Economic data: The People’s Bank of China announced the interest rate on the one-year medium-term lending facility. “If there is a cut today, we are sure of it [Tuesday’s] The GDP report will be worse than expected,” said Robert Carnell, head of Asia-Pacific research at ING. India and Singapore released balance of trade figures for March.
India: Several three-day meetings will begin under India’s G20 presidency: the health working group meets in Goa, the digital economy working group meets in Hyderabad and chief agricultural scientists meet in Varanasi. The two-day G20 Space Economy Leaders Meeting will begin in Shillong. Prime Minister Narendra Modi traveled to Somnath to inaugurate the Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam, a two-week cultural event celebrating the Tamil community in his home state of Gujarat.
Australia: Mark McGowan, premier of Western Australia, began a five-day trip to China focused on trade, his first in four years and another sign of easing tensions between Beijing and Canberra. The state will account for 53 per cent of Australia’s total trade in goods with China in 2021-22, according to official data.
Industry: Chinaplas 2023, the world’s largest plastic and rubber industry trade fair, will open at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center. Organizers said nearly 160,000 visitors are expected to see the products and services of nearly 4,000 exhibitors. The Canton Fair, which opened on Saturday and welcomed foreign visitors for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, continues until May 5.
Technology: Beijing-based mobile games developer Kunlun is hosting a public trial of its ChatGPT-like product, while Shenzhen-headquartered telecoms company Huawei is launching the Nova 11 range of mobile phones.
