Markets fell in Hong Kong and Shanghai amid the bleak economic outlook in China, but shares edged up in Australia and India

Production hubs in China have seen output hit by Covid-related lockdowns in Shanghai. There is also deep concern about the impact of growing tensions between the US and China.

Support for nuclear energy has re-emerged in Japan after the war in Ukraine and concern it caused about energy shortages. Kishida's government is also looking at green power sources.

The proportion of people in the region facing extreme poverty – living on less than $1.90 a day – could have eased to 2.9% in 2020 instead of rising to 5% because of the pandemic, it said.

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said that from Sept 7 visitors to Japan will no longer need to undergo pre-departure Covid tests

Industry ministry orders officials and firms to eliminate illegal activities in the sector, after the IEA called for a more diverse supply chain to reduce China's PV manufacturing dominance

Asian markets slid lower on Tuesday amid expectations of a further rate hike in the US, the slowdown in China, but financial stocks helped to pull India's Nifty 50 to a positive level

Juneyao Group is exploring a move into the EV market, where sales are booming because of generous government subsidies and tax incentives.

A climate law signed by Joe Biden last week, which restricts tax credits to firms making electric vehicles in the United States, may prompt Hyundai to start its Georgia facility this year.

Pinduoduo has briefed merchants on its plans but details have not yet been finalized, a source said.

To survive ''the crisis of the next three years,'' Huawei's strategy must shift from the pursuit of scale to a focus on profit and cash flow, said founder Ren Zhengfei in an email.

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