Asian shares edged lower at the Wednesday open after President Donald Trump said he won't delay the July 9 deadline for imposing higher levies on trading partners, ratcheting up trade tensions yet again.

Back in June, China and the US reaffirmed their May trade truce, sustaining a rebound in trade flows and propelling China's economic momentum. Bloomberg Economics says consumption also showed signs of revival, but the trend is unlikely to last without continuous policy efforts that promote domestic demand. We take a look at the state of the Chinese economy with Shehzad Qazi, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director at China Beige Book International.

Plus - US job openings hit the highest since November, largely fueled by leisure and hospitality, and layoffs declined. Federal Reserve policymakers have consistently characterized labor-market conditions as strong in recent weeks. Fed Chair Jerome Powell repeated that the US central bank probably would have cut rates further this year absent Trump's expanded use of tariffs, although he didn't rule out easing at its meeting later this month. We get market insights from Jeff Grills, Head of EM Debt at Aegon Asset Management.