Asia Economics Update Vietnam: Surging trade surplus with the US carries risks Vietnam’s economy is booming on the back of strong exports, most notably to the US, as it benefits from shifts in global supply chains. However, the export surge is widening Vietnam’s trade surplus... 6th January 2026 · 3 mins read
Japan Economics Update Has Japan become a leading ICT economy? While Japanese firms seem to be investing more in information & communication technology than those in almost any other advanced economy, broader measures suggest that the country is not a leading... 6th January 2026 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update A look ahead to the key political events in Asia in 2026 In a busy electoral calendar, several Asian countries will go to the polls this year, with potentially significant implications for economic reform in India and macroeconomic stability in Bangladesh... 5th January 2026 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update Bank of Japan isn’t falling behind the curve just yet We aren’t convinced that the Bank of Japan is falling behind the curve despite the recent acceleration in bank lending. Nonetheless, there are few signs that BoJ rate hikes are resulting in tighter... 5th January 2026 · 3 mins read
China Economics Weekly Renminbi set to appreciate further in 2026 The renminbi has made headway recently, both against the US dollar and in trade-weighted terms. With inflation set to remain much lower in China than elsewhere, further nominal appreciation looks... 2nd January 2026 · 6 mins read
Asia Economics Update Asia PMIs, Korea Trade (Dec) & Singapore GDP (Q4) The December Manufacturing PMI readings for most Asian economies remain consistent with generally soft manufacturing activity. However, the PMIs have recently been a poor guide to the hard activity... 2nd January 2026 · 3 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update Australia’s housing rally will soon slow in earnest Australia’s house price rally lost some steam in December and if we’re right that the Reserve Bank of Australia will lift interest rates as soon as February this slowdown has further to run. 2nd January 2026 · 3 mins read
China Chart Pack China Chart Pack (Dec 25) While China’s growth picked up in November on the back of stronger export growth, the economy looks set to have expanded by less than 3.5% this year. Exports should continue growing next year, despite... 31st December 2025 · 0 mins read
China Rapid Response China PMIs (Dec. 2025) The decline in the RatingDog services PMI adds to evidence that momentum in the service sector remains weak, though this didn't prevent a slight improvement in the composite PMI. The partial recovery... 31st December 2025 · 3 mins read
China Activity Monitor CAP: Industrial outperformance continues Our China Activity Proxy suggests that growth picked up in November as export strength helped to boost industrial activity. But, while China’s exports have proved resilient in the face of US tariffs... 30th December 2025 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia: is the strong ringgit a threat to exports? The Malaysian ringgit has appreciated steadily against the US dollar this year and is set to be Asia’s best-performing currency in 2025. While the appreciation has raised competitiveness concerns... 30th December 2025 · 2 mins read
Japan Economics Update Government net debt set to fall below 100% of GDP Japan’s fiscal health has continued to improve. While the expansionary measures taken by PM Takaichi mean that the budget deficit won’t narrow any further next year, it will remain very low. And with... 30th December 2025 · 4 mins read
Asia Chart Pack Asia Chart Pack (December 2025) Our Asia Chart Pack has been updated with the latest data and our analysis of recent developments. We expect most countries in Asia to record solid economic growth in 2026. Robust demand for AI... 29th December 2025 · 0 mins read
Japan Rapid Response Japan Industrial Production & Retail Sales (Nov. 2025) At first glance, the November activity data appear to be a mixed bag. However, a look under the hood suggests that the economy is poised to rebound firmly from its Q3 contraction. 26th December 2025 · 2 mins read
Climate Economics Update China exports more green tech to emerging markets China’s green technology exports rebounded at a strong pace in year-on-year terms as China continues to reorient shipments towards emerging markets (EMs) amid US tariffs. While there remains a risk of... 22nd December 2025 · 2 mins read
Asia Economics Update Korea’s equity rally: what comes next? Korea’s equity market has delivered an exceptional rally this year, driven by the restoration of political stability, long-overdue corporate governance reforms and strong exposure to the global AI... 22nd December 2025 · 3 mins read