Le Journal

China’s most effective tool to revive consumption may be the simplest: a one-off distribution of 3,000 yuan (US$424) per person – funded by special sovereign bonds and valid for one year – could immediately lift demand, boost gross domestic product growth and help break the deflationary cycle that has taken hold since 2022. This proposal comes as China prepares to announce its 15th five-year plan, with policymakers expected to target around 5 per cent growth amid a sluggish post-pandemic...

The United States’ new ambassador to Singapore has come under fire for his remarks defending the 10 per cent tariff on the city state by framing it as the US seeking help from a friend after it had played an important role in Singapore’s economic miracle. Orthopaedic surgeon Anjani Sinha, who officially started his tenure on November 17, told government-funded local media outlet The Straits Times that the US was asking friends such as Singapore to help President Donald Trump “rebalance” and...

Roughly one-third of European companies in China affected by Beijing’s expanding export control regime intend to diversify their supply chains, with firms concerned about supply chain disruptions, long delivery delays and rising costs, a new survey has found. The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China found in a flash survey of 131 member companies that more than half expected to be hit by Chinese export controls, with the group calling for policymakers to find a long-term solution to...

The International Criminal Court’s ruling that Rodrigo Duterte is too politically connected to be trusted on interim release – citing his entrenched networks and even a “joke” from his daughter about breaking him out – has entwined the former president’s legal predicament with the political dynamics shaping the 2028 race. Analysts told This Week in Asia that the decision has narrowed the 80-year-old’s room for political manoeuvre while potentially strengthening, under some circumstances, the...

A 7.5 billion yuan (US$1.06 billion) hydroelectric construction project in southeast China is under investigation for alleged corner-cutting and legal violations, prompting concerns among experts about serious safety issues and a demand for answers from state media. The Yongan power station in Fujian province is a priority project under the national pumped-storage development goals of the five-year plan covering 2021 to 2025, aimed at safeguarding regional power stability and taking forward the...