CHINA

China's securities regulator will begin a trial programme that allows local fund houses to raise money offshore for investment in the domestic financial market, two sources said on Monday.

Investors remain preoccupied by the threat of further monetary tightening in China, writes Marc Ground at Standard Bank in London today. This is weighing on precious metal prices, encouraged further by a stronger Dollar off the back of lingering Eurozone debt concerns.

The world's top cellphone maker, Nokia, is ending its bundling of free music downloads with cellphones in 27 countries, where it has gained little traction since its 2008 launch.

The United States productivity growth will slow substantially in 2011 and could even fall below the rate in the euro area, The Conference Board reported on Monday.

Chinese President Hu Jintao, who will arrive in the U.S. on Tuesday for a state visit, rejected Washington’s demand for an appreciation of the Chinese currency, and debunked what he called was a “zero-sum Cold War mentality” while calling for broader cooperation with the U.S. on a range of issues. The focus during the three-day state visit, and beyond that, for that matter, will be on if Washington is prepared to act more sternly to make the Chinese let their currency appreciate.

Airbus sprinted past Boeing to win the annual orders race in 2010 after a last-minute airline buying spree highlighted a recovery in emerging markets and the low-fare sector, the planemaker said on Monday.

Attacks on computer systems now have the potential to cause global catastrophe, but only in combination with another disaster, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said in a report on Monday.

Hot smartphone models, the iPhone 4 and Samsung's Galaxy S, are forecast to have helped their makers race further ahead of rivals in the holiday sales season at the end of 2010.

Chinese President Hu Jintao urged an end to a zero sum Cold War relationship with the United States and proposed new cooperation, but resisted U.S. arguments about why China should let its currency strengthen.

Investors in Asia generally took China's latest move to fight inflation in their stride on Monday, with Japan's Nikkei posting modest gains, while the euro slipped as the market waited to see if governments will beef up a euro zone rescue fund.

PRC property developer Evergrande Real Estate Group made history last week with a Rmb9.25bn (US$1.4bn) synthetic renminbi bond - the biggest to date in the fast-growing market.

Hong Kong stocks are expected to edge higher on Monday to a near two-month high, as the appetite for risky assets stays steady after JP Morgan's quarterly earnings report lifted Wall Street on Friday.

China's key stock index opened down 0.7 percent on Monday, with banking and property stocks slipping, after the People's Bank of China announced a rise in lenders' required reserves for the fourth time in just over two months.

Chinese President Hu Jintao will meet U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington this week for a summit. The two leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of issues including global trade and currency valuations.

Seoul shares are likely to open cautiously on Monday after the latest move by China to tighten monetary policy, while crude refiners and airlines may be tracked on crude oil prices' continued gains.

Bank of China Group Investment is expected to spin off its China rental properties through a yuan-denominated REIT listing in Hong Kong, to raise more than HK$2.3 billion ($296 million), the Apple Daily reported on Monday.

Gold rebounded slightly on Monday from a one-percent fall in the previous session, after China further tightened its monetary policy to curb inflation, and holdings in the gold-backed exchange-traded fund continued falling.

Singapore shares may open higher on Monday following gains on Wall Street overnight, lifted by financial stocks. However, any gains may be subdued due to China's latest move to tighten monetary policy.

Li Ning Group Ltd (2331.HK) said on Monday that same-store sales growth of its L-Ning brand products increased 3.6 percent in the fourth quarter and about 3.9 percent for the full year.

Shanghai hopes to encourage foreign companies to raise capital through stock and bond issuance in Shanghai this year, Mayor Han Zheng said on Sunday, while also confirming the city plans a trial property tax during 2011.

Indonesia warned on Sunday that maritime conflicts in Asia could spiral out of control and threaten regional stability, as Southeast Asian nations sought common ground on the disputed South China Sea.