The Bank of Japan is expected to raise its growth forecast on Friday and signal its readiness to hike interest rates further, as recent yen falls and prospects of solid wage gains keep policymakers alert to containing inflationary pressure.
Malaysia recorded a 4.9% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and total trade surpassed RM3 trillion for the first time last year, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The UK should soften its interim 2030 target for electric vehicle sales to support investment in domestic auto and battery manufacturing capacities, a new report is expected to recommend later this week.
China plans to roll out new policies for 2026 to 2030 to spur domestic consumption and tackle "prominent" supply-demand imbalances, with the services sector becoming a key focus, the country's state planner said on Tuesday. Chinese leaders have pledged to "significantly" lift household consumption's share of the economy over the next five years, but have not given a specific target. "The issue of having strong supply, but weak demand in the current economic operation is indeed a prominent problem," Wang Changlin, vice head of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), told a press conference.
The International Monetary Fund again edged its 2026 global growth forecast higher on Monday as businesses and economies adapt to US tariffs that have eased in recent months and a continued AI investment boom that has fueled asset wealth and expectations of productivity gains.
China's economic growth slowed to a three-year low in the fourth quarter as domestic demand softened, and while the full-year pace hit Beijing's target, trade tensions and structural imbalances pose significant risks to the outlook.