China’s economy beat expectations with 5.2% GDP growth in the second quarter, buoyed by strong exports and robust industrial output. However, domestic demand remains weak and retail sales have disappointed. Gary Ng, a senior economist at Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking helps us sift through the numbers to see if Beijing can hit its full-year growth target of 5%.



Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

China’s economy beat expectations with 5.2% GDP growth in the second quarter, buoyed by strong exports and robust industrial output. However, domestic demand remains weak and retail sales have disappointed. Gary Ng, a senior economist at Natixis Corporate &amp; Investment Banking helps us sift through the numbers to see if Beijing can hit its full-year growth target of 5%.Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

Opinion and analysis of today’s international and local news that matter to Malaysians. Everything you need to know to start and plan your work.

Opinion and analysis of today&rsquo;s international and local news that matter to Malaysians. Everything you need to know to start and plan your work.

Morning Brief

China’s Growth Surprises And What It Means

The latest Trump-Xi summit delivered carefully managed optics and promises of continued dialogue, but left major questions over trade, Taiwan, technology, and geopolitical tensions unresolved. As Washington and Beijing offer differing accounts of what was agreed, what does the meeting actually reveal about the current state of US-China relations and the direction of their long-term rivalry?



Image Credit: Shutterstock

The latest Trump-Xi summit delivered carefully managed optics and promises of continued dialogue, but left major questions over trade, Taiwan, technology, and geopolitical tensions unresolved. As Washington and Beijing offer differing accounts of what was agreed, what does the meeting actually reveal about the current state of US-China relations and the direction of their long-term rivalry?Image Credit: Shutterstock

What Did the Trump-Xi Summit Really Achieve?

Malaysia’s political landscape is shifting again, with PN appointing a new Opposition Leader, Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi moving to take over Parti Bersama Malaysia, and PH and BN preparing to contest Johor independently. Are these isolated tactical moves, or early signs of a broader political realignment as parties reposition themselves ahead of GE16?



Image Credit: Shutterstock

Malaysia’s political landscape is shifting again, with PN appointing a new Opposition Leader, Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi moving to take over Parti Bersama Malaysia, and PH and BN preparing to contest Johor independently. Are these isolated tactical moves, or early signs of a broader political realignment as parties reposition themselves ahead of GE16?Image Credit: Shutterstock

Signs of Political Realignment Ahead of GE16

The Malaysian economy grew 5.4% in the first quarter of 2026, but cooling domestic spending and a global supply shock threaten to slow momentum for the remainder of the year. As rising geopolitical tensions push producer prices to historic monthly highs, can a surging export sector continue to shield the economy from a second-half slowdown? We discuss the Malaysian economic outlook with Julia Goh, Senior Economist, UOB.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

The Malaysian economy grew 5.4% in the first quarter of 2026, but cooling domestic spending and a global supply shock threaten to slow momentum for the remainder of the year. As rising geopolitical tensions push producer prices to historic monthly highs, can a surging export sector continue to shield the economy from a second-half slowdown? We discuss the Malaysian economic outlook with Julia Goh, Senior Economist, UOB. Image Credit: Shutterstock

China’s Growth Surprises And What It Means

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