Staffing at big four banks falls for first time since 2011 Total headcount at China’s four largest banks fell in 2016 for the first time in six years, as the lenders cut costs and tried to adapt their massive branch networks in the face of competition ... ( read original story ...)
Beijing-Seoul Rift Over Missile Defense Disrupts Deal Making
This time last year, South Korean private-equity firm MBK Partners LP was shopping around a rich prize—the South Korean operations of ING Groep NV, which it had acquired in 2013 as part of a planned downsizing of the Amsterdam-based financial giant ... ( read original story ...)
At Mar-a-Lago, Trump welcomes China’s Xi for high-stakes inaugural summit
Chinese President Xi Jinping touched down in Florida for a high-stakes summit at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. ( read original story ...)
South China Sea: Philippines' Duterte sends troops to unoccupied islands
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered troops to occupy uninhabited islands and reefs in the disputed South China Sea. "The unoccupied, which are ours, let's live on it," Mr Duterte told reporters during a visit to a military base in Palawan. ( read original story ...)
Great news for the loonie and TSX: The global driver of commodity demand has re-emerged
The current spike in China’s imports is great news for Canadian equities and the loonie. Most investors are aware that the Chinese economy is the world’s largest driver of commodity demand but the sheer scale is still astonishing. A 2016 report from ... ( read original story ...)
Trump's constant trashing of China over its currency could backfire
President Trump risks an embarrassing blunder if he doesn't tone down his rhetoric on China's currency when he comes face to face with President Xi Jinping. The first meeting between the leaders of the world's two largest economies begins later Thursday. ( read original story ...)
China's Ant seeks to allay MoneyGram security fears
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Ant Financial tried to soothe security concerns about its proposed $880 million takeover MoneyGram International Inc on Thursday, saying it intends to store U.S. user data locally once the deal closes. The finance affiliate of ... ( read original story ...)
Yum China posts positive Q1 on takeout sales, tax break
SHANGHAI Yum China Holdings Inc (YUMC.N) posted a slight rise in first-quarter same-store sales, helped by a jump in takeout demand and improvement at its flagging Pizza Hut brand as the newly spun-off firm looks to revive growth in the world's second ... ( read original story ...)
China is building a brand-new city twice the size of New York City
At a total area of 305 square miles, New York City is quite the sight to behold. So imagine the opulence of Xiongan New Area, a newly proposed city in China that would measure 772 square miles when completed. On April 1, the Chinese government announced ... ( read original story ...)
Trump presses China on NKorea; another bluff could hurt him
But if he's bluffing, and Xi calls him on it, that might prove damaging in future negotiations with China or in building a united front against North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. The two-day meeting at Trump's Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago ... ( read original story ...)