Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

BEIJING, September 8. /TASS/: Trade turnover between Russia and China in January-August 2019 grew 4.5% to $70.59 bln, China’s General Administration of Customs said on Sunday.

According to the data published by the agency, the volume of Chinese exports to Russia showed zero growth the first eight months of this year, estimated at nearly $31.14 bln. China’s imports of Russian goods and services increased 8.3% to $39.45 bln.

In July, trade turnover between the two countries reached $9.41 bln.

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong police fired tear gas to disperse protesters in the upmarket Causeway Bay shopping district on Sunday, after demonstrators had rallied at the U.S. Consulate calling for help in bringing democracy to the Chinese-ruled city.

Police moved on protesters from the Central business district who dispersed to nearby Admiralty, the bar district of Wan Chai and on to Causeway Bay in a now familiar pattern of cat-and-mouse clashes over three months of unrest.

BEIJING, Sept 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) – China’s exports fell in August by 1 per cent year-on-year amid a protracted trade war with the United States, official data showed on Sunday.

Exports fell to just over 214 billion dollars, while imports fell 5.6 per cent to just under 180 billion dollars, figures from the Beijing statistics office showed.

According to the figures, exports to the US took a particularly big plunge, dropping by 16 per cent to 37.3 billion dollars. 

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Thousands of Hong Kong protesters on Sunday chanted the U.S. national anthem and called on U.S. President Donald Trump to “liberate” the Chinese-ruled city, the latest in a series of demonstrations that have gripped the territory for months.

Police stood by as protesters, under a sea of umbrellas against the sub-tropical sun, waved the Stars and Stripes and placards appealing for democracy after another night of violence in the 14th week of unrest.

“Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong,” they shouted. “Resist Beijing, liberate Hong Kong.”

BANGKOK, Sept 8 (NNN–BERNAMA) – ASEAN collectively recorded higher trade and foreign direct investments (FDIs) last year despite current global economic uncertainties and the ongoing trade war between China and the United States (US).

In a joint statement in conjunction with the 51st ASEAN Economic Ministers’ (AEM) Meeting, the ministers said based on preliminary data, trade in goods in the region increased by 8.7 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) while trade in services expanded by 10.6 per cent y-o-y.

BANDAR SRI BEGAWAN, Sept 8 (NNN-BORNEO BULLETIN) – Despite heavy rain in some parts of the Brunei-Muara District yesterday afternoon, the haze condition continues to persist in the country.

A joint press statement released by the Department of Environment, said that the hazy conditions are due to predominant hot spots occurring in the Borneo region and carried over to Brunei by the prevailing southwesterly winds.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan braced for Typhoon Faxai on Sunday cancelling trains and flights in Tokyo with destructive winds of up to 216 kph (134 mph) and heavy rain expected to hit the region overnight, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Faxai, a woman’s name in Lao, could dump as much as 300 millimeters of rain in the next 24 hours, said the agency.

“Winds and rains could pick up suddenly, causing severe storms at sea, and there is a risk of record-breaking winds in the capital and other regions,” it said on its website.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s exports unexpectedly fell in August while imports shrank for a fourth month, pointing to further weakness in the world’s second-largest economy and underlining a pressing need for more stimulus as the Sino-U.S. trade war escalates.

Beijing is widely expected to announce more support measures in coming weeks to avert the risk of a sharper economic slowdown as the United States ratchets up trade pressure, including the first cuts in some key lending rates in four years.

HONG KONG (AP) — Demonstrators in Hong Kong planned to march to the U.S. Embassy on Sunday to drum up international support for their months-long protest movement, a day after attempts to disrupt transportation to the city’s international airport were thwarted by police.

The planned march from a central park to the embassy follows yet another night of clashes between police and protesters in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.

7 Sep 2019; MEMO: China is planning to invest $280 billion in Iran’s oil, gas, and petrochemical sectors that are being affected by US sanctions, according to Petroleum Economist magazine.

The energy affairs magazine quoted a senior source who was linked to the Iranian Oil Ministry, as stating that this enormous investment represents a key point in a new agreement between the two countries.