How China may react to Trump’s threat and bluster – Asia Times

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Donald Trump did make his four-year foreign policy statement when he comes back to the White House.

US citizens have chosen a president who adheres to an” America First” process, where US interests come initially, and is expected to be more separatist than the current president, Joe Biden.

While some unusual officials, including Hungarian Prime Minister&nbsp, Viktor Orban&nbsp, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, may welcome a second Trump administration, the same cannot be said about Chinese President Xi Jinping.

A Trump presidency back in the White House is unlikely to be great news for China, which has had worsening ties with the US since Trump’s first president.

China’s economic difficulties

In July 2018, Trump fought a never-before-seen trade war with the second-largest economy in the world and imposed tariffs that ranged from 25 % to 25 % on Chinese imports into the US.

But during his 2024 plan remarks, Trump suggested that US tariffs on Chinese products could go as high as 60 % or more.

China’s economy is in a slump, with slumping house prices, great local authorities debt and higher youth unemployment. More tariffs might ruin China’s economic treatment strategy, which depends greatly on exports.

However, a second Trump administration may not be the only thing Beijing worries about. China’s ambitions to lead the world Artificial market by 2030 are likely to be constrained by a Trump-led US, which would likely restrict the flow of engineering from the US or Europe to China.

The fresh US management may also use an economic decoupling approach to “derisk” itself from Chinese coverage. By shifting its supply chain somewhere, this may aim to reduce US dependence on China and stifle US investment there.

While Joe Biden’s prior high tariffs certainly strained relations between Trump and Beijing, the Russia-Ukraine war is another factor that severely damaged Sino-US relations. Beijing has threatened to sue China for aiding Russia in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and has accused it of supporting Moscow.

Luckily for Russia, a next Trump administration may turn the tide in Moscow’s pursuit. The transfer of Ukranian property that is already occupied by Russia might be included in a Trump-negotiated peace agreement. Trump may also slash or lift sanctions against Russia because the newly elected president-elect has” no passion for punishment.”

Beijing wants a strong alliance in Russia to counteract a world order led by the US and prevent Russia from focusing its attention on Ukraine in the event that Russia apparently fails to accept its conquest of Ukraine. But as the “dealmaker-in-chief” and leading proponent of an” America First” mission, what does Trump stand to gain from helping Russia?

Second, because Russia has grown increasingly dependent on China, Beijing’s effect in Russia could be undermined by helping it overcome its diplomatic and economic problems. Secondly, as a Russian-backed Iran affects US involvement in the Middle East, a new Trump administration may agent a Russian-Ukrainian peace authority that sees Russia withhold military aid from Iran and the latter’s local friends, such as Hezbollah.

As Iran’s influence in the region diminishes, Washington may open up more solutions tied up in the Middle East and refocus its resources elsewhere, such as China, if Washington so wishes. And that may destroy China’s socioeconomic recovery more.

And what future for Taiwan?

Trump has stated ambiguously whether he would support Taiwan in the event of a Taiwanese war, in contrast to Biden. There are, however, concerns that Trump might break with China and apply Taiwan as a negotiations chip, or even leave the island entirely.

Trump expressed anger over Taiwan’s” stolen” of the US semiconductor industry and claims that the island may pay more for its defence. However, his disagreement with Taiwan is not the main point.

If Beijing invaded Taiwan, Trump has indicated that he may impose tariffs on Chinese goods of up to 20 %. Given China’s financial difficulties and President Xi’s have to&nbsp, prove&nbsp, his value as a leader whose prestige and power are &nbsp, comparable&nbsp, to the creator of the People’s Republic of China, Mao Zedong, Xi may consider this a valuable business.

Beijing is likely to form relationships outside of the Western world as China prepares for difficulties brought on by a subsequent Trump presidency. As China lessens its reliance on the West for exports and investments, it may become more involved with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( GAL ) and the Gulf Cooperation Council ( GCC).

If the Middle Eastern regime’s aid declines, China may also talk to Iran. After all, more US sources in the Middle East may mean less sources to deal with the&nbsp,” Foreign risk”.

One issue that may make Trump concerned about Taiwan coming under Beijing’s manage, even if he does like the US to make more, is that the isle manufactures 60 % of all semiconductors. This product is essential for the global use of AI and electronics.

Elon Musk’s place in Trump’s second term is still a mystery. If Trump wins a second term, Musk would head a government efficiency commission.

What part does Musk play in bridging the Washington-Beijing divide, though, given that his Tesla electric cars are heavily dependent on the Chinese market and that Tesla has a factory there?

Chee Meng Tan is assistant professor of business economics, University of Nottingham

The Conversation has republished this article under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Trump tariffs threaten to torpedo the yuan – Asia Times

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Since Donald Trump’s November 5 vote gain, the Chinese yuan has traded below the main company’s fixing level. As the past and future US leader prepares to start large new trade wars, the evidence suggests that the markets are anticipating a weaker yuan.

A sensible assumption? Not sure if Gongsheng, the government of the People’s Bank of China, has anything to say about it. Pan and, for the time being, President Xi Jinping, want a steady trade rate versus the dollar.

The prominent one is assurance. A significant decrease in the renminbi could indicate to global investors that Asia’s largest economy is facing a serious issue in addition to a terrible property crisis, a growing deflation, and a significant capital flight.

The string, though, is how Trump’s coming trade war may include Team Xi scrambling to make money depreciation excellent again.

” Donald Trump’s win … is ushering in a new cycle of stress on the Foreign money”, says Wei He, an scientist at Gavekal Research.

What will happen if Trump implements his threats of fresh taxes after taking office in January, the main topic is. In this situation, it is very doubtful that the yen will be at its present level”, He said.

After Trump began imposing tariffs in 2018, the PBOC allowed a 13 % loss of the yuan in get” to largely restore trade competitiveness”, He says. So, it is “very likely” that it will allow depreciation once more, especially given the recent policy shift toward supporting local demand.

Again, this is n’t the most likely scenario as yuan internationalization&nbsp, has been a top Xi priority. Xi’s strategy to expand the dollar’s world use in finance and trade may be hampered by a weaker exchange rate.

In&nbsp, 2016, China&nbsp, won a place for the renminbi in the International Monetary Fund’s” special&nbsp, drawing&nbsp, right” box joining the dollar, yen, euro and pound. In the decades since, the stock’s usage has soared. Excessive exchange-rate interference then may dent confidence in the yuan, slowing its hinge toward reserve-currency standing.

At the same time, a falling yuan may increase the odds greatly indebted Chinese firms, including giant home designers, default on their international currency-denominated off-shore debts. That may improve the chance of new problems involving the China Evergrande Group and a Chinese asset dump.

The US Federal Reserve cutting costs as well as the monetary easing needed to support the dollar’s declines may harm Beijing’s deleveraging attempts, in part because of it. Xi’s inner group has made significant strides in eradicating economic abuse over the past few years.

That clarifies why Xi and Premier Li Qiang have been afraid to actively lower prices in the face of mounting negative forces.

Not surprisingly, the” PBOC now appears to be slowly renewing its defence of the money through large state-owned business banks”, says Gavekal’s He.

But if Xi switched program, it would destroy two unexpected dynamics.

One, it may produce Trump’s head explode, artistically speaking. He might retaliate by levying even higher taxes on mainland goods than the 20 % that all products entering the United States must pay are already telegraphed and the 60 % that all other countries have already telegraphed.

” If Trump does began a major industry war, China does, however, hit again, targeting American companies with interests in China, selling US bonds, devaluing the yuan and targeting US imports of agricultural items”, says Evie Aspinalla, a director&nbsp, at the British Foreign Policy Group think tank. ” It would have a significant impact on global trade. China, if it can, would rather avoid this, but if Trump follows through on his trade rhetoric, a tit-for-tat trade war seems all but inevitable”.

