- Deadly Israeli strike on Beirut likely targeted Hezbollah security chief
- Bangladesh Islamist chief backs crimes against humanity trial for ex-PM
- Everest climber's remains believed found after 100 years
- 20 Pakistan coal miners shot dead in attack
- Clashes on South China Sea, Ukraine dominate Asia summit
- Han Kang's books sell out in South Korea after Nobel win
- Zelensky meets Pope, Scholz as whirlwind Europe tour ends
- Hello Hallyu: why is South Korean culture sweeping the globe?
- UK economy rebounds in August in boost to new govt
- Voice of Japan's beloved robot cat 'Doraemon' dies
- Shanghai markets sink ahead of briefing on mixed day for Asia
- Investors, analysts eye bigger China stimulus at Saturday briefing
- 20 Pakistan coal miners shot dead in attack: police
- Blinken condemns China's 'increasingly dangerous' sea moves
- Toyota returns to Formula One as Haas partner
- EU chief says China must 'adapt its behaviour' to solve trade row
- Musk unveils robotaxi, pledges it 'before 2027'
- Lynx rally, stun Liberty in overtime in WNBA Finals opener
- Pogacar hunting 'perfect' season finale with Coppi's Il Lombardia record
- 'Soul of old Baghdad': city centre sees timid revival
- Kittle at the double as Niners hold off Seahawks
- At least 11 dead in Florida but Hurricane Milton not as bad as feared
- Yankees advance in MLB playoffs as Guardians stay alive
- Asian markets mixed after Wall St drop, Shanghai dips before briefing
- Automaker Stellantis says CEO will retire in 2026
- Musk's promised robotaxi unveil delayed
- Kamada says Japan can close in on World Cup place against Australia
- On US coast, wind power foes embrace 'Save the Whales' argument
- Renewables revolt in Sardinia, Italy's coal-fired island
- Argentina held, Brazil leave it late in 2026 World Cup qualifiers
- Obama blasts 'crazy' Trump in first rally for Harris
- 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, a plea in favour of world order?
- Fry homers as Guardians down Tigers to stay alive in MLB playoffs
- Japan PM presses China's Li on airspace intrusion
- In Trump 'Truths,' conspiracies, attacks -- and doubts about the election
- How Sebastian Stan found a 'relatable' Trump for 'The Apprentice' biopic
- Panama's water wheel trash collector keeps plastic at bay
- It's still 'the economy, stupid,' says US political guru Carville
- Five key dates in the history of the America's Cup
- Zelensky to meet Pope, Scholz as whirlwind Europe tour ends
- At least 10 dead in Florida but Hurricane Milton not as bad as feared
- Far from eye, Hurricane Milton's deadly tornados rampaged Florida
- At least 10 dead in Florida after Hurricane Milton spawns tornadoes
- Argentina held, Bolivia stun Colombia in 2026 qualifiers
- Socceroos have 'nothing to fear' from Japan
- Sean 'Diddy' Combs sex trafficking trial set for May 2025
- Bolivia stun Colombia in World Cup qualifiers
- Internet Archive reels from 'catastrophic' cyberattack, data breach
- Greece earn late win against England in Nations League, Italy-Belgium stalemate
- Trump biopic 'The Apprentice' hits US theaters weeks before election
Investors, analysts eye bigger China stimulus at Saturday briefing
Investors and analysts expect China to unveil billions of dollars in new stimulus for its troubled economy Saturday as officials battle multiple headwinds including a prolonged housing crisis and sluggish consumption.
Authorities last month annonced several stimulus policies -- from interest rate cuts to looser home-buying rules -- after struggling to reignite growth and business activity since ending Covid health curbs in late 2022.
The moves lit a fire under mainland and Hong Kong stock markets on renewed hopes that officials would finally get a grip on the issues that have dogged the economy for years, particularly a debt crisis in the crucial property sector and weak sonsumer sentiment.
All eyes will be on a news briefing by Finance Minister Lan Fo'an at 10 am (0200 GMT) on Saturday, when he is expected to disclose much more substantive fiscal support for the economy.
Details are scarce, but analysts and investors polled by Bloomberg said they expected two trillion yuan ($283 billion) in stimulus to be announced, which would be Beijing's biggest support programme in since the bazooka durng the global financial crisis.
Gary Ng, senior economist for Asia Pacific at Natixis, told AFP he thought Beijing would unveil "two to three trillion yuan of ultra-long government bond issuance".
"Any amount smaller than this will cause disappointment in the market again," he stressed, referring to a slump in stock prices this week following a briefing that failed to announce any new measures.
Measures would likely be directed at "real estate, consumption and infrastructure", Ng said.
Beijing has said Lan will use Saturday's briefing to outline "countercyclical adjustment of fiscal policy to promote high-quality economic development".
- 'The stakes are high' -
"I think they will send a positive signal to the market, a very decisive fiscal policy to help the economy to stabilise," said the Economist Intelligence Unit's Yue Su, who forecast up to three trillion yuan in help.
Experts hope Chinese officials may now be in a "whatever it takes" moment -- a reference to former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi's pledge to save the eurozone during the 2010s debt crisis.
"The stakes are high -- most observers agree that recent stimulus announcements won't amount to much unless backed up by fiscal support," said Julian Evans-Pritchard, head of China economics at Capital Economics, in a note.
"Three factors will be key in determining the impact of stimulus: its scale, where it's channelled, and how soon it's deployed," he said.
Analysts for months have urged Beijing to unleash another "bazooka" to get the economy moving and restore confidence.
Beijing last month slashed interest on one-year loans to financial institutions, cut the amount of cash lenders must keep on hand and pushed to lower rates on existing mortgages.
And the central bank this week boosted support for markets by opening up tens of billions of dollars in liquidity for firms to buy stocks.
Beijing said the "swap facility" -- worth 500 billion yuan -- would encourage "the healthy and stable development of the capital market".
P.Silva--AMWN