China Strike Tool, Asia’s Odd Couple, Canada a Pioneer: Eco Day

(Bloomberg) -- Welcome to Wednesday, Asia. Here’s the latest news and analysis from Bloomberg Economics to help you start the day:

• Even as China’s power grows, perhaps nothing reveals Beijing’s weaknesses more than U.S. control of the global financial system
• South Korea and Australia are proving the odd couple of the global economy, managing to mitigate the impact of the Covid crisis due to deep links with China’ and key advantages unique to themselves
• The Bank of Canada is poised to pare back its asset purchases amid a stronger-than-expected economic recovery
• Chinese traffic and factory activity is not only back to normal, it’s surpassing pre-virus levels, underpinning global oil demand
• The Bank of Japan will tweak some of its quarterly forecasts and leave its main stimulus settings unchanged next week
• India’s surging epidemic has forced both its financial and political capitals into lockdown, spurring a fresh exodus of migrant laborers
• Global demand for semiconductors, fueled by 5G and high-performance computing, showed little sign of easing off as Taiwan’s searing pace of export orders continued for a fifth straight month
• The Biden administration’s infrastructure plan is more creative than just transport and utilities, Bloomberg Economics says
• New Zealand inflation accelerated slightly in the first quarter, adding to signs the central bank may not need to cut interest rates further
• Europeans are unlikely to go back to pre-crisis levels of spending, the EC said. The EU plans to overhaul its economy with laws to enact stricter climate goals. In Germany, the Green party opened up a seven-point lead over Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative bloc
• U.K. households took on more debt and suffered a bigger hit to incomes during the pandemic than those in France and Germany
• Bloomberg Economics looks at the impact of rising yields on the fair value of currencies
• A broad attempt by Congress to stem China’s influence could put at risk research collaborations and funding U.S. universities count on

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