Trump, Aspinalla adds, has been “incredibly forthright throughout the campaign on his views on China, not least in his threats to impose 60 % tariffs on China. China, meanwhile, &nbsp, has pledged to continue to work with the US based on the&nbsp, principles of mutual respect, peaceful co-existence and win-win cooperation, claiming there are’ no winners’ in a trade war. 60 % tariffs would cripple the Chinese economy, which would put a strain on China’s ability to compete.

That threatened 60 % maneuver alone, UBS&nbsp, Group estimates, will cut China’s annual growth by more than half – chopping 2.5 percentage points off the gross domestic product ( GDP ) of the globe’s top trading nation. Due to sluggish retail spending, property investment, and new home sales, China increased only 4.6 % in the third quarter, up from 4.6 % last year.

A weaker yuan would have a negative impact on a region that is still too dependent on exports for comfort. As UBS&nbsp, economist Wang Tao warns, there’s a “risk of other countries raising tariffs on imports from China as well”, triggering a new wave of retaliatory trade curbs. A weaker yuan may also sway Asian governments to join the bottom-skinned nations.

In the past, Beijing’s beggar-thy-neighbor proclivities put officials from Tokyo to Jakarta on the spot. The top destination for Asian goods is by far China. A weaker yuan might spur regional governments to carry out the biggest devaluations since the Asian crisis of 1997-1998.

Stephen&nbsp, Innes, strategist at SPI Asset Management, notes that” the stakes are sky-high” if Trump goes full steam ahead with tariffs. ” For China”, he says,” the regional economic heavyweight, the options are stark: either devalue the yuan to protect exports or unleash a massive fiscal stimulus to spark domestic demand. A 60 % tariff could trigger a jaw-dropping 30%-45 % yuan devaluation, pushing dollar-yen&nbsp, skyward, possibly even past the 175 mark”.

For Asia, Innes adds,” a roaring dollar could spell disaster. The lifeblood of Asia’s emerging markets is local currency debt, which has lost all gains due to previous dollar surges. Some economies may experience a chokehold as a result of their significant external debts in US dollars. The Trump effect is a high-stakes gamble that could transform the financial landscape for years to come, despite Trump’s victory setting Wall Street on fire.

Context matters, of course, and most Asian economies are n’t approaching the Trumpian storm to come from a position of strength. Due to sluggish retail sales, weak business investment, and soft industrial production, Japan’s GDP continues to decline quarter after quarter. Hence the Bank of Japan’s reluctance to hike short-term rates above 0.25 %.

Political chaos is also raging in Japan. The Liberal Democratic Party lost absolute power late last month, marking the third straight year since 1955. With the assistance of coalition partners, the LDP and Shigeru Ishiba were able to snag control and the title of premier. On Monday, the parliament voted to let Ishiba stay on as Japan’s leader. He will now lead a minority Japanese government.

In Seoul, South Korean President&nbsp, Yoon&nbsp, Suk Yeol is struggling with a 19 % approval rating. Korea struggles to cope with record household debt, which slows down growth. Notably, Korea’s economy is dominated by a handful of giant, export-driven family-owned conglomerates whose profits are uniquely vulnerable to a new trade war.

Central bank officials in Taiwan are struggling with a housing bubble. Indonesia’s economy struggles to stop growing. Artificial intelligence is putting a strain on the Philippines ‘ vital call center sector, which is rapidly expanding. Singapore is having a cost-of-living crisis. Political conflict is preventing economic reforms in Thailand.

All of this implies that many Asian economies will import tariffs from countries already in place. China, too, as a massive property crisis drags on and increases the odds of deflation.

Jeremy Zook, an analyst at Fitch Ratings, says,” the potential exacerbation of current supply and demand trends, coupled with demographic and debt overhang challenges, poses a risk of sustained price falls”.

Chinese “domestic demand is weak, and a longer-than-expected real estate downturn is a significant risk to our growth forecasts”, Zook notes. ” Capital spending is increasing faster in export-oriented sectors. External demand is robust, but a slowing global economy in 2025 will likely constrain export growth”.

There is a case for the Communist Party of Xi’s devaluing the yuan. One of his 11 years in power was one of the most consistently consistent reform initiatives to create a stable and reliable currency regime.

” This was a commonly discussed topic throughout the year, and while it’s impossible to say for sure, we do not think this is a likely outcome”, says Lynn Song, economist at ING Bank. China’s emphasis on currency stabilization is not directly related to short-term trade flows, but it is likely to lessen pressure on capital outflows in the near future and make RMB trade settlement and internationalization easier.

In consequence, Song states that” we anticipate the PBOC to continue to resist significant movements for the RMB in either direction.” This position does not appear to be significantly changing.

The” PBOC might attempt to reset the yuan at a new equilibrium after incorporating the tariffs risk,” says Mizuho Bank’s chief Asian FX strategist, Ken Cheung. By front-loading onshore yuan depreciation, it could smooth out volatility during the US tariffs announcement, if any”.

Economist Robin Xing&nbsp, at Morgan Stanley notes that” we believe PBOC’s strategy could be to tolerate some onshore yuan depreciation against the dollar, but keep it outperforming other emerging-market currencies with intervention”.

All bets are off, of course, if Trump tries to out-devalue Asia. Trump’s supporters have suggested a unilateral dollar-price strategy to benefit US exporters. Trumpworld has been debating an Argentina-like pivot at the behest of advisors like Robert Lighthizer, Trump’s former and likely future international trade representative.

Or if Trump’s next Treasury Department attempts to upend the post-World War II” Bretton Woods” system in ways Trump 1.0 did n’t. Trump’s tax proposals could also lead to an even higher national debt, which would lead to credit downgrades that would cause the dollar to drastically fall.

For now, though, the” Trump trade” is sending the dollar higher and pulling waves of capital toward US assets. That is putting downward pressure on the yuan, which is raising concerns that Beijing might choose to pursue a downward trend.

Follow William Pesek on X at @WilliamPesek

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‘I lost nine teeth filming Squid Game’: BBC on set with show’s director

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Netflix The dystopian Korean drama became a global sensation when it was first released in 2021Netflix

The inventor of the popular Asian episode Squid Game immediately refutes my claims that he lost six tooth while shooting the first season. ” It was eight or nine”, he laughs.

Hwang Dong-hyuk is speaking to me on set as he movies the second set of his futuristic Netflix movie, which sees hundreds of debt-laden contestants fight it out for a hefty income reward, by playing a series of life-or-death children’s games.

However, it was n’t always possible to get a new series. At one level, he swore against making one.

I wonder what caused him to change because of the pressure it has caused.

” Money”, he answers, without hesitation.

” Even though the first series was such a huge global success, honestly I did n’t make much”, he tells me. But I’ll need to make up for the accomplishment of the first one, too, by starting the next series.

” And I did n’t fully finish the story”, he adds.

The second line was Netflix’s most powerful show to day, thrusting South Korea and its home-grown television plays into the light. People around the world were moved by its dark remark on wealth inequality.

However, Hwang has had to start from scratch with a new put and collection of game after killing off nearly every figure. This day, market expectations are sky high.

” The anxiety I feel now is little greater”, he says.

Hwang is even more skeptical about the state of the world three times after the first line first aired.

He points to the growing global wealth divide, climate change, and present war. Problems no longer exist only between the wealthy and the poor, he claims, but they exist actively between various generations, genders, and political parties.

” New lines are being drawn. We’re in an age of us vs them. Who’s straight and who’s incorrect”?

