from Washington, according to one of its key policy makers. James Bullard, president of the St. Louis Federal Reserve, told CNBC Friday that weak data has undermined the Fed’s hawkish stance and the central bank should take a more reactionary […]
Read moreU.S. President Donald Trump will press South Korean President Moon Jae-in to solve trade differences over cars and steel in meetings in Washington focusing on the nuclear threat from North Korea. Concerns about the U.S. military’s THAAD missile defense system and China’s role in the region also are likely to come up in talks between […]
Read moreCurrency, United States Finance
UK Prime Minister May survives first test as government legislation passed
British Prime Minister Theresa May‘s Conservative minority government secured lawmakers’ backing for its legislative plans by a narrow margin Thursday, but only after making a sudden concession on abortion funding to stave off defeat. The House of Commons voted by 323 to 309 to approve last week’s Queen’s Speech, which laid out the government’s agenda […]
Read moreThe search for yield has turned many investors’ attention to emerging Asia, with China, India and Indonesia often featured as preferred investment picks. But Amundi Asset Management has thrown a surprising name into the hat: Singapore. Equities in the Southeast Asian city-state have outperformed many of their regional peers in the first half of 2017, […]
Read moreU.S. President Donald Trump‘s administration reversed a decision late on Thursday as its revised travel ban took effect and said fiancés would be considered close family members and therefore allowed to travel to the United States. The U.S. State Department concluded “upon further review, fiancés will now be included as close family members,” said a […]
Read moreQatar‘s central bank said on Friday it will guarantee all exchange transactions for customers inside and outside Qatar without delay, adding that all banks and foreign exchange companies are committed to trading the riyal as usual. The statement came after media reports said some exchange companies have stopped buying the Qatari riyal, which the central […]
Read moreThe United States plans to sell Taiwan $1.42 billion in arms, the first such sale under the administration of Donald Trump and a move sure to anger China, whose help the president has been seeking to rein in North Korea. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters the administration had told Congress of the […]
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