China

China will strengthen its policy, continue to lower lending rates: Central Bank Governor
26May By Michael SmithNo Comments
Asia, China, Market

China will strengthen its policy, continue to lower lending rates: Central Bank Governor

Central bank Governor Yi Gang on Tuesday said that China will strengthen its economic policy and continue efforts to lower interest rates on loans, reinforcing expectations of further support measures to revive an economy ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic.In an interview published by the central bank, Yi said China's economic fundamentals are unchanged despite many uncertainties and reiterated that its current stance on monetary policy will be more flexible.“The People's Bank of China will use various monetary policy tools to maintain sufficient liquidity, and keep the annual growth rate of M2 money supply and social financing significantly higher than last year,” Yi said.“Since the virus outbreak, the central bank's policy measures, including bank reserve requirement cuts, relending, re...
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Cashback deals and gifts might presage damaging price war: China’s auto experts
25May By Mike TrudellNo Comments
China, Market, Singapore

Cashback deals and gifts might presage damaging price war: China’s auto experts

After spending the whole of February and March in lockdown, China's auto dealerships are now offering attractive cashback offers, up to 10 free oil changes, and generous prepaid gasoline cards to woo customers out and about.And even though they are getting the job done, the industry remains worried that any momentum from demand that was locked up in February and March is expected to diminish by the end of May.After that, the outlook for consumer spending is bleak as the coronavirus pandemic continues to hammer the global economy, including China's exports.Moreover, industry executives believe the generous deals currently being offered to customers are priming the market for a return to price wars.Feng Xingya, general manager of state-owned automaker GAC which has partnerships with Toyota a...
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As overseas markets ‘lockdown’, China exporters look inwards
25May By Mike TrudellNo Comments
China, Market, Singapore

As overseas markets ‘lockdown’, China exporters look inwards

China exporters are now left in a crisis as the coronavirus hits its trading partners worldwide leading to cancelled shipments, returned goods and a dearth of new orders - accelerating a long-standing push towards domestic consumption.The world's second-largest economy is stirring back to life after virus cases dwindled from a peak in February, when activity came to a near-halt. But as China’s economy started to recover, lockdowns and restrictions in other countries has forced exporters to focus on domestic markets.Chinese online marketplace Taobao said the number of foreign trading companies opening stores on its domestic-focused platform spiked 160 percent from February to May.And policymakers - who have sought for years to wean the country off cheap exports and government spending in fa...
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22May By Team FPNo Comments
China

Coronavirus outbreak: Oil prices drop as China abandons target for 2020 GDP

Oil prices fell 5% on Friday after China failed to set an economic growth target for 2020, sparking concerns that the coronavirus pandemic will continue to depress fuel demand in the world's second-largest oil user.Brent crude dropped US$1.56, or 4.3%, to US$34.50 a barrel by 0323 GMT, after gaining nearly 1% on Thursday.West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude declined by US$1.79, or 5.3%, to US$32.13 a barrel, having gained more than 1% in the last session.In a week-long meeting kicked-off by China's National People's Congress (NPC) on Friday, the government said it omitted the 2020 target, while pledging to issue 1 trillion yuan (US$140 billion) of special treasury bonds to support companies and regions hit by the pandemic.Abandoning the growth target "could be interpreted as putting less fo...
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PEZA reports investment performance amidst the Enhanced Community Quarantine
20May By Brian Thompson1 Comment
China, Market, USA

PEZA reports investment performance amidst the Enhanced Community Quarantine

Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Director General Charito “Ching” Plaza on Tuesday shared the top investment promotion agency’s performance for the first quarter of 2020 amidst the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).“PEZA’s investments continued to be challenged for the First Quarter of 2020. On top of this issue is still the continuing uncertainty posed by the rationalization of incentives under the pending legislative measures that have created uncertainties. Added to this is the current pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus, which has caused a tremendous and immediate impact on PEZA’s export manufacturers and exporters of IT-enabled services (BPOs),” stated Plaza.“Before the declaration of the ECQ on March 16, 2020, PEZA’s total approved investments from January to February 20...
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Digital Payments Startup GPay Awarded Vietnam License
20May By Team FPNo Comments
Asia, China