Netflix The creators of the series say the second season will see more factionalism and fights among the contestantsNetflix

As I toured the show’s lighthearted cast, with its peculiar brightly-coloured staircase, I picked up a few clues as to how the movie’s despair will get reflected this time around.

In this set, the preceding success, Gi-hun, re-enters the game on a mission to bring it down and save the latest square of candidates.

According to Lee Jung-jae, who plays the leading figure, he is “more eager and determined” than previously.

The surface of the hostel, where the contestants sleep at night, has been divided in two.

The logos for both sides have a large red fluorescent X symbol and a blue circle.

Then, after every game, the players must get a side, depending on whether they want to stop the contest earlier and live, or stay playing, in the knowledge all but one of them may die. The majority choice laws.

This, I am told, may lead to more divisiveness and conflicts.

It is a piece of chairman Hwang’s effort to expose the consequences of a more tribalized world. Forcing individuals to choose sides, he believes, is fuelling issue.

Some people found Squid Game wantonly harsh and difficult to watch despite the shocking storytelling of its fans.

Talking with Hwang makes it abundantly clear that the violence has been thoroughly considered. He is driven by a growing sense of unease and has a deep concern for the earth.

I kept asking myself,” Complete we people have what it takes to navigate the world off this downward way,” when creating this series. ‘. Honestly, I do n’t know”, he says.

Fans of the second line can be comforted that some of the game’s plot holes will be filled in, such as why the sport exists and what motivates the veiled Front Man running it, despite not receiving the answers to these important life questions.

” People will see more of the Front Man’s history, his narrative and his thoughts”, reveals the artist Lee Byung-hun, who plays the strange position.

” I do n’t believe this will warm up viewers, but it might help them understand his choices,” he said.

As one of South Korea’s most famous actors, Lee admits that having his face and eyes covered and his words distorted throughout the first line, was” a little bit dissatisfying”.

He has enjoyed getting displays where he can fully express himself in his own voice in this line, which he almost did not expect.

Getty Images Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk says Netflix paid him a modest upfront amount for the showGetty Images

Before Netflix swooped in, Hwang unsuccessfully tried for ten years to make Squid Game and to secure big money to support his family.

He was unable to cash in on the staggering £650m it is thought to had made the program because they only paid him a small upfront sum.

This explains the romantic relationship that North Korean film and television producers have with global streaming services.

Over the past few years, Netflix has stormed the Asian industry with billions of dollars of expenditure, bringing the industry worldwide reputation and love, but leaving authors feeling short-changed.

They claim that the program is obliging them to renounce their rights when they enter contracts, and that this is infringing on their right to profit.

This is a global concern.

In the past, authors could depend on a percentage of box office profits or TV reruns, but streaming giant have n’t yet adopted this strategy.

According to creators, South Korea’s archaic copyright laws, which do not protect them, add to the problem.

This summer, performers, artists, directors and suppliers teamed up to form a social, to fight the system up.

” In Korea, being a film producer is just a task name, it’s certainly a way to make a living”, the vice-president of the Korean Film Directors Guild, Oh Ki-hwan, tells the visitors at an occasion in Seoul.

Some of his producer friends, he says, work part-time in stores and as car owners.

Park Hae-young is a writer at the celebration. When Netflix bought her present,’ My Independence Notes’, it became a worldwide reach.

” I’ve been writing my entire life. So, to find international recognition when competing with makers from across the globe, has been a pleasant experience”, she tells me.

Park claims that she is hesitant to “pour her entire” into her second series due to the current streaming model.

” Frequently, I’ll spend four or five years making a crisis in the belief that, if it’s successful, it was relatively secure my coming, that I’ll get my fair share of payment. Without that, what’s the point of working so hard”?

She and other creators are urging the South Korean government to repeal its copyright laws, making it impossible for production companies to share their profits.

The South Korean government told the BBC that the industry had the final say in resolving the issue, even though it acknowledged the need for a change. A spokesperson for Netflix told us it offers” competitive” compensation, and guarantees creators” solid compensation, regardless of the success or failure of their shows”.

Hwang, the director of Squid Game, hopes that Hwang’s candor will lead to that change.

He has undoubtedly sparked a fair pay debate, and the industry will undoubtedly benefit from watching his second season.

He claims that his teeth are once more painful when we catch up after the filming has finished.

” I have n’t seen my dentist yet, but I’ll probably have to pull out a few more very soon”.

On December 26, 2024, Netflix will release the second season of Squid Game.

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China consumer prices rise at slower rate in October

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SHANGHAI: China’s consumer inflation rate slowed in October, official data showed Saturday ( Nov 9 ), in a sign that demand remains sluggish in the world’s number two economy. Regulators have been attempting to boost domestic exercise as a home problems strains confidence. The consumer price index ( CPI), aContinue Reading

China’s .4 trillion debt swap girds for Trump tariffs to come – Asia Times

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The US$ 1.4 trillion debt swap package announced by China today ( November 8 ) may have a more significant impact than what might seem.

The shift to mortgage regional authorities bill, approved by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, marks the first such effort since 2015 to increase the debt roof for communities.

It comes amid concerns about a new Donald Trump presidency that will restore world trade wars, inflationary pressures, and great youth unemployment.

The swap agreement, according to Finance Minister Lan Fo’an, “is a big policy decision taking into account international and domestic advancement environments, the need to maintain the stability of the financial and fiscal operations, and the actual development situation of nearby governments.”

Lan reckons the swap might save roughly 600 billion yuan ( US$ 84 billion ) in interest payments over five years, freeing additional resources to boost investment and consumption. As of the close of 2023, Lan estimates, China’s excellent hidden debt was 14.3 trillion yuan.

Some economists think Friday’s action is enough to revive assurance, as evidenced by a fall in stocks and the renminbi. Most people do n’t believe that this will be the final attempt to alter the story.

As Carlos&nbsp, Casanova, scholar at Union Bancaire Privée, sees it,” the local authorities debt swap program remains inadequate, but extra measures could inspire a recovery in personal investment and a broadening of local consumption”.

Some economists believe that there might still be room for more immediate action to increase home need. What the transfer system may do, though, is get Xi’s Communist Party some time to implement critically needed changes.

Everyone is aware that Team Xi needs to concentrate on strengthening money markets and repairing the property market. Beijing has act more quickly to lessen its hold on power over state-owned enterprises and create more room for startups to stifle the economy. Additionally, authorities had create stronger social safety nets to encourage families to invest more and keep less.

However, despite the desire for these improvements, international investors rarely grant Beijing the patience to carry them out. And efforts to fix, change or adapt China’s economic engines are sure to lower rise significantly. Markets, though, wo n’t hear of it.

Any hint of disappointing island progress causes Chinese stocks to be sold off by international investors. It encourages economists all over to describe the decline in global progress, trade flows, and commodity prices in frequently depressing, market-deflating conditions.

It results in Xi becoming the financial relative of a CEO struggling to produce quarterly earnings. This pattern fosters short-termism, which is one that contributes to Beijing’s gradual progress with China Inc.

Granted, Xi’s group does itself no privileges by continuing to reveal annual development goals. Setting subjective GDP goals year after year distorts incentives and causes policymakers to promote trigger over supply-side retooling.

With this most recent trigger explosion, Xi’s reform team may gain some reluctance from global markets. It’s ambitious enough to convince skeptical people that China is committed to permanently putting an end to recession.

Restoring trust “relies on fiscal and monetary policy help lifting minimum demand”, says Alex Muscatelli, scientist at Fitch Ratings. ” If present trends in the home market are exacerbated, price falls may be entrenched”.

Muscatelli adds that there is a chance of sustained value declines as a result of the “potential exacerbation of recent supply and demand styles coupled with demographic and debts overhang challenges.”

