• Saudi imposes anti-dumping duties on products from 10 countries

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia has imposed anti-dumping duties on seven products imported from 10 European and Asian countries, six of which are subject to the unified GCC law to protect the industry from the damage caused by dumped and subsidized imports, media reports said. The products included all...
  • China cuts key mortgage rate to boost economy

    China last year recorded one of its worst annual growth rates since 1990, dampening hopes for a rapid economic recovery following the end of draconian Covid restrictions in late 2022. In January, consumer prices fell at their quickest rate in more than 14 years, piling pressure on the government to...
  • China steps up green transition drive to meet carbon-emission goals

    Beijing, China--China is moving away from traditionally energy-intensive industrial sectors toward green development across key sectors, in efforts to fulfill its goals of peaking carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, according to China Central Television. In June 2023, the Hunan Valin Xiangtan Iron and Steel...
  • China’s Guangdong province now boasts of 75,000 high-tech companies

    Shenzen, China--The total number of high-tech enterprises in south China's Guangdong Province has exceeded 75,000, local authorities have said. By the end of 2023, the province's estimated annual research and development (R&D) expenditure topped 460 billion yuan (about 64.8 billion U.S. dollars), boasting 1.35 million R&D personnel and more than...
  • Construction in China-Saudi Arabia ethylene project begins

    FUZHOU, CHINA - Construction of the main complex of a joint-investment ethylene project, which involves petrochemicals giant Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), began on Monday in east China's Fujian Province. The project, with a total investment of US$6.3 billion (44.8 billion yuan) from SABIC and Fujian Energy Petrochemical Group Co....
  • China maintains basic balance in international payments in 2023

    Beijing, China--China maintained a basic balance in its international payments last year, with its current account surplus amounting to US$264.2 billion, the country's foreign exchange regulator said on Sunday. According to China Central Television, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) disclosed that the ratio of the current account surplus...
  • WTO chief insists global trade body still counts

    WTO members' trade ministers have their biennial meeting in Abu Dhabi from February 26-29, at which they could put the final touches to a further fisheries deal. But other potential agreements seem stuck in the weeds as anxiety swells over the impact of current geopolitical tensions.
  • Global LNG demand to rise more than 50 percent by 2040: Shell

    "Demand for natural gas has already peaked in some regions but continues to rise globally, with LNG demand expected to reach around 625-685 million tons a year in 2040, according to the latest industry estimates," Shell said in a report.
  • Nissan profit drops to US$195m

    Its sales in China slumped 35% from April to December.
  • European stocks firm as markets await US inflation data

    London, United Kingdom - Europe's main stock markets steadied Friday as traders reacted to more earnings updates from top companies, while awaiting revisions to US inflation data. Asia saw holiday-thinned trade, with investors there struggling to build on another record-setting day on Wall Street. "Today sees things slow down after a...
  • AI game gains popularity during Chinese New Year festivities

    SHANGHAI, CHINA - Young Chinese flocking home for Lunar New Year this weekend have turned to an AI chatbot game to help train for the most dreaded social interaction of the year -- the dinner table interrogation by nosy relatives. The annual inquisition as extended families gather for China's biggest festival...
  • L’Oreal net profit jumps 8.4%

    The company's profit surged to US$6.8bn last year.
  • Siemens posts increased Q1 profit

    The company said orders nearly doubled in mobility division.
  • Maldives: Muizzu expands diplomacy beyond India

    Muizzu won last year’s presidential election on the "India Out" platform against Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's "India first" policy.
  • Alibaba share buyback program up $25bn

    Following the announcement, the firm's shares rise 5% in trading.
  • Toyota expects to book profit of US$30bn

    Its third-quarter net profit jumped to US$7 billion.
  • China, Russia blame US for stoking Middle East tensions

    The US forces targeted many positions in Syria and Iraq in retaliation for a drone attack on a base in Jordan that killed three US soldiers. The strikes, which targeted elite Iranian units and pro-Iranian militant groups, have led to fears that the ongoing war in Gaza could spiral into...
  • Saudi, UAE ‘prior’ countries for Russia’s inbound tourism push

    Moscow, Russia -- China, India, Iran, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia will become prior countries for Russia in development of inbound tourism in 2024, according to the concept for promoting Russia’s tourism potential on foreign markets presented by Director General of the Center for Strategic Research Pavel...
  • China economic slowdown to continue for the next four years, says IMF

