Huawei Factor, China Easing Scope, Japan Taper Quickens: Eco Day

(Bloomberg) -- Welcome to Monday, Asia. Here’s the latest news and analysis from Bloomberg Economics to help get your day started:

• President Donald Trump’s trade team sought to insulate talks with China from a growing dispute over the U.S. pursuit of a Huawei executive. IMF chief Christine Lagarde warned escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and China risk derailing the global economy
• China’s contained inflation gives policy makers room to ease, argues Chang Shu, while weak November trade data in the world’s second-largest economy signals pressure from the external sector, she says
• The Bank of Japan may be making slow progress on the road to its 2 percent inflation target, but it sure is gathering pace when it comes to tapering its bond purchases
• A slight miss on monthly U.S. payroll data hasn’t shifted odds that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates at its Dec. 18-19 meeting, though the jobs report has made the gathering a lot more interesting
• Soft landings in housing are rare and Australia should be ready to respond to a significant price dive, the OECD warned. The central bank’s assistant governor noted Australian lenders are likely to face higher borrowing costs as the Fed moves toward a neutral stance
• Prime Minister Theresa May faced heavy opposition to her Brexit deal as cabinet ministers said she is pushing ahead with Tuesday’s crucial House of Commons vote despite predictions it’s headed for defeat
• The euro-zone economy is down but not out after a year battered by freezing weather, trade wars, budget disputes and car trouble. Italy’s populist government will discuss the results of a highly-awaited cost analysis of its 2019 budget pledges in the coming days. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the country’s “Yellow Vest” protests were a serious blow to the nation’s companies and economy
• Iceland’s government is about to say goodbye to a decade of post-crisis emergency measures
• Saudi Arabia is reviewing its policy of imposing fees on expatriate workers after rising costs inflicted economic pain and contributed to an exodus of foreigners
• Diary of a debt crisis: how the lira sank a Turkish entrepreneur

To contact the reporter on this story: Michael Heath in Sydney at mheath1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nasreen Seria at nseria@bloomberg.net, Chris Bourke

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