Avoiding that “exacerbation” means pairing monetary and fiscal stimulus with strong revamping moves to increase China’s dynamic activity.

Premier Li Qiang stated in a statement at the China International Import Expo that Beijing has “ample room for fiscal plan and financial policy,” adding that the country will meet the country’s 5 % goal this year. ” The Taiwanese government has the ability to push sustained financial improvement”, Li said.

However Trump’s re-election ups the ante on Beijing. Travel January 2025, when he’s sworn in, Trump will be on the time to hit 60 % levies on Asia’s biggest economy, as he vowed he would on the plan path.

” To mitigate rising US taxes on the market, we believe Beijing had probably scale up governmental stimulus”, says Robin Xing, a planner at Morgan Stanley. Xi may feel compelled to do something about them the more Trump raises trade tensions, according to Xing.

With a Trump success, ING Bank’s main China analyst Lynn Song adds that” the chances for a larger policy assistance package will increase fairly.”

Although China is more prepared to stifle global trade, Eurasia Group’s China practice’s managing director Rick Waters claims Beijing may struggle to stop the collateral damage.

According to Waters,” I believe the challenge is that China is still at a structural disadvantage in a trade war because they lack symmetry.” When the US imposes tariffs on them, they are unable to do so.

Song counters that” the first trade war was a game changer, many companies were caught off guard, and investors were left scrambling. Trump’s proposed tariffs have been in discussion for some time, so they should n’t surprise you much this time around.

Yet the magnitude of the trade tariffs to come could be unprecedented. Take the 100 % tariffs Trump has threatened on Mexican-made cars. How long do Toyota and Hyundai CEOs anticipate that Trump will extend their agreements to South Korea and Japan?

Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group, says,” the world’s second-largest economy is already underperforming, and Beijing is feeling increasingly defensive about the tariff threats coming from hawks like former Trump trade czar Robert Lighthizer”.

The Chinese, Bremmer adds, “are going to be frantically trying to establish back channels to China-friendly Trump allies like Elon Musk, hoping they can facilitate a less confrontational relationship. Trump’s hawks will gain favors and demand an even more confrontational strategy, or both? Beijing will move cautiously and slowly in this environment”.

Alicia García-Herrero, chief Asia-Pacific economist at Natixis, notes that an “insufficient stimulus package, coming on the heels of Trump’s re-election” would backfire, meaning China “needs to find other sources of growth because trade will not make it”.

Another concern is how these and other Trump levies might conflict with Wells Fargo &amp, Co.’s strategy to lower interest rates, writes Brendan McKenna.

More tariffs could fan inflation, he says, adding that the Fed easing “less aggressively” than currently forecast could “act as a tailwind for the dollar”.

China is hardly recession-bound. Data on exports in October, for example, signaled a healthy acceleration — the biggest upshift in activity since mid-2022. In response to Trump’s tariffs, some analysts wonder if Beijing might devalue the yuan in retaliation.

” Beijing might look to devalue the yuan as they did in 2018-2019 to counter tariff effects and boost export competitiveness”, says Dilin Wu, a research strategist at brokerage Pepperstone.

It’s a difficult balancing act. China, after all, is facing multiple challenges from several angles. And if the yuan falls, the biggest of all might get worse. If the yuan drops significantly, property developers who have sizable offshore debt may find it more difficult to make payments.

China’s obsession with annual growth goals plays a major role in the weaker yuan argument. It’s become a particular distraction since the 2008-2009 Lehman Brothers crisis era.

Since then, China’s growth model has relied heavily on municipal leaders around the nation ordering up huge projects: six-lane highways, monorails, international airports, stadiums, conference and shopping centers, city hall complexes, corporate campus districts, five-star hotels, massive museums.

For local government leaders, making China’s annual numbers has dominated the economic incentive structure. A motivated local powerbroker can consistently turn in above-average GDP rates, which is the quickest way to capture Beijing’s attention.

When Xi rose to power in 2012, he pledged to let market forces play a “decisive” role in economic policymaking. Beijing has worked for the past five years to lessen risk in the financial system and reduce risks for property developers to demonstrate this. However, the GDP goal contradicts that priority.

The problem, argues Thomas Helbling, deputy director of the International Monetary Fund’s Asia-Pacific unit, is that” the economy is very investment heavy”.

The biggest headwinds China’s way is being slowed by the property crisis and falling global demand, according to the IMF. Yet, so is a growth model that encourages unproductive borrowing.

Beijing, Helbling says, must level the playing field for private businesses to compete with state-owned enterprises. To encourage consumption and boost investment in education and technology, it must create a strong social safety net. Pension reforms are also crucial to dealing with China’s aging population.

” If you do those reforms, there is an upside to growth”, Helbling concludes.

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China is trying to fix its economy. Trump could derail those plans

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Reuters US President Donald Trump meeting with China's President Xi Jinping during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, 29 June, 2019.Reuters

As it prepares for a minute Donald Trump administration, China is expected to announce new measures to improve its sagging market.

Trump won the election on a program that promised rough transfer fees, including levies as high as 60 % on Chinese-made products.

His success is then possible to stymie Xi Jinping’s plans to turn the nation into a tech powerhouse and more stress relations between the world’s two largest economies.

A home fall, rising government loan and poverty, and low consumption have slowed down Chinese expansion since the pandemic.

The most recent announcement from China’s legislature’s Standing Committee, the National People’s Congress ( NPC ), is now in high demand.

Trump imposed tariffs of up to 25 % on Chinese goods during his first term in office.

According to China analyst Bill Bishop, Trump may be told what he will with his new tax strategies.

” I think we should believe that he means it when ]he ] talks about tariffs, that he sees China as having reneged on his trade deal, that he thinks China and Covid cost him the 2020 election”.

After Trump left the White House in 2021, the force from Washington did not comfortable. The Biden presidency maintained and, in some cases, expanded the steps.

China is now much more resilient than it was before the Trump tariffs were imposed.

Since immediately abdicating its stringent Covid restrictions two years ago, the business has been having trouble returning to pre-pandemic levels of growth.

China has become a frequent source of depressing economic information rather than delivering the broadly anticipated, fast-paced recovery.

Even before Trump’s election victory and after China began rolling out measures to support its economy in September, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) lowered its annual growth target for the country.

The IMF now expects the Chinese economy to expand by 4.8 % in 2024, at the lower end of Beijing’s” about 5 %” target. Next time, it projects China’s annual growth rate will drop further to 4.5 %.

But the government’s officials were not caught completely off watch by the end to decades of super-fast progress.

President Xi stated in 2017 that his nation intended to move from “rapid rise to a period of high-quality development.”

Chinese officials have since used the phrase to describe a change to an market driven by superior manufacturing and natural industries.

Some economists contend that China may just import out of trouble.

China challenges falling into the type of decades-long slowdown that Japan endured after a property and house bubble burst in the 1990s, Morgan Stanley Asia’s past chair, Stephen Roach, says.

To avoid that fate, he says China may bring “on undeveloped customer demand” and walk away from “export and investment-led development”.

That would not only encourage more sustainable growth but also lower” trade tensions and]China’s ] vulnerability to external shocks”, he says.

poses.

New business, aged issues

But China, which has long been the country’s shop for low-cost products, is trying to replicate that achievements with high-tech imports.

It is already a world leader in solar panels, electric vehicles ( EVs ) and lithium ion batteries.

China currently accounts for at least 80 % of solar panel production, according to the International Energy Agency ( IEA ). Additionally, it is the largest producer of EV chargers and capacitors.

China continued to show “remarkable improvement in adding clean capacity,” according to the IEA, accounting for a fourth of the world’s total next year.

” For convinced there is an entire effort to support high-tech production in China”, says David Lubin, a senior research fellow at London based-think pond, Chatham House.

