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☆ Morning Bid: Still seeking decisive stimulus in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Sonali DesaiDisappointment has been the prevailing sentiment so far this week as investors grow impatient with the wait for more decisive Chinese stimulus measures. China delivered the expected 10 basis-point reduction to its lending benchmarks, but disappointed those looking for a bigger cut to the mortgage-linked five-year loan prime rate. Chinese property stocks took a hit and the yuan came under further pressure, reversing much of its bounce against the U.S. dollar late last week when stimulus expectations were driving price action. Still, that helped Australian shares build on recent gains to reach a seven-week high, bucking declines across Asian bourses where rising Treasury yields and souring anticipation of Chinese stimulus efforts spurred broad declines. The wary investor mood is likely to spill into Europe, where the data calendar is confined to German producer prices for May.

Persons: Sonali Desai, Antony Blinken's, Luis de, Pablo Hernandez de Cos, Olli Rehn, Elizabeth McCaul, Luis de Guindos, St Louis, James Bullard, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Sonali, U.S ., Reuters, Bank of Australia's, European Central Bank, Bank of Spain, Bank of Finland, St, Barcelona School of, Thomson Locations: Asia, China, Europe, Luis de Guindos, Hungary

The PBOC last week lowered short- and medium-term policy rates, paving the way for lower benchmark borrowing costs. Several major banks have cut their 2023 GDP growth forecasts for China to a 5.1% to 5.7% range from an earlier range of 5.5% to 6.3%. Chinese stocks on Monday posted their biggest fall in two weeks, but the weakness was not confined to China. The MSCI World index came off last week's 14-month high, Japan's Nikkei lost 1%, and Hong Kong tech and the MSCI Asia ex-Japan index both had their biggest falls in three weeks. Paramilitary police officers stand guard in front of the headquarters of the People's Bank of China, the central bank (PBOC), in Beijing, China September 30, 2022.

Persons: Jamie McGeever, Antony Blinken's, Tingshu Wang, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: People's Bank of China, Japan's Nikkei, REUTERS, State, Ukraine, Hong Kong, Thomson, Reuters Locations: U.S, Beijing, Malaysian, Hong Kong, China, Asia, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia

☆ U.S.-China talks important but not extraordinary, says former Chinese military officer
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailU.S.-China talks important but not extraordinary, says former Chinese military officerZhou Bo, senior fellow at Tsinghua University's Center for International Security and Strategy and a retired officer of the People's Liberation Army, discusses U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Beijing, saying the relationship between the two countries has been on a downward spiral for some time.

Persons: Zhou Bo, Antony Blinken's Organizations: U.S, Tsinghua University's Center for International Security, People's Liberation Army Locations: China, Beijing

☆ Morning Bid: Ready for more rate hikes, and one cut
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

June 19 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Wayne Cole. It's been predictably subdued in Asia as a U.S. holiday provides a convenient excuse for stocks to consolidate recent hefty gains before a bevy of central bank meetings this week. Most indices are down, with the Nikkei off modestly having climbed 22% over a 10-week streak to hit 33-year highs. The coming week is also jammed with central bank action, led by China on Tuesday where prime loan rates are expected to be cut by 10 basis points. Futures seem unimpressed with just 21 basis points of tightening priced in by September, though one final hike in July is rated as a decent 70% chance.

Persons: Wayne Cole, It's, Antony Blinken's, deigned, Kazuo Ueda, Jerome Powell, Isabel Schnabel, Luis de Guindos, Philip Lane, Sam Holmes Organizations: Nikkei, NASDAQ, Bank of Japan, Federal, Bank of, ECB, Thomson Locations: Wayne, Asia, U.S, Beijing, China, Bank of England, Norway, Switzerland

June 19 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Jamie McGeever, financial markets columnist. Looking ahead and beyond China, investors have two other Asian monetary policy decisions this week to digest - Indonesia's Bank Indonesia (BI) and the Philippines Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Thursday. Both are likely to leave policy unchanged, with BI maintaining its benchmark lending rate at 5.75% and the BSP keeping its key policy rate at 6.25%. The broader market tone across Asia on Monday could be one of caution, with investors tempted to take some profits from the recent rally. The annual core CPI rate is expected to ease to 3.1% from 3.4% in April.

