PETER’S ASIAN BUSINESS & FINANCE BRIEFING – Friday 13 February 2026, 06:00 Hong Kong

Summary

The episode covers four major Asian market stories: Singapore’s 2026 budget under Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, which projects a surplus, boosts AI investment, and offers household cost‑of‑living credits; the political fallout in the US as the House votes to overturn Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada; widespread Indian farmer protests against a proposed India‑US trade deal that could flood the market with US agricultural imports; and China’s yuan appreciation to a three‑year high driven by de‑dollarisation pressures. Expert commentary highlights the fiscal prudence of Singapore’s plan, the trade‑policy turbulence in Washington, the domestic political risk for Modi’s government, and the broader implications of a stronger yuan for global capital flows.