” This has been very successful”, he adds.

Exports of electric vehicles, lithium ion batteries and solar panels jumped 30 % in 2023, surpassing one trillion yuan ($ 139bn, £108bn ) for the first time as China continued to strengthen its global dominance in each of those industries.

That export growth has helped to lessen China’s economy’s impact from the continuous estate crisis.

” China’s overcapacity will increase, there is not question about it. They have no other source of growth”, said Alicia Garcia-Herrero, general analyst for the Asia Pacific region at investment banks Natixis.

However, in addition to those increased imports, there has also been more opposition from Western nations, including not just the US.

Only last month, the European Union increased tariffs on Chinese-built Vehicles to as much as 45 %.

The issue is that large consumers of those items, including Europe and the US, are extremely reluctant to accept them, according to Katrina Ell, analysis director at Moody’s Analytics.

Beijing will have to consider whether its most recent measures to improve its slowing market may be sufficient as Trump prepares to return to the Oval Office with a pledge to nail Chinese imports.

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‘Trump trade’ wins, Asia loses as risk factors surge – Asia Times

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It’s obvious Donald Trump’s big gain is a game-changer of epic sizes, from the harsh effect in Asian economies to the frantic press speculation about what lies ahead.

The declines in Chinese securities and the yuan only demonstrate how investors are quickly rearranging their strategies for addressing global financial risks and opportunities. The money surged on the news Trump scored a&nbsp, next term. US companies jumped, as did crypto prices. Provides on US Treasury securities shot higher, also.

The” Trump trade” that Asia has in mind is to take cover. A Trump 2.0 White House may certainly be more inward-looking, putting Asia’s export-oriented economy in harm’s way.

A large fire radius is present. Though aimed at China, Trump’s designed 60 % tariffs will destroy Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and another trade-driven markets. The aftermath on shipping flows could be unimaginable.

According to Dubravko Lakos-Bujas, a planner at JPMorgan,” a significant increase in tariffs would reflect the most significant departure in policy from the latest administration and possibly the largest source of volatility.” The current macro environment is significantly different from what it was eight years ago, when the business cycle was in its mid-cycle, when the Fed did n’t care about inflation, and when pro-growth 1.0 policies were simpler to implement and had a greater impact on the bottom line.

Trump’s win over Kamala Harris is more of a “black swans” occasion for Asia than a “gray one.” Unlike the past, the latter is a repetitive but doubtful results. A “gray swan”, though, does have its own&nbsp, serious consequences, too.

Unexpected effects might be a way to strengthen Xi Jinping’s influence in China. Trump may effectively strengthen it by attacking Beijing with such an aggressiveness that he essentially strengthens by compulsion to integrate with an Eastern economy with China at its core and not an America led by an uneven, mercantilist president who blames Asia for many of his country’s failings.

For Asia, the best-case situation is that Trump’s tax risks are more a negotiating strategy than a real accompli. In fact, Goldman Sachs economists predict that Trump may only establish 20 % tariffs on China and resist the urge to impose blanket charges on other countries.

Trump may turn the other means and impose taxes he has previously threatened to impose. Trump has already stated that there will be 100 % taxes on Mexican car exports.

How much is manufacturers in Japan and Korea hope to avoid such restrictions, especially given that Tesla’s CEO has Trump’s ear? At the very least, electronic vehicle charges will be stacked confidently against non-US manufacturers.

The&nbsp, financial challenges &nbsp, may be even greater. One is that a penny march that has already irritated Asia will take a turn. For years, the economy’s “wasteball” impulses have shook international markets. It has lured enormous waves of global capital west, disadvantaging emerging-market markets in specific.

The difficulty, explains Tom Dunleavy, a companion at MV Capital, is that emerging markets “rely strongly on assets and have debts in money”. The majority of business and debt is also based in dollars, along with fuel. And he says that” the ratio of everything is going up.”

Regardless of the dubious reasoning behind it, the more packed a continued-dollar-strength business becomes as the result of the global fallout when depressed punters flee for their exits. And Trump was serve up some such situations.

Though Trump’s tariffs get the headlines, Asia is extremely worried about what his next president may mean for the Federal Reserve, the keeper of the world’s top supply money.

Trump put the techniques on the Fed during his 2017-2021 stay in the White House. Jerome Powell sabotaged his hand-picked Fed chair, and he went after him frequently. In 2019, Powell bowed to unrelenting force from&nbsp, Trump, who also threatened to fire him.

That’s how the world’s most powerful economic authority added liquidity to a flourishing business that did n’t need new substances. Trump’s Fed meddling set the stage for the post-Covid-19 price surge to come. It also tarnished the Fed’s credibility in global markets.

For Asia, Trump’s Fed policies are especially worrisome. The region’s central banks are armed with the largest stocks of US Treasury securities. Japan alone holds$ 1.1 trillion of US debt, China$ 770 billion.

Together, Asia’s largest holders of dollars own about$ 3 trillion worth. Trump 2.0 would put at risk vast amounts of Asian state wealth if his fiscal policies push Washington’s debt far above today’s US$ 35 trillion.

Not to mention the ways China might retaliate, leading to cycle of tit-for-tat trade curbs. Or might Beijing make a move to dump sizable amounts of Treasuries to punish the Trump 2.0 gang?

Or what if Trump’s designs on altering the Fed’s mandate come to pass? A key plank of the” Project 2025″ strategy that the Heritage Foundation devised for a&nbsp, second Trump term&nbsp, is watering down Fed independence.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Trump took shots at Powell and his fellow policymakers. ” I think it’s the greatest job in government”, Trump said. Everybody talks about you like a god when you say,” Let’s say flip a coin,” and you show up to the office once a month.

Trump also contends that the White House has every right to compel the Fed to do its bidding.

Trump once remarked in August that the Federal Reserve had “kind of got it wrong” ( very interesting ). He went on to say that” I feel the president should have at least ]some ] say in there, yeah. I feel that strongly. I think that, in my case, I made a lot of money. I was very successful. And I believe I have a better instinct than those who, in many cases, would be chairman of the Federal Reserve.

This could put the Fed’s economic role closer to that of the People’s Bank of China.

To be sure, the concept of central bank independence has been muddied. Take the&nbsp, Bank of Japan, which has held interest rates at or near zero for 25 years. What truly self-governing central bank would do that?

Yet the Fed is a different story. The dollar serves as the foundation of global finance and trade. Trump frequently discussed using a weaker dollar to gain a competitive advantage during his first term. Any policy change that undermines confidence in the US government and the dollar makes the world system shakier.

A weaker dollar could fan inflation. That, on top of Trump’s tariffs, could put the Fed in a very tough spot as Trump looks over Powell’s shoulder. Economists are frantically debating how all of this might turn out.

” On the US dollar, Trump wants to revitalize US manufacturing and exports”, says Will Denyer, an analyst at Gavekal Research. He may try to manipulate the dollar lower because he recognizes that the strength of the US dollar is an obstacle to these goals.

However, Denyer says, “he has few good options. Given how dependent the US government and companies are on foreign capital today, it is difficult to use capital controls to deter foreign inflows. And if Fed chair Jay Powell persists until the end of his term in May 2026, leaning on the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates wo n’t be simple in the near future.

Trump might try to use the threat of tariffs as a negotiating tactic in an effort to revalue their currencies, Denyer adds. However, it is doubtful whether multilateral or even broader economic policy changes will significantly weaken the US dollar in the absence of broader economic policy shifts.

This, Denyer concludes,” will leave Trump to hope that continued disinflation allows the Fed to cut rates, weakening the US dollar. However, there is a sizable probability that loose fiscal policy and sticky inflation will keep&nbsp, monetary policy&nbsp, relatively tight, supporting the US dollar and confounding Trump’s aim of weakening the currency”.

