Welcome to Your Week in Asia.
Japan publishes its latest economic growth figures while the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) leads a mission to inspect water at the decommissioned Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
A Seoul court begins the criminal trial of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on insurrection charges linked to his short-lived order to impose martial law, Thailand reports its annual GDP numbers and Australia holds a monetary policy meeting.
Chinese tech group Huawei has a global launch event in Malaysia for its priciest tri-fold smartphone which retails for more than $2,700.
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MONDAY
Japan GDP numbers
Japan’s economy is expected to post a third straight quarter of expansion when it publishes GDP data for the October-December quarter. A consensus estimate put the quarter-on-quarter growth rate at 1.3% on an annualized basis. But the positive number masks a weakness in household spending amid long-running inflation. Tokyo is expected to continue pressing Japan Inc. to boost workers’ pay.
Thailand economy
Thailand reports GDP figures for 2024 with forecasts pegging growth of 2.6-2.7%, largely supported by a strong recovery in tourism and rebounding exports. However, that estimate is still slightly below the government’s target of 3% as high household debt and weak consumption weighed on activity.
Sri Lanka budget
Sri Lanka’s three-month-old government will table its first national budget, as the country faces pressure from the International Monetary Fund to reach a primary fiscal surplus of 2.3 % of GDP and a tax-to-GDP ratio of 14% by next year. The IMF’s conditions are part of a $3 billion bailout to help the country recover from its 2022 economic meltdown.
TUESDAY
South Korea political crisis
South Korea’s constitutional court continues hearings this week on whether President Yoon Suk Yeol should be removed from office over his short-lived martial law order in December. That ruling is expected early next month. On Thursday, a Seoul district court will begin Yoon’s criminal trial on insurrection charges.
Singapore budget
Lawrence Wong, Singapore’s prime minister and finance minister, delivers the government’s 2025 budget in a critical election year. As a key step in preparing for the city-state’s general election due by November, observers are expecting new policies and generous support measures aimed at tackling the most-pressing voter concerns, such as rising living costs.
Monetary policy: Australia
Earnings: Baidu, BHP
WEDNESDAY
Atomic agency chief in Fukushima
Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) visits Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on a mission to examine water released into the Pacific Ocean. Tokyo hopes the inspection will prove that water treated at the decommissioned site is safe — countering China’s contamination claims.
Monetary policy: Indonesia
Earnings: HSBC Holdings, UOB
THURSDAY
Security forum in Taipei
The two-day Halifax International Security Forum kicks off in Taipei for the first time. The event, organized by Washington-based HFX, aims to “highlight Taiwan’s thriving democracy for global leaders,” with a series of on- and off-the-record discussions. The conference comes as U.S. President Donald Trump makes a bid for negotiations with Russia to end the Ukraine war, while Taiwan seeks to blunt Trump’s criticism of its trade surplus by promising more stateside investment and procurement.
G20 meeting
South Africa hosts a meeting of G20 foreign ministers after U.S. President Donald Trump cut financial aid to the country, citing land redistribution policies and its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said he would not attend the two-day meeting in Johannesburg.
Earnings: Alibaba, Grab, Singapore Airlines, Rio Tinto
FRIDAY
Earnings: Standard Chartered
SATURDAY
Japan-Philippines defense meeting
Japan’s Defense Minister Gen Nakatani visits the Philippines for talks with his Filipino counterpart, Gilbert Teodoro, including about an intelligence-sharing agreement. The move follows Tokyo’s supply of air defense radar equipment to Manila in 2023, and forms part of an effort to strengthen defense collaboration with like-minded countries around China.