    BEIJING, CHINA - China's economic slowdown is likely to persist in the coming years as the Asian giant struggles with sagging productivity and a rapidly aging population, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Friday. The world's second-largest economy last year saw some of its slowest growth in decades, as a...
  • Al Nassr thrash Inter Miami as Ronaldo, Messi watch on

    Otavio drilled in the opener as Miami lost the ball trying to play out from the back, bringing Ronaldo to his feet to applaud from the stands. A sliding Talisca turned in Al Nassr's second as the visitors again paid the price for conceding possession near their own box.
  • Apple logs US$119.6bn in sales

    But its sales in China dropped during October to December.
  • Japanese lander disabled again but could restart after two weeks

    Tokyo, Japan - After a brief awakening, Japan's Moon lander is out of action again but will resume its mission if it survives the two-week lunar night, the space agency said Thursday. The unmanned Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) touched down last month at a wonky angle that left its...
  • US to sell drones worth $4bn to India to bolster its defenses against China

    The United States approved a $4 billion sale of state-of-the-art drones to India, offering a new edge to the growing US partner. The sale marks a milestone in Indian purchases of American weapons after New Delhi's reliance on weapons from Russia, which have been increasingly controversial due to sanctions over...
  • Global stock markets swing ahead of Fed’s latest rate decision

    "Markets are eagerly anticipating today's meeting from the Federal Reserve with traders looking for signs over whether a March rate cut is plausible," said Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Scope Markets.
  • China edges out Japan as world’s top vehicle exporter

    In recent years, China's auto sector has grown remarkably largely because of massive investments in electric cars, an area where Japanese firms have been more cautious. The JAMA figures showed that Japan shipped 4.42 million vehicles in 2023, compared with 4.91 million exported by China, as reported by China's automobile...
  • Hong Kong court orders liquidation of China’s Evergrande

    Evergrande's demise has been closely watched as it was once a pillar of China's economy, with the construction and property sectors once accounting for around a quarter of gross domestic product. But President Xi Jinping deemed debt accrued by Evergrande and other property firms an unacceptable risk for China's financial...
  • WEF24: AI stays at forefront of energy revolution

    There is a need for global policy alignment to meet the rising energy demands and tackle climate change challenges, Marco Arcelli, CEO of ACWA Power, tells TRENDS.
  • Pakistan and Iran vow to restore ties after cross-border strikes

    Tehran carried out strikes against an anti-Iran group in Pakistan on January 16, the same week the nation's military targeted Iraq and Syria. Two days later, Pakistan responded in kind with a pre-dawn raid on "militant targets" in Iran's Sistan-Baluchistan province, one of the few mainly Sunni Muslim regions in...
  • ‘Game changer’: Gene therapy offers hope for children born deaf

    Paris, France - A gene therapy that has allowed several children born deaf to hear for the first time is being hailed as a "game changer" that raises hopes of the first new treatment for hereditary deafness in decades. Several medical teams around the world are trialling the procedure, which focuses...
  • Clean energy largest driver of Chinese GDP growth in 2023: report

    China is the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases driving climate change, but it is also the top producer of wind and solar energy. Faced with soaring energy consumption, the country has turbocharged its use of renewables -- but also in 2022 approved its largest expansion of coal-fired power plants...
  • EU plans measures to protect sensitive technology from China

    The European Union unveiled plans to strengthen the bloc's economic security including measures to protect sensitive technology from falling into the hands of geopolitical rivals like China. Brussels has bolstered its armoury of trade restrictions to tackle what it deems to be risks to European economic security, following Russia’s invasion...
  • ASML profit soars to US$8.5bn

    It has shrugged off geopolitical tensions to post high profits.
  • P&G posts mixed quarterly results

    Earnings per share dropped 12 percent to $1.40.
  • Africa in debt spiral as restructuring efforts drag on

    Paris, France -- While the explosion of debt is throwing a shadow over global economic growth, experts warn that sub-Saharan Africa, where several countries are already in default, is experiencing its worst-ever crisis. The rise in interest rates and over-indebtedness is already crimping the ability of countries to finance their development,...
  • SABIC to build petrochemical plant in China

    The Saudi giant will develop the US$6.4bn plant in Fujian.
  • China remains world’s largest logistics market in terms of demand

    BEIJING, CHINA - The logistics sector in the country achieved steady recovery in 2023 and the country remains the world's largest logistics market in terms of demand, China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing said. According to a report from CCTV, He Liming, the chairman of the China Federation of Logistics...
  • Markets track Wall St rally but China worries cast shadow

