Economy & Markets
Asian central banks, currencies, trade flows, commodities and the supply chains wiring the Indo-Pacific.
A Credible Path to Chinese Financial Liberalization Through Adaptive Rules
China's financial policymakers face a dilemma between deeper global market integration and the risk of instability. A proposed Adaptive Capi
How the Americas Are Reshaping Global Oil Markets Amid the Iran War
The Iran war has disrupted flows through the Strait of Hormuz, yet oil prices have remained around $100 a barrel. Rising production from the
Taiwan's AI-Driven Stock Surge Raises Bubble Concerns Across North Asia
Taiwan's stock market has overtaken India to become the world's fifth-largest, driven by a 46% surge in TSMC shares. The AI boom has lifted
US-China AI Race: Frontier vs. Deployment Defines the Next Phase
The US leads in frontier AI models and capital spending, but China excels in deployment and diffusion. This distinction between invention an
Australia Balances US Alliance and China Ties in Rare Earths Push
Australia ordered six Chinese-linked investors to sell their stake in Northern Minerals. The government also committed to buying rare earths
AI Boom, Not Oil Shock, Is Driving Real Yields Structurally Higher
Ten-year US Treasury yields near 4.5% despite subdued inflation expectations. AI-driven capital expenditure by tech giants like Microsoft, A
Asia's Wealthy Families Rewrite Regional Funding as Leaders Meet in Beijing
The US-China summit in Beijing drew global attention, but the real story is the quiet shift in regional capital flows. Asia's wealthy famili
The Three-Body Problem of the Yen: How China's Deflation Is Reshaping Currency Markets
The yen's recent weakness defies interest-rate logic because it is caught in a three-body currency problem with the dollar and the yuan. Chi
Bond Market Shift Threatens Asia's AI-Driven Rally as Yields Surge
Global bond yields are climbing sharply, with Japan's 30-year yield hitting a record 4.2%. This shift threatens the AI-driven equity rally a
Trump's Tariff Strategy: Section 301 as a Legal End-Run After Court Defeats
President Trump suffered two court defeats on his emergency tariffs in 2026 but is now using Section 301 of the US Trade Act to pursue new l
Soybeans on the Table in Beijing, but US Farmers Should Curb Hopes
President Trump and President Xi Jinping are set to meet in Beijing on May 14-15, with soybean purchases a key topic. However, the trade tru
Trump's Tariffs and Export Controls Are Reshaping US-China Economic Ties
US imports from China have dropped sharply under Trump's tariffs. Manufacturing is moving to Vietnam, Mexico, and other Asian nations. Inves