Asia Now Drives Global Economy, Outpacing West
The Shifting Balance of Power Towards Asia Asia isn't catching up to the global economy. It's running it. The $126T global economy chart just dropped — and the story isn't America's $30.6T. It's this: ↳ China: 4.4% growth — fastest of the top 4 ↳ India: 6.6% growth — on track to pass Japan by 2028 ↳ Indonesia: 5% growth — despite tariff headwinds Germany and Japan? 0.7–0.8%. Barely a pulse. While the West debates tariffs, Asia just continues growing. The center of economic gravity has moved. The chart proves it. Are you still thinking of Asia in the same way you did in 2005? #China #techwar #chips #tech @baoshaoshan @thecyrusjanssen @DOualaalou @lajohnstondr @PSTAsiatech https://t.co/K00gwT2w6M
EM Funds Shift to China, India, Taiwan Semis, Fintech
EM funds are pivoting hard: Nomura boosted China & India holdings while cutting Mexico & Brazil due to tariff jitters. Top bets? Taiwan semis and Indian fintech. Defensive growth is the play. Market's a mess, but they're playing it smart....
ADB Commits $70 B to Southeast Asia’s Energy, Digital Infrastructure
JUST IN: The Asian Development Bank is investing $70 billion in energy and digital infrastructure, highlighting Southeast Asia.
China‑India Shifts Spark Cautious Optimism in EM
Lazard's latest EM commentary is out. Q1 2026 saw key shifts in China and India driving performance. Vibe check: cautious optimism on quality equities. Worth a read for retirement strategy insights. 📉📈 EmergingMarkets
China’s New 5‑Year Plan Targets European Industry
European industry is in the crosshairs of China’s new 5-year plan https://t.co/vz2eM66YoX via @weberalexander https://t.co/tVtXFUCash
Rupee Hits Record Low Amid US‑Israeli Iran Conflict
#IndiaWatch🇮🇳: Thanks to the US-Israeli war on Iran, yesterday, the rupee reached a new ALL-TIME LOW to ₹95.43/USD. It all brings back one of Oscar Wilde’s most famous lines: “The chapter on the Fall of the Rupee you may omit. It...
US, China Seek AI Guardrails to Prevent Rivalry Crisis
U.S. and China Pursue Guardrails to Stop AI Rivalry From Spiraling Into Crisis "Nobody needs nuclear weapons, everyone needs AI." Admitting this is crucial, and casts proper light on export controls designed to slow China in this critical economic space.... https://t.co/HtqrbGHy8B
China’s Industrial Policy: System‑wide Investment Creates Overcapacity, Disguised Subsidies
This is the best summary of how China industrial policy works. It’s system level investment, which requires ‘overcapacity’ at sector level, and can look like subsidy at firm level.
China’s Agency Holdings Drop, Canada and Europe Gain
A little fun with the TIC data -- China's Agency holdings are down a lot the last few years: they are now about 150b v a peak of over 250b. But there is more going on to. Canadian holdings are up...
China Gauges US Moves, Eyes Potential Taiwan Blockade
Is China watching the Strait and seeing what the US does? In case China blockades Taiwan.
China Discovers 8.8 Bn‑barrel Oil Field in Iraq
Tough times for Iraq...but good news for the future of its oil sector. China's Zhenhua finds 8.8 billion bbl oil field in Najaf province near the Saudi border. This is a long way from any previous discoveries either in Iraq or...
Trump’s Blacklist Blunder Reveals Internal Beijing Strategy Conflict
Major Scoop from colleague: A mishandled blacklisting of Chinese tech firms gives insight into how the Trump administration can be at war with itself on a Beijing strategy https://t.co/CqsqJdyIlW
Emerging Markets Set to Outpace Nasdaq 100 Gains
As impressive as the Nasdaq 100's charge is as it pushes fresh record highs, there is another asset class that is looking to outperform the market-cap dense/tech oriented index: emerging markets. Here's the EEM ETF overlaid with the EEM-NDQ ratio:...
China’s Imports Lag Behind Domestic Demand Since 2012
One important stylized fact about the Chinese economy that doesn't get enough attention -- import growth has lagged domestic demand growth since at least 2012, and arguably since 2007 or so 1/3 https://t.co/K5wsTUcAhf
Emerging Markets Still Undervalued—Diversify Now
Saw an ad from another firm that said: "Emerging Markets: the train has left the station, but you can still catch it" 10/10. Never too late to diversify. Especially with EM valuations *still* way below US and DM.
Silence From High-Level Sources May Signal Imminent Hormuz Crisis
To be clear: I have no information, on or off the record. But my gut says something may break soon around Hormuz. What has my attention isn’t what sources are saying. It’s which high-level sources have suddenly gone quiet. Sometimes silence is the...
