Vice Commerce Minister Sheng Qiuping says SMES face greater pressure to survive amid Covid restrictions on mobility and risks of declining external demand.

News that Hino will suspend shipments of small trucks, because they missed the required number of engine tests, will also affect about 19,000 of Toyota's Dyna and Toyoace trucks

Shares slide on most Asian markets on Monday, as the dollar climbed, but shares rose in China after cuts in its benchmark lending rates

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said his department would list the types of digital currencies within the country, as a first step to identify which crypto assets to regulate, and how.

Factories in China's southwest will remain closed until Thursday and power use restricted in malls because of the prolonged heatwave and drop in hydropower output

"The hybrid bet is a turning point,'' said a person with direct knowledge of Toyota's plans. ``It will be a litmus test for Toyota's future and success in India.''

Some Chinese traders expect more Russian coal to flow into China in the fourth quarter when utilities in the northern region build stocks for the winter heating season.

The onshore yuan opened at 6.82 per dollar and touched a low of 6.8308, the weakest level since Sept 2020, while its offshore counterpart fell to a near two-year low of 6.852

China's economy narrowly avoided a contraction in the second quarter as widespread lockdowns and a property crisis took a heavy toll on consumer and business confidence.

Officials in western Sichuan province have maintained their ban on industrial facilities using power until Thursday, when rain has been forecast, a report on Sunday said

"We can expect more geopolitical contestation in the Asia-Pacific," he said, adding that Singapore would try its best to avoid being caught up in the "major power rivalry".

Japan is considering extending the range of its missiles from 100 kilometres to 1,000 kilometres to boost its ability to strike back against China, the Yomiuri daily said.