Persons: Jamie McGeever, Antony Blinken's, Bank of Korea Governor Rhee Chang, Antony Blinken, Leslie Adler Organizations: People's Bank of, Indonesia's Bank Indonesia, Sentral ng Pilipinas, BI, BSP, Bank of Japan, Bank of Korea, Thomson, Reuters Locations: U.S, People's Bank of China, Beijing, American, China, Philippines, Asia, Japan, Hong Kong

☆ The U.S. and China are still largely talking past each other, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThe U.S. and China are still largely talking past each other, analyst saysReva Goujon, director of Rhodium Group, discusses what might be on the agenda ahead of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Beijing and says "expectations are low."

Persons: Reva Goujon, Antony Blinken's Locations: China, Beijing

☆ China rebukes US in phone call ahead of Blinken's planned Beijing trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to members of the media in the Treaty Room of the State Department in Washington, U.S., June 12, 2023. Qin told Blinken to respect China's core concerns, such as the Taiwan issue, in an effort to arrest declining relations between the superpowers, according to China's foreign ministry. The Chinese foreign ministry has yet to reveal information on Blinken's trip, but a U.S. official last Friday said Blinken would be in Beijing on June 18, giving no other details. Blinken cancelled a planned trip to Beijing in February over a suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew over the United States. The United States should "stop interfering in China's internal affairs, and stop harming China's sovereignty, security and development interests in the name of competition," Qin added.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Mandel Ngan, Qin Gang, Antony Blinken's, Qin, Blinken, Joe Biden's, Bernard Orr, John Geddie, Muralikumar Anantharaman Organizations: State Department, REUTERS, U.S, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, United States, Beijing, Taiwan, U.S, China, Washington's, Lincoln

U.S. officials said Blinken would push to establish open communication channels to ensure competition with the Chinese does not spiral into conflict. Chinese state media said Blinken would visit on June 18 and 19. Kritenbrink said Blinken would hold a series of meetings with senior Chinese officials. The two sides did not say which officials Blinken would meet. "I believe Secretary Blinken will advocate strongly that these lines of communication are necessary.

Persons: Antony Blinken's, Qin Gang, Joe Biden, Blinken, We're, Daniel Kritenbrink, Kritenbrink, Xi Jinping, Matthew Miller, Xi, Kurt Campbell, Blinken's, Janet Yellen, Gina Raimondo, Campbell, Biden, Qin, Humeyra Pamuk, David Brunnstrom, Simon Lewis, Doina Chiacu, Chizu Nomiyama, William Maclean Organizations: Wednesday, U.S, Blinken, State, U.S . State Department, Washington, Treasury, Thomson Locations: United States, China, Beijing, U.S, East Asia, Taiwan, Ukraine, Blinken's, Bali, North Korea

Blinken's long-delayed visit is aimed at stabilizing relations between the world's two largest economies and strategic rivals. Chinese state media said Blinken would visit on June 18 and 19. Kritenbrink said Blinken would hold a series of meetings with senior Chinese officials. The two sides did not say which officials Blinken would meet. "I believe Secretary Blinken will advocate strongly that these lines of communication are necessary.

Persons: Antony Blinken's, Qin Gang, Joe Biden, Blinken, We're, Daniel Kritenbrink, Kritenbrink, Xi Jinping, Matthew Miller, Antony Blinken, Faisal Bin Farhan, Ahmed Yosri, Xi, Kurt Campbell, Blinken's, Janet Yellen, Gina Raimondo, Campbell, Biden, Qin, Humeyra Pamuk, David Brunnstrom, Simon Lewis, Doina Chiacu, Chizu Nomiyama, William Maclean Organizations: Wednesday, U.S, Blinken, State, U.S . State Department, Saudi Foreign, Intercontinental, REUTERS, Washington, Treasury, Thomson Locations: United States, China, Beijing, U.S, East Asia, Taiwan, Ukraine, Blinken's, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Bali, North Korea

☆ China rebukes US in phone call ahead of Blinken's Beijing trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to members of the media in the Treaty Room of the State Department in Washington, U.S., June 12, 2023. Qin told Blinken to respect China's core concerns, such as the Taiwan issue, in an effort to arrest declining relations between the superpowers, according to China's foreign ministry. Chinese state media said he was due to visit China on June 18-19. Blinken cancelled a planned trip to Beijing in February over a suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew over the United States. The Chinese foreign ministry has not yet revealed any other information on Blinken's upcoming trip.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Mandel Ngan, Qin Gang, Antony Blinken's, Qin, Blinken, Joe Biden's, Bernard Orr, John Geddie, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Lincoln, Alex Richardson Organizations: State Department, REUTERS, U.S, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, United States, Beijing, Taiwan, U.S, China, Britain, Washington's

