Katherine Tai said the trade arrangement would involve US allies and friends. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the framework would be flexible and Congress would not be involved

Funds with large holdings of Chinese real estate companies have been hit hard by the crisis spurred by Evergrande and debt-laden developers

Hong Kong extended losses with tech firms among the biggest losers, while Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul, Wellington, Manila and Jakarta also saw sizeable selling

Allianz said its Chinese business won regulatory approval to become the first wholly foreign-owned life insurer in China created from a joint venture

Acting Health Minister Jens Spahn said his country was too dependent on imports from China in areas such as face masks and medical precursors, and needs to diversify its imports

Shares on most markets in Asia fell on Wednesday, dragged down by worries about inflation and Covid-19

The three countries' progress on vaccination, plus falling or low case numbers and relatively large tourism sectors were factors in them topping this rating, Oxford Economics said

American consumers face higher prices after a surge in Covid infections in Vietnam disrupted supply chains, says Bank of America

Morgan Stanley expects China to enjoy 5.5% GDP growth in 2022, after a record decline in debt this year

Fund manager hails the performance of mainland China's third bourse, where trading of shares in 81 companies got underway on Monday

A respite in the crisis surrounding troubled Chinese developer Evergrande and reports Beijing plans to ease financial rules on the property sector provided some much-needed support to the region

China's new Beijing Stock Exchange will launch on Monday and is poised to help boost fund-raising options for cash-starved smaller companies.