Emanuele Scimia

Loans worth 200 billion yuan. Chinese stock markets soar. The authorities inject additional liquidity into the system to reboot the economy, falling due to the coronovirus crisis.

The truce should precede the signing of a broader agreement. However, people continue to die in the country. 157,000 victims of the conflict, including 43,000 civilians. The number of Taliban attacks has grown following the failure of a previous negotiation with Washington.

Shanghai and Shenzhen almost recovered to pre-Lunar New Year levels. The Chinese authorities continue to inject liquidity into the system. The country's economy is expected to grow 5.5% in 2020, after a drop in the first quarter.

The European Union gets human rights provisions included in its trade deal with Vietnam, its second largest trading partner in Southeast Asia. The Europeans will be able to monitor labour and environmental protection in Vietnam. The European Commission withdrew some tariff preferences from Cambodia because of its violation of Cambodians’ political rights.

At least 63 million firms could close in the next three months. Hospitals and export firms also have a liquidity problem. Container traffic in Chinese ports has fallen by 20 per cent. The government has responded with expansionary measures that could however harm the banks.

The former high-ranking diplomat, who will run for a conservative party in a Seoul constituency, is critical of the Moon Jae-in administration. If elected he will work for Korean unification. Over the past two decades, 33,000 North Koreans have sought asylum in South Korea, but few are prominent members of the North Korean regime.

The Wuhan coronavirus epidemic has so far left over a thousand victims in China, while the number of people infected is 43,000. Outside China, the country most affected is Japan with 161 infected (of which about 140 are passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship), followed by Singapore (45), Thailand (33) and South Korea (28). In Europe and North America only a few dozen cases have occurred. There are no official confirmations of infections in Africa and Latin America. To counter the spread of the coronavirus, several governments have introduced travel restrictions to and from China.

The film won four awards, including the most coveted, for best film. New triumph for the Korean entertainment industry. A human story in a country increasingly torn by social divisions.

Led by the US, many countries are demanding that Taiwan be accepted by the organisation. Beijing's opposition complicates Taiwanese efforts to contain the epidemic. Taipei complains that international flights to the island have been cancelled because WHO treats it as part of China.

China is the largest air transport market after the United States. The main companies have suspended or reduced flights to Chinese airports. The carriers of Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea are the most exposed to the downturn.

Shenzhen and Shanghai rebounded on positive ground after central bank interventions. But experts predict problems for the real economy. Chinese GDP estimated below expectations in 2020, with devastating effects for Hong Kong and neighboring countries.

Speaking to Congress, the US president claims victory in the trade war with China, but an overall deal with Beijing remains elusive. Washington continues to oppose Huawei, is sending its warships into waters claimed by China, and plans to deploy hypersonic missiles to Japan.