Another irrational possibility: whether Trump will continue to flirt with defaulting on US debt. He declared to CNBC in 2016 that he would “know that you could make a deal” if the economy crashed. And if the economy was good, it was good. So, therefore, you ca n’t lose”.

Trump considered canceling Beijing’s debt while serving as president for the first time in light of trade tensions. With the US national debt twice the size of Chinese gross domestic product, it’s easy to see how that would make the 2008″ Lehman shock” seem quaint by comparison.

Asian assets are also weighed by the threat of geopolitical conflict. One example is what a Trump 2.0 foreign policy team might have for Taiwan.

Trump’s return is music to Vladimir Putin’s ears, giving the Russian leader greater scope to commandeer&nbsp, Ukraine&nbsp, once and for all. Compared with US President Joe Biden’s administration, Trump also seems less likely to come to Taipei’s defense if China moved against the island of&nbsp, 23 million people.

Asia investors will also keep their bets guessing about the direction US policies in the Middle East will take. Trump, for instance, might give Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu more freedom to fight the conflict in Gaza. He’s also likely to tighten sanctions on Iran, adding fresh uncertainty to oil supply dynamics and, by extension, energy prices.

” Conceptually, the impact of a potential second Trump term on oil prices is ambiguous”, says commodity researcher Yulia Zhestkova Grigsby at Goldman Sachs.

As Trump 2.0 assumes power, other issues will concern Asian governments. Japan and Korea are concerned that Trump’s “grand bargain” trade agreement with Xi leaves other top Asian nations staring in from the distance.

All that’s clear, though, is that there will be fewer guardrails or inhibitions as Trump seeks to “make America great again” at Asia’s expense.

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State railway sees ‘huge promise’ in 28 land plots

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To a company for area development and management, thousands of rent contracts were transferred.

PUBLISHED: 6 Nov 2024 at 17: 22

State Railway of Thailand (SRT) governor Veeris Ammarapala (third from right) hands over 12,333 land lease contracts to Pol Col Supakorn Supasincharoen, an executive of SRT Asset Co, on Monday. Looking on (in yellow jacket) is Deputy Transport Minister Surapong Piyachote. (Photo: SRT public relations Facebook page)
State Railway of Thailand ( SRT ) governor Veeris Ammarapala ( third from right ) hands over 12, 333 land lease contracts to Pol Col Supakorn Supasincharoen, an executive of SRT Asset Co, on Monday. Looking on ( in yellow jacket ) is Deputy Transport Minister Surapong Piyachote. ( Photo: SRT public relations Facebook page )

The State Railway of Thailand ( SRT ) is pinning its hopes on planned commercial development of 38, 500 rai of land it owns, including 28 plots with “enormous” potential, to bring in 20 billion baht in revenue over the next four years.

According to information released by the National Economic and Social Development Council ( NESDC ), the SRT lost 17.8 billion baht last year. The state organization is perpetually losing money, and it also has an accumulated bill of about 300 billion ringgit.

SRT Asset Co, a house management online established in 2020, has so far taken over the administration of 12, 233 lease agreements covering 38, 469 ray of property, SRT government Veeris Ammarapala said on Wednesday.

The plots fall under the category of “non-core,” meaning they are not intended to be used for key road operations or related activities.

The SRT is one of the country’s largest owners with 240, 880 ray in all, almost 202, 000 ray of which is considered core business area. But, not all the non-core company area has the ability to be developed for professional purposes.

SRT Asset has had little exercise to time, with revenue last year of merely 660, 000 ringgit, according to the NESDC.

Of the 12, 233 area lease contracts it has acquired, 5, 856 were previously handled by the SRT’s asset management office, 6, 369 by the coach operations section and the other eight by the signal and communications division, said Mr Veeris.

SRT Asset is also in charge of finding new plots of land to purchase for development projects and finding private partners to work together to develop either existing or new narratives, according to the government.

According to Mr. Veeris, the SRT anticipates a 5 % share of all development projects ‘ online income from SRT Asset Co., adding that the SRT will continue to be the owner of the land while its company will handle it.

He claimed that three phases are being used to divide the development of 28 plots that are deemed to have great possible.

Starting next year, the first phase will involve seven plots: the Bang Sue-Klong Tan (RCA ) project, Sila At, Klong San Market, Ratchaprarop, Phahon Yothin, Bang Sue Area and the Nong Khai station project, Mr Veeris said.

The other two aspects may be carried out from 2026 through 2029, he added.

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Bread & Kaya 2023 Pt2: The syariah court tackles crypto, the importance of experts in software disputes and online sexual grooming

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  • If , dealing with Bitcoin, guidelines by Jawatankuasa Fatwa Negeri Selangor to been followed.
  • Never a defence for an accused&nbsp, to say that they&nbsp, did not know that the target is a baby

Bread & Kaya 2023 Pt2: The syariah court tackles crypto, the importance of experts in software disputes and online sexual grooming

Bread & Kaya 2023 Pt2: The syariah court tackles crypto, the importance of experts in software disputes and online sexual groomingAfter revealing some striking situations yesterday, I now look at a few more ones that readers will undoubtedly find fascinating. I’ll give some advice on what to watch out for in 2024 cyber-related scenarios that might come up in court.

Possession of bitcoins in the Syariah Court

Mohd Nahar Bin Mohd Nasir is described in Rosmaliza Bin Mohamad Rosli Lwn ( Mahkamah Tinggi Syariah Shah Alam di Negeri Selangor ). .. Kes Mal Bil. : 10100-049-0757-2019 ), the plaintiff wife sought a declaration that Bitcoin amounting to 206.9967889 which is equivalent to RM10, 095, 109.20 to be a marriage debt between the plaintiff wife and defendant husband pursuant to s. 61 of the Administration of the Religion of Islam ( State of Selangor ) Enactment 2003, and that the Bitcoin be returned to the plaintiff wife.

The initial decision was made by the Syariah High Court, which authorized the hearing of the question of whether Cryptocurrency may be reclaimed as a marriage debt. The Court made a decision on” Hukum Matawang Kripto ( Cryptocurrency ): Satu Analisa Syarak” in relation to the” Keputusan Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Fatwa Negeri Selangor yang&nbsp, telah bersidang pada 8 Muharram 1443H bersidang dengan 17 Ogos 2021″ decision.

“HARUS untuk menjalankan urus niaga menggunakan mata wang digital sama ada sebagai perantara pembayaran ( medium of payment ), pemindahan wang ( remittance ) &nbsp, dan aset simpanan SEKIRANYA memenuhi parameter-parameter di bawah. &nbsp,

a. &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, Urus niaga melibatkan mata wang online hendaklah dilakukan dapat system pertukaran mat wang online berlesen yang diluluskan dan dikawal selia by pihak berautoriti sahaja,

b. Pengguna hendaklah mempunyai pengetahuan yang inclusions mengenai &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, Pengguna hendaklah mempunyai pengetahuan

document. Jenis, ciri-ciri dalam jack risiko berkaitan mat wang online, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, ciri-ciri

i. &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp, Perkara-perkara teknikal yang inclusions mengenai bagaimana for memperoleh mat wang online jack di mana ia perlu disimpan untuk memastikan keselamatannya,

ii. Peraturan-peraturan oleh ditetapkan by platform pertukaran mat wang online berlesen untuk diluluskan dan dikawal selia by pihak berautoriti, daniv. Undang-undang danny peraturan yang berkaitan mat wang online.

