China's Economy Holds Up, Italy Populism, Japan Exports: Eco Day

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Welcome to Wednesday, Europe. Here’s the latest news and analysis from Bloomberg Economics to help get your day started:

• China’s economy unexpectedly held up in the first three months of the year as stimulus measures kicked in, helping stabilize sentiment rattled by trade tensions with the U.S.
• At the same time, President Donald Trump may be giving China a new cudgel to use on American companies
• Bank of Italy Governor Ignazio Visco is feeling the weight of a populist onslaught against the country’s entire financial sector, with his institution in the middle of it
• Women in Britain are enjoying an employment boom
• Japan’s exports shrank for a fourth straight month in March as weakness in global demand continues to weigh on the economy
• Meanwhile, U.S. and Japan trade discussions will now take place at an accelerated pace, according to Japan’s chief negotiator
• The White House is interviewing candidates to potentially replace Herman Cain and Stephen Moore as Trump’s picks for the Federal Reserve Board. Here’s recent remarks by Fed policy makers
• Indonesia’s presidential election will shape the reform landscape in Southeast Asia’s biggest economy for the next five years
• New Zealand inflation slowed more than economists forecast in the first quarter, prompting traders to increase bets on a rate cut

To contact the reporter on this story: Enda Curran in Hong Kong at ecurran8@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Malcolm Scott at mscott23@bloomberg.net, Chris Bourke

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