People's Bank of China may cut interest rates this year to boost growth: Report

BEIJING: China's central bank, People's Bank of China, may cut interest rates by 25 basis points each in the second and third quarter to revive the economic growth which is impacted by slowdown in eurozone and the US, a research note said here.

Asian stocks mixed ahead of US economic data

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian stock markets were mixed Monday as high oil prices dampened enthusiasm for riskier assets like stocks ahead of the release of data likely to show that the U.S. economy is improving at a slow but steady clip.

Vietnam's runaway inflation eases in February

Vietnam's inflation fell for a sixth consecutive month in February to the lowest level in almost a year, according to official figures, following government efforts to concentrate on economic stabilisation.

Yen hits seven-month low after Bank of Japan measures

The Japanese yen fell to its lowest level against the US dollar in seven months, a respite for worries over the strong yen hurting exports and the economy.

Asia CFOs Look Closer to Home for Growth

HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CFOs in Asia, excluding those in Japan, are positive about the regional economy but cautious on their view of the world economy.

Thailand's economy shrinks 9% after flood disruptions

Thailand's economy contracted sharply in the last three months of 2011 after some of the worst flooding on record disrupted manufacturing.

Sales tax increase approved by Japan's cabinet

The Japanese cabinet has passed a plan to double sales taxes in an attempt to control the soaring costs of public debts.

China's Xi sells U.S. trade elixir, personal chemistry

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - China's leader-in-waiting Xi Jinping on Friday swiped away fears that his country's economic growth could stumble, and turned to courting American companies, film-makers and governors hungry for a slice of that growth on the final day of his U.S. visit.

Asian shares up on recovery hopes amid positive US data

Asian markets have risen on hopes of a recovery in the US after the world's biggest economy reported better-than-expected jobs data.

Bank Of East Asia 2011 Net Up 3.2% At Record High

HONG KONG – Bank of East Asia Ltd. (0023.HK), Hong Kong's fifth-largest lender by assets, said Tuesday its 2011 net profit rose 3.2% to a record high even as non-interest income weakened.

Analysis:China offshore yuan market booms even as yuan bets fade

(Reuters) - Three years after China launched its most ambitious experiment yet to give its currency more global clout, some market watchers are writing its epitaph, saying Beijing is not loosening its grip on the yuan fast enough to attract sustained interest.

Japan's economy shrinks at 2.3 per cent pace in Q4

TOKYO: Japan's economy shrank at an annual pace of 2.3 per cent in the fourth quarter as manufacturers were battered by the strong yen, weak export demand amid the European debt crisis and flooding in Thailand.

EU leaders in China for debt crisis talks

Leaders from China and the European Union are meeting for a summit set to focus on Europe's debt crisis.

Japan’s Economy Minister Urges Greater Clarity on BOJ’s Inflation Policy

The Bank of Japan should communicate its inflation goal more clearly, Japanese Economy Minister Motohisa Furukawa said as the central bank comes under pressure to halt deflation.

China's inflation rate rises to 4.5%

China's rate of inflation unexpectedly accelerated in January for the first time since it peaked in July, as consumers raised spending around Chinese New Year.

New sanctions on Iran constrict trade flows to Asia

BEIJING (Reuters) - Trade between Asia and Iran is likely to slow as new U.S. sanctions make payments more difficult, traders said Tuesday, although the more determined can still find a route through Middle Eastern intermediaries.

Shanghai shipping slump as IMF warns China on euro slump

The shipping specialist Lloyd's List said container traffic through the Port of Shanghai - the world's largest - fell by 100,000 boxes in January from a year earlier, or 4pc. Volumes fell by over one million tonnes.

Economists rethink Asia's doom-and-gloom scenarios

HONG KONG: The glass is half full again for Asia's economies. Some economists have begun downplaying the darkest of the worst-case scenarios for Asia now that Europe appears to be muddling through its debt crisis without imploding and the United States finally shows signs of a self-sustaining recovery.

China growth could halve if Europe crisis worsens: IMF

BEIJING: China's annual economic growth could be cut nearly in half this year if Europe's debt crisis tips the world economy into a recession, putting pressure on Beijing to unveil "significant" fiscal stimulus, the International Monetary Fund said.

Indonesian Economy Grows Fastest Since 1996

Indonesia’s economy grew last year at the fastest pace since before the Asian financial crisis as rising investment and domestic spending countered a slowdown in export demand due to Europe’s debt crisis.

Top Japan bank plans for JGB sell-off, no near-term shift seen

(Reuters) - Japan's top banking group, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial (8306.T), has drawn up a contingency plan that flags 2016 as the time when the nation's current account may slide into deficit and trigger a government bond sell-off, a newspaper reported on Thursday.

China's push for rail reform could be dead in its tracks

BEIJING: When Zhang Dong sat down recently to book train tickets for his trip home for the Chinese new year, he got a taste of the frustration that has helped make China's railway ministry a focus of anger against the country's many bureaucrats.

IMF Says Asia Has Room for Stimulus

SINGAPORE—Asia so far has proved resilient to the European debt crisis and slowing global growth, and countries in the region have room to take growth-boosting steps in case of a sharp downturn, the International Monetary Fund said.