Sebagaimana mata wang yang lay, mat wang online hendaklah untuk digunakan sebagai bayaran kepada barangan, pelacuran, perjudian, pendanaan aktiviti keganasan serta penggubahan wang haram, according to c. &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp,

The Syariah High Court held that the requirements set forth in the Jawatankuasa Fatwa Negeri Selangor choice must be followed if one wants to deal with Bitcoin. &nbsp,

The plaintiff’s family must demonstrate that the plaintiff’s wife’s Bitcoin account adheres to the requirements set by the&nbsp, Jawatankuasa Fatwa Negeri Selangor, according to the Syariah High Court. She did not do it, either during the trials or in any of her petitions. As such, the Syariah High Court dismissed the activity. &nbsp,

Reduction of bitcoin

A respected market technician was also found to be answerable for negligence over the loss of Bitcoins by a person. In Petaling Jaya Sessions Court Suit No. Yew See Tak v. Luno Malaysia Sdn Bhd The claimant sued the accused, a documented market operator with a DAX license, for negligence for failing to secure and protect his cryptocurrencies, which are 2. 730096 Bitcoins worth RM566, RM570.70, in its possession and control.

The Cryptocurrencies were transferred to an unfamiliar profile in three distinct transactions but on a single time. The defendant claimed, among other things, that the illegal transactions were made possible through SMS sent to the defendant’s mobile number and through the plaintiff’s Luno account. Since the plaintiff had activated two-factor verification ( also known as two-factor authentication ), anyone who wants to get his Luno account must use the 2FA code generated by the 2FA program, Google Authenticator. The defendant concluded that there was nothing to demonstrate that his finances was compromised, and the transactions were inevitable due to Blockchain systems.

The plaintiff claimed that he had given Luno the task of keeping and caring for the funds and cryptocurrencies in the Luno account and that he had opened an account with them to be able to employ its functions properly and safely. Thus, the respondent and the plaintiff had a professional relationship with the claimant as its customer.

The Court found that the defendant had been irresponsible and awarded standard, aggravated and excellent restitution of RM100, 000.00.

The defendant’s customer support was hampered by the defendant’s 36 hours-long delay in letting the plaintiff know his account had been locked out for security reasons, the jury determined. This demonstrates that the defendant did not take the issue seriously. The customer service personnel even did not speak to present the role and responsibilities taken by the plaintiff in handling issues submitted by their clients. The respondent may correct the issue within a reasonable amount of time to resolve the issue being raised.

The plaintiff’s program should have been notified and the dubious deals identified. This is a situation involving a large amount in two dealings in a short time. The claimant has been a 5-year customer for five years, not a new client. The accused can interpret and forecast the plaintiff’s interpersonal pattern. The defendant don’t avoid liability by merely implementing a 2FA system.

Additionally, the accused developed a new fraud prevention strategy to restrict transactions made through the platform following the plaintiff’s event. With this plan, the defendant may determine whether there are transactions that are abnormally high or above the permitted level, and if they are abnormal, they will be suspended or looked into. In contrast, the Court recognised that other websites may stop suspicious transactions and the plaintiff failed to do so.

The defendant also allegedly violated the Securities Commission’s Guidelines on Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing for Capital Market Intermediaries. Not only did the defendant not report the incident to the Securities Commission.

A reporting institution is required to conduct ongoing due diligence and scrutiny of its customers throughout the life of the business relationship, according to the Guidelines. Such measures shall include monitoring and detecting patterns of transactions undertaken throughout the course of the business relationship to ensure that the transactions being conducted are consistent with the reporting institution’s knowledge of the customer. Additionally, it ought to think about changing a customer’s risk classification and requesting a suspicious transaction report from Bank Negara Malaysia’s Financial Intelligence and Enforcement Department.

The Court took into account the following in terms of the general, aggravated, and exemplary damages:

  1. the defendant’s position that its security measures are very good and anything more is not their problem but nevertheless admitted that there was improvement in the security after the incident,
  2. The defendant could at least offer a thorough and urgent investigation, and transactions in such an account should be stymied or frozen until the investigation is finished.
  3. the plaintiff had firmly believed in the defendant and had made an investment there.
  4. the plaintiff could have continued with his investment into cryptocurrencies but for the loss of the cryptocurrencies.

However, the High Court overturned the appeals court ruling from the Sessions Court. The learned High Court Judge reportedly believed that the Sessions Court judge had imposed a high standard of care and duty on Luno despite the lack of supporting evidence. The High Court’s grounds are not available as at the time of writing.

Online grooming

Online sexual grooming was also affected by the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 ( SOLACT). In Hendra Bin Mulana v Pendakwa Raya]2023] CLJU 2230, the Court showed its abhorrence towards child sexual abuse materials and child grooming. The accused was found guilty of four counts of child pornography under the Sexual Offenses Against Children Act 2017 and given a 13-year sentence, three strokes of rotan ( caning ), for each charge, by the Sessions Court.

The accused had arranged for the victim to give him sexual-related photos and videos and had lewd conversations with her on a social media platform by the name of BIGO. The accused however had never met the victim, but they had communicated via live streaming and WhatsApp calls.

Because of her BIGO profile, which stated she was 19 years old, the accused’s defense claimed that he had no idea what the victim’s true age was. He added that the victim claimed to have been informed that she was still in school and that she was enrolled in Form Six ( Upper ). The accused argued that he had taken all reasonable steps to ascertain the age of the victim and relied on the defence under section 20 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017. The victim acknowledged that she had informed the accused that she was 14 years old but did not disclose her true age. Her friend’s account was the BIGO account.

The High Court held that there were two ingredients to be fulfilled for an offence under section 8 ( b ) by the prosecution and they were that the victim is a child, and the accused had asked for pornography from the child at the material time. The Sessions Court ruled that the High Court had made an error by holding that both requirements were met. In terms of the first ingredient, it was satisfied by the availability of the victim’s birth certificate. As for the second ingredient, this was fulfilled through the evidence provided by the prosecution witness, the accused’s own statements and documentary evidence.

The accused defense claimed that he did not know the victim’s true age. The Sessions Court rejected this claim, holding that the accused should have made an effort to meet the victim in person to find out her true age. Pursuant to section 20 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, it is not a defence for the accused to claim that he did not know that the victim is a child unless the accused took all reasonable steps to ascertain the age of the person.

The High Court concurred with the Sessions Court and remarked that the victim’s photo clearly demonstrates that she is a young person. The accused should have tendered evidence to support his claims that he had taken reasonable steps to determine the victim’s age. As such, the High Court upheld the conviction of the Sessions Court but reduced the sentence from 13 years for each charge to 10 years each. The High Court’s conviction and sentence were upheld by the Court of Appeal.

Software Dispute

The High Court case of Liberty Technology Resources Sdn Bhd v. Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia ( SSM)]2023] 1 LNS 1294 highlights the importance of terms on refund and liquidated damages, and role of experts in software disputes.

The litigant was tasked with creating an ERP system for Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia ( the defendant ) under the terms of a contractual agreement known as the ERP Agreement. Due to delays in the project’s completion, the defendant abruptly terminated the agreement, which both parties then brought to court.

The plaintiff alleged wrongful termination and sought significant contractual payments, primarily for third-party software licenses and subscription fees purchased on behalf of the defendant. However, the court determined that the ERP Agreement did not specifically mandate that the plaintiff be required to pay for the acquisition of third-party software at its own expense unless otherwise specified in the contract. Therefore, the plaintiff’s request for reimbursement of these costs was rejected.

Regarding the delays in project completion, the plaintiff argued that these were caused by actions of the defendant. The court noted, however, that this assertion was unsupported by any compelling evidence, such as expert reports or thorough delay analyses. In consequence, the plaintiff was unable to establish the defendant’s guilt in light of their wrongful termination claim.