Digital Payments Startup GPay Awarded Vietnam License

The State Bank of Vietnam granted FinTech startup GPay a 10-year license to provide intermediary payment services in the country — electronic payment portals, payment services, digital money transfer services and eWallet services. GPay, a member company of the Vietnam investment firm G-Group, joins a tight FinTech market in Vietnam with 33 other firms licensed for intermediary payment services. In 2019, Payme, FinViet, EPay, PayTech, Dibee and Smart Net were granted licenses from Vietnam’s central bank. “GPay has a supportive ecosystem from G-Group with above 20 million users of financial platforms, game community, social network and technology companies. We will invest more in technology and hiring talents, and will have Series A funding round soon too,” Cong Tran, a board member of GPay,...
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Vietnam-based e-commerce enabler OnPoint raises $8m Series A
20May By Team FPNo Comments
Asia, China

Vietnam-based e-commerce enabler OnPoint raises $8m Series A

Vietnam-based e-commerce enabler OnPoint has raised over $8 million in Series A fundinground led by Kiwoom Investment and Daiwa-SSIAM Vietnam Growth Fund II L.P,according to an announcement. The new funding, which brings the total funding raised by OnPoint to date to an eight-digitnumber, will enable the company to invest in strategic technology, recruit talent, and developdata-driven capabilities to provide better services to its clients. Founded in December 2017, OnPoint enables consumer brands in pushing their presence one-commerce platforms, social channels, or via brand-owned websites. The company claims that it has served more than 50 brands to date. Its clients includeL’Oreal, Shiseido, P&G, Rohto, Beiersdorf, Unilever International, Watsons, KimberlyClark, Unicharm, CJ Group. I...
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Vietnam International bank has just announced the first quarter 2020 result
20May By Team FPNo Comments
Asia, China

Vietnam International bank has just announced the first quarter 2020 result

Stable business growth Total revenue of VIB in quarter I (Q.I) was VND2.260 billion, of which service revenue reached VND411 billion, accounting for 18%. Operating expenses (OPEX) reached VND1.029 billion. The bank saw a rise in cost to income ratio (CIR) to 46%. Profit before tax (PBT) was VND1.075 billion. From the beginning of the year, VIB has promptly taken actions on cost-cutting and actively participated in a programme to prevent Covid-19, set up by the State bank of Vietnam (SBV) and the Government. The bank’s leader has proactively reduced salaries to support customers. Maintain a strong balance sheet in the context of market volatility As of March 31, 2020, total assets of the bank reached VND193 trillion, while outstanding credit balance reached VND135 trillion, up 4% compared t...
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South-east Asia’s growth forecast to be 1% in 2020: ADB
20May By Team FPNo Comments
Asia, China, Singapore

South-east Asia’s growth forecast to be 1% in 2020: ADB

WITH the Covid-19 outbreak, South-east Asia's gross domestic product growth is expected to slow sharply to just 1 per cent in 2020, before rebounding to 4.7 per cent in 2021, according to an Asian Development Bank report on April 3. This is down from 2019's full-year growth rate of 4.4 per cent. The report, Asian Development Outlook 2020, forecasts that for developing Asia as a whole, growth will slow to 2.2 per cent in 2020, before rebounding to 6.2 per cent in 2021. All Asean economies will see a growth slowdown because of Covid-19 and a consequent global slump, especially given their strong trade and investment ties with a slowing China, said the report. Thailand is expected to perform the worst with a 4.8 per cent contraction, "continuing a steady slide in recent years"."Growth in the ...
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Coronavirus: Millions of jobs at stake in South-east Asia
20May By Team FPNo Comments
Asia, China, Singapore

Coronavirus: Millions of jobs at stake in South-east Asia

BANGKOK - Millions of jobs could be lost in South-east Asia as economies grind to a halt amid efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic, wreaking havoc particularly in countries with weak social protection systems. A report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Escap) says regional governments should - and still have ample policy space - to both save jobs as well as support minimum living standards for households. In the policy paper on the Asia Pacific region issued last week (March 26), Escap noted that while exact data on the impact of the pandemic on employment remained unavailable, "the impact is likely to be substantial as services and labour-intensive manufacturing comprise over 80 per cent of the region's informal sector and small and medi...
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