    Broader markets were also enjoying a day in the sun though traders struggled to maintain the morning's momentum. Tokyo put on more than one percent thanks to the weaker yen as data showing Japanese inflation slowing eased pressure on the country's central bank to shift away from its ultra-loose monetary...
  • China exhorts end of ‘harassment’ of civilian vessels in Red Sea

    Beijing, China--China called for an end to "harassment" of civilian vessels in the Red Sea on Friday after attacks on ships by Houthi rebels in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Houthi aggression against vessels in and around the Red Sea has led to retaliatory strikes in Yemen by US and British forces....
  • IEA says oil production to rise but demand to be halved in 2024

    Paris, France - World oil supply will continue to rise this year, the International Energy Agency said on Thursday, as it predicted that demand growth would continue a downward slide throughout 2024. The Paris-based IEA, which advises oil-consuming nations, said it expects increase in global oil demand to halve from 2.3...
  • Afif helps Qatar exorcise World Cup demons at Asian Cup

    Doha, Qatar - Asian Cup hosts and holders Qatar have been on a mission to banish the painful memory of their 2022 World Cup flop and forward Akram Afif is leading the charge. Qatar lost all three of their World Cup games on home soil on their way to a first-round...
  • China says willing to mediate between Pakistan and Iran after strikes

    "The Chinese side sincerely hopes that the two sides can exercise calm and restraint and avoid an escalation of tension," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular press conference. "We are also willing to play a constructive role in de-escalating the situation if both sides so wish," she said.
  • China’s economy to grow steadily in 2024, say analysts

    Beijing, China--China's economy is likely to pick up the pace and grow steadily in 2024 after a bumpy recovery last year, propelled by the gradual increase in domestic demand and with more stimulus policies in the offing, China Daily reported, citing officials and economists on Wednesday. Economists said the country...
  • Aramco chief expects oil demand to rise by 1.5 mbpd in 2024

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Aramco's President and CEO, Amin Nasser, anticipates a surge in global oil demand, projecting an increase of 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) to reach 104 million bpd in 2024. “This is after rising by roughly 2.6 million bpd in 2023," Nasser said. "Higher demand,...
  • Money weighs on would-be Chinese parents as population falls

    Long alarmed by falling fertility, the government has relaxed its decades-long one-child policy in recent years to allow three children per family, while rolling out subsidies and calling on women to become homemakers. But the incentives and exhortations are doing little to change what demographers describe as an economic crisis...
  • China’s economic recovery stalls as growth flags

    The country's national bureau of statistics said that GDP grew 5.2 percent to hit 126 trillion yuan ($17.6 trillion) as the country battled a crippling property crisis, sluggish consumption and global turmoil. Official GDP figures remain a key source of insight into the health of the world's second-largest economy.
  • In Davos, Chinese premier takes aim at trade ‘barriers’

    Li's remarks came as the World Economic Forum's (WEF's) 54th annual conference is preoccupied with a slew of global risks, including wars in Ukraine and Gaza, climate change and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. He said "new discriminatory trade and investment measures" had appeared every year, adding: "Any obstacles...
  • China looks to woo back global elites at Davos forum

    Prime Minister Li Qiang, who will make a special address on Tuesday, will be the most senior Chinese official to attend Davos since President Xi Jinping in 2017. The Prime Minister will be joined by Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, the governor of the People's Bank of China and high-ranking...
  • Saudi Arabia, China ink MoU in accounting and auditing

    RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – The Kingdom and the People’s Republic of China signed on Monday in Beijing a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of accounting, auditing and professional work. The agreement was signed by General Court of Audit (GCA) President Dr. Hussam Al-Angari and Auditor General of...
  • China Construction Bank lists $600m green bond in Nasdaq Dubai

    DUBAI, UAE - Nasdaq Dubai has welcomed the listing of a US$600 million green bond by China Construction Bank (DIFC Branch). The green bond issuance targets combating climate change, represents China Construction Bank's significant commitment to sustainable financing and highlights the growing synergy in green financing between China and UAE....
  • China says ‘firmly opposed’ to all official US-Taiwan exchanges

    "China has always firmly opposed any form of official exchanges between the United States and Taiwan, and resolutely rebutted the United States for interfering in Taiwan's affairs in any way and under any pretext," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular press conference.
  • China FM in Egypt calls for Gaza ceasefire, Palestinian statehood

    In a press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said, "It is necessary to insist on the establishment of an independent, fully sovereign state of Palestine on the 1967 borders, with east Jerusalem as its capital." A joint statement from the two ministers urged...