Month: May 2025

Global investors are increasingly turning to China’s global market leaders in the technology and energy sectors to diversify their investment portfolios amid heightened geopolitical tensions and uncertain economic outlook, according to JPMorgan. Advertisement Funds were not only targeting established firms in industries like car manufacturing, robotics and renewable energy but also capturing opportunities in China’s innovative capabilities as market volatility spikes, said Kwang Kam Shing, Hong Kong CEO and chair for North Asia at the US’ biggest bank. “They are a group of very well informed and sophisticated investors,” Kwang…

Global investors are reassessing their US-heavy portfolios and looking at undervalued equities in Hong Kong and mainland China to “provide defence” amid geopolitical tensions, according to global investment advisory Cambridge Associates. Advertisement “One of the surprising things this year is that despite the Trump tariffs being very aggressive towards Asia, particularly China, actually equities [in the region] have outperformed,” Aaron Costello, the firm’s head of Asia, said in an interview this week. “Even after recent gains, Chinese and Hong Kong stocks are still attractive from a valuation perspective and can…

The South China Sea has long been a flashpoint in geopolitical tensions, but beneath its contested surface lies one of the planet’s most scientifically compelling marine frontiers. Home to an array of deep-sea ecosystems, hydrothermal vents, underwater mountain ranges and vast coral reef systems, the region is increasingly recognised as a natural laboratory for cutting-edge oceanographic research. Advertisement Climate change, biodiversity loss and overexploitation are putting mounting pressure on marine environments worldwide. Amid this, the South China Sea stands out for its environmental significance as well as the diplomatic opportunity…

The Brics economic bloc approved its first joint climate finance framework on Thursday, the group’s most coordinated effort to date on funding climate action and setting the stage for a shared position – a first for the group – ahead of Cop30 in Brazil. Advertisement The nonbinding framework – agreed during a high-level meeting on climate change and sustainable development – outlines Brics priorities including the reform of multilateral development banks, the scaling up of concessional finance and the mobilising of private capital to support climate efforts in the Global…

A US federal appeal court has temporarily halted a lower-court ruling against President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” reciprocal tariffs, as well as a separate set of fentanyl-related levies on China, Mexico and Canada. Advertisement The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington said in a brief order Thursday afternoon that it would grant the Trump administration’s request for an immediate stay, stating “the judgments and the permanent injunctions entered by the Court of International Trade in these cases are temporarily stayed”. The ruling came after lawsuits were…

The White House on Thursday slammed a trade court for blocking US President Donald Trump’s use of emergency powers to impose tariffs, calling the ruling “judicial overreach” and urging the Supreme Court to intervene. Advertisement White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted that trade negotiations were continuing with “countries around the world” despite the ruling by the Court of International Trade late Wednesday. Leavitt said later that Trump had a “very good call” with the “leader of Japan” without stating what was discussed, and did not name any other countries.…

A federal judge in Boston said on Thursday she would extend legal relief to Harvard University in its fight against the Donald Trump administration’s effort to revoke its authority to host foreign students. Advertisement US District Judge Allison Burroughs said she would issue a preliminary injunction after a hearing in which both sides presented arguments, less than a week after she issued a shorter-term restraining order the same day Harvard filed a suit against the administration. Once issued, the injunction would remain in place until a final judgment on the…