On the defendant’s counterclaim, seeking a refund of payments made under the ERP Agreement upon termination, the court ruled in favor of defendant. Based on solid contractual terms that allowed for such refunds in the event of termination, this decision was made. Additionally, the court upheld the defendant’s right to liquidated damages, separate from the refund, as well as those that were deemed necessary to make up for losses brought on by project delays.

Throughout the case, expert opinions played a significant role. The plaintiff uncontested the expert analysis regarding the causes of project delays that the defendant presented. This further supported the court’s decision in favor of the plaintiff on matters involving termination, refunds, and damages.

Closing

In 2024, we can expect more interesting developments in the cyberlaw and IT sphere.

    On June 26, 2024, the Cyber Security Bill became law. This new law aims to improve the security of the nation by, among other things, regulating the role and responsibilities of the national critical information infrastructure (NCII ) sector leaders and national critical information infrastructure entities, managing cyber security threats and incidents involving national critical information infrastructures, and regulating the role of the cyber security service providers through licensing, and providing for related matters. Details of this article can be found in my June article” Bread &amp, Kaya: Impact of the Cyber Security Bill 2024 on the Cybersecurity Industry in Malaysia”.

  • During the Parliament’s session in July 2024, our government proposed changes to the Personal Data Protection Act 2010. The new regulations now require data controllers to comply with the requirements of a data protection officer, notification of data breaches, and the right to transfer personal information to another data controller, including data portability.
  • Singapore may require online platforms Carousell and Facebook to verify the identity of all their sellers if the number of scams reported on the respective platforms does not drop significantly. The Singapore government made a welcome effort to stop scam, which should follow our government’s example.
  • New laws are being passed to combat scams by making a severe dent in those who operate mule accounts, according to the issue of scams. Currently, mule account holders are charged under s. 414 ( assisting in the concealment of stolen property ) and s. 424 ( dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of consideration ) of the Penal Code, among others. The new proposed changes will now make someone who has a payment instrument or account of another person in his or her possession ( s. 424A ), gives possession of the same ( s. 424B), and engages in transactions related to the same ( s. 424C ) illegally in his or her possession or control ( s. 424A ).
  • By January 1st, 2025, social media service providers and instant messaging service providers with 8 million or more users in Malaysia must comply with the Communications and Multimedia Commission’s ( Exemption ) ( Amendment ) Regulations 2024 and Communications and Multimedia ( Licensing ) ( Exemption ) ( Amendment ) ( No 2 ) Regulations 2024. This requirement was introduced to combat rise in cybercrime offences including online scams and gambling, cyberbullying, and sexual crimes against children.

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Who’s afraid of the big bad bond market? – Asia Times

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When interest levels were being cut in the US, a funny thing happened: they ended up being higher.

The US Federal Reserve lowered its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point in September, &nbsp, raising expectations&nbsp, that another levels may soon start coming along. Otherwise, the US Treasury’s two-year and 10-year information and the common 30-year lease rate have all risen by half a percentage point or more.

What happened? The Fed has limited authority over interest rates, which is the quick reply. The bond market, when well, has a lot to say about rates—the longer-term charges in particular, although no entirely.

The relationship economy’s” say” is a simple representation of supply and demand. The key is to comprehend that bond yields and prices move in the opposite direction: one moves off and the other moves down.

The 30-year mortgage interest rate is one of several other bond market-based rates that was coming down before the Federal Reserve slashed its benchmark rate on Sept. 18 but went up after it. (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis chart)
The 30-year loan attention rate is one of several different bond market-based levels that were decreasing before the Federal Reserve cut its benchmark rate on September 18 but increased after it. Graph: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

For example: If I buy for US$ 100 a bond that yields 5 %, I will receive$ 5 a year in interest. Let’s say I’m selling the bond to you and you only pay$ 90 because the demand is subdued and the supply is strong. You currently receive$ 5 in interest per year, but because you paid$ 90, your yield is 5.55 %. ( If, instead, you had to pay$ 105 for the bond, your yield would be 4.76 %. )

What’s happening, therefore, is that while the Fed is now trying to push prices down, ties are selling off and that’s driving costs higher. The question is: Why is the connection business negative?

There are at least two possible solutions.

Some experts blame what they’re calling the” Trump trade”. Although the surveys are a tossup, the industry think Trump is going to win the presidency. They also believe that a second Trump term will aggravate the trend toward higher inflation and worsen the already bad national debt.

Understand that the markets do n’t have a political agenda. Bond investors may be mistaken about the effects of a Trump success, as well as the success itself, but their predictions do n’t represent anti-Trump discrimination.

Their purchasing and selling of securities is based on what they think will happen in terms of prices. Lenders apprehension about being reimbursed in undervalued currency. Both candidates have pledged to provide tax breaks and freebies that will help with inflation, but academics believe Trump has already made those promises.

The business serves as the other justification for the ties selling off. The Fed’s September 18 price cut reflected an market that was scarcely creating 100, 000 new tasks a month. Some economists were predicting another half-point split at the Fed’s November meet.

But in early October the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 254, 000 increase in work in September, well above the 12-month regular, and Census revised some of the earlier times forward. Meanwhile, the inflation rate in September continued its downward march toward the Fed’s 2 % target but did n’t drop as much as analysts expected.

With those studies, a half-point November split by the Fed looked less good. One Fed official also expressed his willingness to avoid a split in November.

The November 1 report that only 12, 000 additional jobs were reported for October seems likely to be dismissed as being distorted by significant storms and the Boeing attack.

Financial businesses are forward-looking, they anticipate activities. In anticipation of the Fed’s September cut, owners had bought securities, which drove bond yields over. In light of the studies showing a stronger market and worse-than-expected prices in September, owners ‘ anticipation changed. If the Fed was n’t going to lower rates as much or as fast as expected, markets had to adjust.

It’s possible, of course, that the true answer is some mix of the Trump deal and expectations of future Fed price movements. The expectations solution is more normal. You’d have to wonder why then if shareholders were selling bonds out of concern for higher imbalances and prices. Bond traders have ignored decades of multi-trillion-dollar national budget deficits.

If those shortfalls are then causing bond traders to feel uneasy, it would represent a return of those who were known as the “bond vigilantes.” Bond investors ‘ concerns about federal spending three decades ago led to 10-year note yields falling from 5.2 % annually to 8 %.

Years later, the administration also managed to generate a budget surplus by working with Congress on plans to control spending. That it had to be pushed by the markets to do so caused a Clinton consultant, James Carville, to say – reportedly – that, if he could be reincarnated as anyone, it would be the relationship industry so he could scare everyone.

For farmers, ranchers and another business loans, the big question is where interest rates are going from below. The most probable course for them to take is, in my opinion, to fall, perhaps more quietly than analysts had predicted in September.

The US economy is robust, according to The Economist, and inflation is essentially under command. The present level of interest rates is much higher than current economic situations warrant, and if the economy continues to grow at this rate, which is very unlikely and if a rebound in inflation is possible but not specially unlikely.

If I’m correct about the economy, the Fed will continue to cut interest rates, perhaps just quarter-point cuts, and perhaps not at every meeting, but it will be closer to 3 % than 5 % over the long run.

The industry will eventually fall in line as the Fed moves in that direction, particularly if whoever wins the presidency is prevented from carrying out their most inflationary campaign promises by Congress, the relationship market, or a return to common sense.

Urban Lehner, a former Wall Street Journal Asia journalist and editor, is DTN/The Progressive Farmer’s editor emeritus. &nbsp, This&nbsp, content, &nbsp, actually published by DTN on November 1, and now&nbsp, republished by Asia Times with authority, is © Copyright 2024 DTN, LLC. All rights reserved. &nbsp, &nbsp, Follow&nbsp, Urban Lehner&nbsp, on X @urbanize

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