☆ US lawmakers call for S.Africa to lose summit over Russia ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Referring to the letter, South African foreign ministry spokesman Clayson Monyela said on Twitter: "There is no decision by the State Department/White House to move the AGOA Forum from SA." South Africa's Department of Trade and Industry, which manages the country's trade relations with the United States, said it was not planning to respond publicly to the letter. South Africa's government has declared its neutrality in the war in Ukraine, and President Cyril Ramaphosa is participating in an effort by African leaders to mediate in the conflict. The lawmakers also appeared to back up an accusation by the U.S. ambassador to South Africa that a sanctioned Russian vessel collected weapons at a South African naval base last year. South African officials say they are not aware of such an arms transfer and have launched an independent inquiry into the incident.

Persons: Russia S.Africa, Antony Blinken, AGOA, Clayson Monyela, Cyril Ramaphosa, Vladimir Putin, Antony Blinken's, Joe Bavier, Carien du, William Maclean Organizations: AGOA, Twitter, State Department, White, SA, Africa's Department of Trade and Industry, South, International Criminal, U.S, Thomson Locations: Johannesburg, U.S, Africa, Washington, Russia, JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, South, Nigeria, Ukraine, United States, China, Russian

☆ Blinken's visit to Saudi Arabia isn't about oil, says former U.S. ambassador
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBlinken's visit to Saudi Arabia isn't about oil, says former U.S. ambassadorJoseph Westphal, former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, discusses U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to the kingdom.

Persons: Joseph Westphal, Antony Blinken's Organizations: U.S Locations: Saudi Arabia, U.S

☆ U.S. says it doesn't want to separate its economy from China's
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — The U.S. is pushing back on the idea it wants to suppress China and said it doesn't want to separate the two economies, according to a State Department spokesperson's comments. The spokesperson was responding to a CNBC request for comment on Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang's remarks Tuesday. "We have made it clear we do not seek to contain China or have a new Cold War," the U.S. State Department spokesperson said. The spokesperson pointed to Secretary of State Antony Blinken's comments last year that said the U.S. doesn't seek to stop China from growing its economy or "advancing the interests of its people." "He also said we do not want to sever China's economy from ours, though China is pursuing asymmetric decoupling," the spokesperson said.

☆ Explainer: A year into Ukraine war, how has China stood by 'no limits' partner Russia?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Laurie Chen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Here are the implications for China as the war approaches its one-year anniversary on Feb. 24. While China has repeatedly called for peace, President Xi Jinping has stood by his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, resisting Western pressure to isolate Moscow. China has sought to avoid providing support to Russia that would invite sanctions upon itself, including refraining from providing weapons. Beijing has repeatedly opposed any linkage between the Ukraine war and its intentions to "reunify" with the self-ruled island that it claims as its territory. "The result and the cost of the war show the Chinese that an invasion is Taiwan may not be prudent," said Sun.

☆ Lindsey Graham said it would be incredibly stupid of China to give Vladimir Putin lethal weapons to use in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Lindsey Graham said it would "dumber than dirt" of China to support Putin with weapons. Graham's comments came after Antony Blinken said China might want to give Putin lethal weapons. Don't do this," Graham told host Martha Raddatz on Sunday's episode of ABC's "This Week." Graham was commenting on Secretary of State Antony Blinken's warning on Sunday that the Chinese might be on the brink of giving Russia "lethal support" in the Ukraine war. Publicly, they present themselves as a country striving for peace in Ukraine," Blinken told NBC.

☆ Sending a spy balloon was a 'clumsy' move by China that 'put a missile' through an already bad situation with the US, foreign policy expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Chinese spy balloon "put a missile" through an already strained relationship with the US, an expert said. The balloon incident also torpedoed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's high-stakes trip to China. The Chinese balloon was an "incredibly clumsy gesture" on Beijing's part and it "deprived us of a very important moment to arrest the downward spiral," Schell said. And though Beijing has admitted that the downed balloon belonged to China, it has insisted it was a weather balloon that blew off course. Glaser added that it is also not in the US' interests "to completely rupture" its relationship with China.

The ban is expected to apply to some investments tied to chip production, two of the sources said. China hawks in Washington blame American investors for transferring capital and valuable know-how to Chinese tech companies that could help advance Beijing's military capabilities. The White House declined to comment and the Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. That could include the long-awaited outbound investment order. Efforts to incorporate an outbound investment screening plan in legislation failed last year in Congress.

