Asia

China’s main economic indicators fared better than forecast to start the year, in a sign that momentum was improving before the war in Iran roiled the outlook for global growth and inflation. Industrial production climbed 6.3% in the January-February period from a year ago — its fastest growth since September and up from 5.2% in December. Fixed-asset investment unexpectedly expanded 1.8%, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday, after contracting for the first time on record in 2025. Retail sales rose 2.8% in the first two months, accelerating from 0.9% in December and topping the 2.5% median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg. The figures provide the first official snapshot of the state of the world’s second-biggest economy this ye...

While Iranian threats have brought maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz largely to a halt, experts doubt Iran will risk a long-term blockade of the shipping lane in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks. "Around 70 percent of Iran's non-oil trade passes through ports that depend on access via the Strait of Hormuz," says gas and economic analyst Dalga Khatinoglu of Iran International, a London-based news outlet. Blockading the strait long-term would hurt Iran itself. "It doesn't feel rational for Iran to close the street of Hormuz, because they have the imports of the crucial goods like crucial food for example, but also the majority of their exports go to China and India, so that would turn against the country," energy expert Sara Vakhshouri of SVB Energy...

‘High-quality growth’ target of 4.5-5% outlined at Two Sessions as Chinese premier talks of complex situations at home and abroad China has set its target for GDP growth to a record low of 4.5-5%, the first time since 1991 that the figure has dropped below 5%, reflecting an economic strategy that is shifting away from export-led growth to a model that leaders hope will be more resilient to external shocks. Li Qiang, China’s premier, announced the target for 2026 in the opening session of the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s annual parliamentary gathering, which began on Thursday. Addressing the nearly 3,000 delegates gathered in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Li described 2025 as a “truly remarkable” year with “profound and complex developments bo...

The Chinese economy demonstrated strong resilience and vitality despite challenging external factors in 2025, a spokesperson said on Tuesday. Liu Jieyi, spokesperson for the fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body, made the remarks at a press conference, one day before its annual session. China's total economic output crossed the new threshold of 140 trillion yuan (about $20 trillion) in 2025, with its growth rate continuing to rank among the highest of major economies globally, Liu said. New quality productive forces have grown rapidly, with deep integration of technology and industry leading to a surge of innovative achievements, the spokesperson said. Liu sa...

When the US Supreme Court struck down a central pillar of President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff regime last week, businesses across Asia did not celebrate. Instead, exporters, manufacturers and logistics companies were left grappling with more confusion over access to the world's largest consumer market. "No-one likes uncertainty," said Push Sharma, founder of Singapore-based wellness brand Haldy, which had spent years preparing to enter the American market before abruptly shelving its plans last year. "We had already done the trademark registrations, the groundwork, discussions with distributors," he said. "Then everything suddenly felt very drastic. We had to defer our plans." Trump's tariffs were designed to reduce global dependence on China among other things. Bu...