"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.

The Taiwanese group signed a $300m agreement with local developer Kinh Bac City to expand its facilities northeast of Hanoi, amid reports it will make the Apple Watch there

Asian stocks fell in China, Japan, South Korea and India, but rose in Australia. 

The meeting comes on the heels of a new US CHIPS Act that includes $52 billion in subsidies for companies that make chips or conduct chip research in the United States.

The world's largest memory chipmaker said plans to invest about $15 billion in the centre at Giheung, south of the capital Seoul, over the next six years, it said

Seoul's participation in the first meeting of the 'Chip 4' group could heighten the stakes as it seeks to navigate the divide between the US and China over semiconductors

Nomura lowered its China economic growth forecast, citing dismal July activity data, the lingering impact of the pandemic, and the worst heatwave in six decades.

Japan's tax agency wants young people to propose ways to boost alcohol consumption to bolster tax revenues.

Washington and Taipei have agreed to start formal trade talks shortly on a new initiative. Taiwan hopes the talks, which are opposed by Beijing, could begin in September

Japan's Nikkei closed above 29,000 for the first time in seven months and China and Hong Kong stocks rose. South Korea was down.

Imports soared to a record $76bn in July, and with the yen falling 23% over the past year, the country's terms of trade are now the worst since 2015