☆ Republicans criticize Biden for waiting to shoot down Chinese balloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. Schumer said downing the balloon into the ocean likely enables U.S. intelligence officials to examine its remnants. The Pentagon will brief senators on the balloon and Chinese surveillance on Feb. 15, Schumer said. Trump on Sunday disputed Austin's statement that Chinese government surveillance balloons had transited the continental United States briefly three times during his presidency. Speaking on Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures" show, Trump's former director of national intelligence John Ratcliffe also denied such balloon incidents.

☆ Israelis and Palestinians have maneuvered themselves into a 'strategic cul de sac,' says think tank
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailIsraelis and Palestinians have maneuvered themselves into a 'strategic cul de sac,' says think tankAaron Miller of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace discusses Israeli-Palestinian tensions and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Egypt, Israel and the West Bank.

☆ Blinken is in Egypt to gather information 'directly,' analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBlinken is in Egypt to gather information 'directly,' analyst saysAngus Blair of Signet Institute discusses U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Egypt in the face of Israeli-Palestinian tensions.

[1/2] People line up at a makeshift fever clinic set up inside a stadium, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Beijing, China December 19, 2022. "We stand ready to help any country in the world with vaccines, treatments, anything else that we can be helpful with," he said. "We want China to get COVID right," Blinken said earlier this month. “China faces a very challenging system in reopening,” Powell said, adding that its manufacturing, exporting and supply chain remain critical. Officials set up health centers and apps that told people with symptoms how to avoid infecting others, he said.

☆ Kagame criticizes U.S. over 'Hotel Rwanda' figure's detention
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Wednesday criticized the United States over the concerns it has raised in the case of Paul Rusesabagina, a U.S. permanent resident jailed in Rwanda who was portrayed as a hero in the film "Hotel Rwanda." Kagame, who was in Washington for a U.S.-Africa summit, questioned why Rwanda should release Rusesabagina because he is famous and a permanent resident of the United States. When asked if he would meet with U.S. President Joe Biden, Kagame said he was not sure yet. The United States in May determined that Rusesabagina had been "wrongfully detained," citing a lack of fair trial guarantees during Rusesabagina's trial. Rusesabagina, who was feted around the world after being portrayed by actor Don Cheadle in the 2004 film "Hotel Rwanda," is a vocal critic of Kagame.

☆ Senior U.S. delegation to visit China in coming days
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken reacts as he listens to a youth representative during a visit to Oxygen Park in Education City in Ar-Rayyan, Qatar on November 21, 2022. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink and National Security Council Senior Director for China and Taiwan Laura Rosenberger will travel to China, South Korea and Japan from December 11-14, the State Department said in a statement. The two leaders pledged more frequent communications at a time of simmering differences also on human rights, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and economic issues. The State Department said the delegation will follow up on the meeting "to continue responsibly managing the competition between our two countries and to explore potential areas of cooperation" and will also lay the groundwork for Blinken's visit. Campbell was speaking to an Aspen Security Forum event in Washington two days after the United States announced plans to step up its rotational military presence in key region ally Australia amid shared concerns about China.

☆ NATO's Stoltenberg warns against underestimating of Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Earlier on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited the newly recaptured southern city of Kherson in what marked Russian President Vladimir Putin's third major setback since the start of the war in February. "We should not make the mistake of underestimating Russia. Echoing U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's comments over the weekend, Stoltenberg said it was up to Ukraine to decide when and how it wanted to negotiate with Russia to end the war. So it is for Ukraine to decide what kind of terms are acceptable for them," he said. "What happens around the table is fundamentally linked to the situation on the battlefield," Stoltenberg said.

☆ Ukraine will make decision on any negotiations with Russia - Blinken
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Ukraine would decide on the timing and contents of any negotiation framework with Russia, according to a readout of Secretary of State Antony Blinken's meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Phnom Penh on Saturday. Blinken also discussed the United States' unwavering commitment to assist Ukraine in mitigating the effects of Russia's attacks on critical infrastructure as winter approaches, including accelerated humanitarian aid. "Secretary (Blinken) reiterated that the timing and contents of any negotiation framework remains Ukraine's decision," State Department spokesperson Ned Price said. During Saturday's meeting, Blinken and Kuleba reaffirmed the importance of renewing an agreement allowing Ukraine to export grain via the Black Sea, before it expires next Saturday. According to the United Nations, 10 million tonnes of grain and other foods have been exported from Ukraine under the Black Sea initiative agreed in July, helping to stave off a global food crisis.

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