HSBC Holdings Plc and Standard Chartered Plc are expected to sustain strong returns on higher rates and Asian wealth fees, though China’s tighter capital-flow rules and cost pressures cloud the outlook.

Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong pleaded guilty to foreign collusion on Wednesday, his second conviction under a Beijing-imposed security law that’s transformed the financial hub.

CXMT Corp.’s breakout listing has sparked optimism across the domestic artificial intelligence hardware space, supporting China’s strategic ambitions to challenge the US in AI development.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Baidu Inc. and Kuaishou Technology are the next big names in tech that will have to address concerns over the mounting financial costs needed to sustain intense AI competition.

China’s DeepSeek, fresh off agreements for a blockbuster fundraising, said it is working to at least double the size of all departments, as it steps up efforts to compete with domestic rivals and global leaders such as OpenAI and Anthropic PBC.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi about the Iran war and an upcoming leaders’ summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, China’s state Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday.

Persistent weakness in China’s housing market will be the main drag when property developers China Vanke Co., Country Garden Holdings Co. and China Overseas Land & Investment Ltd. report this week.

Pop Mart International Group Ltd. and Laopu Gold Co. are set to post triple-digit growth, making them standouts in China’s retail landscape defined by sluggish domestic spending.

The hype around artificial intelligence software OpenClaw has heightened the interest in Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. earnings and how the agent might drive growth and innovation across multiple technology industry sectors.

China criticized the US and Israeli military action against Iran, warning that it risks plunging the Middle East into deeper instability and undermining international law.

Hong Kong canceled its annual fireworks show over Victoria Harbor, a decision that comes some three weeks after a deadly blaze in a high-rise estate.

Hong Kong’s Democratic Party, once the city’s largest opposition group, voted to dissolve after 31 years of operation.

Authorities found Hong Kong’s deadly blaze was accelerated by workers using cheaper, substandard netting and evading government testing, as police said the death toll has risen to 151.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee cast doubt on the value of exchanges with Japan, bringing the Asian financial hub in line with Beijing’s broad cooling with Tokyo following a dispute over Taiwan.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee cast doubt on the value of exchanges with Japan, bringing the Asian financial hub in line with Beijing’s broad cooling with Tokyo following a dispute over Taiwan.