BIMCO Warns Project Freedom Pause Spikes Hormuz Risk
BIMCO Warns Abrupt ‘Project Freedom’ Pause Complicates Hormuz Risk Calculus. Oil and other products that come thru the Strait. Can this go on until supply shortage meets demand destruction? https://t.co/R2ZJUtaZxX
OpenSquareCap’s Q1 Letter Maps Post‑War Energy Market Outlook
Q1 letter from @OpenSquareCap is the best breakdown of Iran war energy implications I've read. The granularity of the supply chain analysis and alt data interpretation is just something else. Whatever the outcome of the conflict, this letter maps out where energy...
Dedollarization Fails: Rubles Require Dollars to Acquire
What does it take to buy Russian energy? Rubles. How many outside Russia have Rubles? Almost no one. Where does one get Rubles? Gazprom. How do you get them? With US dollars. 😂 This is how you write Dedollarization in Cyrillic…
Peace Deal Would Boost US Iran Oil Blockade
If we end up with a peace agreement - a big if at this stage - that'll count as a big win for the US blockade of Iran. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the key question for the West has been...
Staggering EM Reserve Losses Expose Policy Failures
The scale of EM reserve losses during this shock is staggering. More than anything, that tells you about policy dysfunction in certain EMs. Turkey kept its peg to USD, so it had no choice but to intervene a ton. Pakistan...
Energy Shocks Tighten Budgets, Downgrade Slovakia, Strain CEE
JUST IN: Energy shocks and support measures are straining Central and Eastern European finances, with Romania facing further budget tightening and risks to 2027 budget talks, negative outlooks for Hungary and Romania, and Slovakia's recent downgrade.
Strait of Hormuz Reopening Hinges on Immediate MOU Deal
According to the @Axios report, the Strait of Hormuz would only re-open "gradually" during a 30-day period of negotiations *if* an initial deal on a single page memorandum of understanding can be achieved in the next few hours/days. https://t.co/Ak6nBF0FRK
China’s Quiet Rise Undermines US Strategic Advantage
China has spent years removing what used to be America’s advantage. That changes behaviour. Not just for China, but for everyone around it. You focus on the rock. Russia. Iran. You miss who threw it. This is a snippet from David’s recent podcast episode with Grant...
China Urges EU to Drop Discriminatory Investment Rules
China Daily: "China has called on the EU to remove discriminatory requirements against foreign investors, local content mandates, compulsory transfers of intellectual property and technology, and restrictions on public procurement." https://t.co/WiZSoHM4tE
China’s Wind Surge Outpaces Global Capacity, Proves Prescient
NYT: "Last year, China installed three times as much wind power capacity as the rest of the world combined, even as its turbine exports jumped. The war has made China’s investments in wind look prescient." https://t.co/9AvdVUmIDM
China Tightens Global Port Control, Plays Long Game
The Economist reports that China has a TIGHTENING GRIP on critical ports AROUND THE WORLD. CHINA = KNOWS HOW TO CAREFULLY PLAY THE LONG GAME. https://t.co/OtRhEJQxj2
UAE's Glittering Image Masks Stagnant Economy and Corruption
Contrary to the media spinners, the UAE is NOT BOOMING. It’s a sunny place where a lot of shady characters reside. https://t.co/uUjCe5kFIJ
Asian Markets Surge on Trump‑backed Iran Optimism, Chip Rally
"Asian markets rally as Trump signals optimism for Iran deal South Korea, Taiwan shares hit fresh highs amid chip frenzy" https://t.co/V3d6axgmwB
China Purchases Iranian Oil Ahead of Trump's Beijing Visit
China is buying Iranian oil despite US sanctions. This is happening right before Trump makes his trip to Beijing. https://t.co/1J4eVbH5YU
India’s Cautious Stance Overlooks Decades of Foreign‑owned Success
In an article today in Bloomberg the journalists talk about how Shriram Finance deal is a test deal for India because of (among others) "India's guarded embrace of foreign capital" Who will tell these guys about presence of very high (even...
Chinese Automakers Face Excess Capacity, Seek Overseas Markets
Guess I should have said shrinking industry margins rather than summarised for stiklers for accuracy like Glenn: " In China alone, experts estimate annual demand of about 25mn cars against estimated factory capacity of 45-50mn. The prolonged price war and eroding...
China’s Quiet on Hormuz: Strategic Silence Explained
Cousin @JacobShap and I wax about China and whether its relative silence on Hormuz makes sense or not. https://t.co/0s4iCkXS7Q
Trump’s Project Freedom Risks Bypassing Iran’s Strait
VIDEO COLUMN: Can President Trump’s new ‘Project Freedom’ unblock the Strait of Hormuz? I take a look at his high-risk, high-reward shipping plan, trying to circumvent Iran’s grip on the crucial waterway. @Opinion https://t.co/u6if9l4171
China’s New Law Forces Firms to Defy US Sanctions
My take in @FortuneMagazine on China BUCKING US sanctions: "This is a move with teeth. Until last weekend, Beijing’s statutes were a paper tiger. With the issuance of Announcement No. 21, that changed, when Chinese were ordered to ignore US sanctions." https://t.co/EvWcJGEjHO
Iran Launches Strait Authority, Threatens $90B Fees
Iran does not care about any UN reg. They will do what they want with the Strait. They may be looking at $90bil in fees. What will Trump do?
From War‑torn Ruins to Outpacing the UK
Imagine telling someone in 1953 — as Korea lay in ruins after the war — that one day its stock market would be bigger than the UK's.
Japan Funds South Africa Ammonia‑coal Tech to Cut Emissions
Japan is seeking to boost its presennce in South Africa by offering an energy transition loan and a technology that allows ammonia to be blended with coal to reduce power plant emissions https://t.co/BC6XVYmL82
Asia and Middle East Dominate $13T Sovereign Wealth
Where the World’s $13T in Sovereign Wealth Is Held Key Takeaways 👉 Asia and the Middle East control the majority of the world’s $13 trillion in sovereign wealth. 👉 Norway alone holds over $2.1 trillion, the largest sovereign wealth fund globally. 👉 Middle Eastern...
Trump Eager for Xi Summit Amid Ongoing US‑China Tensions
Trump Says He Looks Forward to Xi Summit as US-China Tensions Persist - Bloomberg https://t.co/QmkfBpfXwd
China Gains Soft Power as Trump Undermines US Image
China is building soft power as Trump burns bridges After years of struggling to match the global popularity of the US, Japan and South Korea, Beijing’s image is improving https://t.co/uW4Qwj47rV
Project Freedom only Clears Outbound Tankers, Not Two‑way Flow
Project Freedom (the new US attempt to unblock the strait) is all about getting oil tankers out. So far, no indication the US is even contemplating a two-way traffic, with tankers going into the Persian Gulf. The later is a...
Oil Spikes Above $100 as Hormuz Closure Persists
The Strait of Hormuz remains closed, with the flimsiest of ceasefires looking flimsier by the hour, and oil prices have jumped back above $100 a barrel. At times like these, it’s important to remember that things can still get much, much,...
Iran’s Existential Threat Fuels Erratic Response to US Strait Push
What's happening in the Strait of Hormuz this week is very significant. Iran is blockaded, while at the same time the US is trying to open up the Strait to Western ships. All this is an existential threat to Iran...
Chinese Automakers Lead Africa’s Rapid EV Surge
Across Africa, EV adoption is now among the fastest-growing globally and Chinese automakers capturing the lion’s share of the market. On this week's Next Africa Podcast Jennifer Zabasajja looks at China’s growing grip on Africa’s EV fast lane. https://t.co/0eQfp5JrH4
Imran Khan's Imprisonment Triggers $2B Export Loss
#PAKWatch🇵🇰: Since IMRAN KHAN'S ILLEGAL IMPRISONMENT, Pakistan's exports are DOWN $2 BILLION. Under the rule of PM Sharif, PAK has descended into an economic nightmare. PAK’S MILITARY RUNS THE SHOW = ECONOMIC NIGHTMARE. FREE CAPTAIN PAKISTAN. https://t.co/c9msFFviC5
China, Indonesia Debut Cross‑border QR Payments, Boosting Yuan
SCMP: "China and Indonesia have launched a new cross-border QR payment system, marking the latest step in Beijing’s drive to build a regional digital payments network as it pushes to internationalise the yuan and reduce dependence on the US dollar." https://t.co/NEt62G5jZ7
Rising Inequality Threatens China’s Common Prosperity Goals
1/2 SCMP: "Chinese citizens are facing growing inequality in wages and wealth, constraining the country’s “common prosperity” agenda at a time of slowing economic growth, a prominent economist, Zhejiang University dean Li Shi, has warned." https://t.co/JhNycibuSx
EU Bans Chinese Inverters From Funded Clean‑energy Projects
SCMP: "The EU has taken its most direct step yet to cut Chinese clean energy hardware out of publicly funded projects, banning Chinese inverters from all EU-funded schemes in a move Brussels described as the first in a series of...
Indonesia's Q1 2026 GDP Hits 5.6% Growth, Fastest Since
JUST IN: Indonesia's GDP grew by 5.61% annually in the first quarter of 2026, the fastest rate since 2022.