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Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the Chinese economy myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.China’s top economic officials said the country could do without American farm and energy imports as they vowed to achieve a 5 per cent GDP growth target for the year despite the trade war with the US. Zhao Chenxin, vice chair of the National Development and Reform Commission, China’s state planner, said domestic farm and energy production, along with imports from non-US sources, would be more than enough to satisfy demand.   “Even if we do not purchase feed grains and oilseeds from the United…

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine and Russia targeted each other with long-range strikes, officials said Monday, amid continuing uncertainty about whether an agreement to stop their more than three-year war is within reach at the start of what America’s top diplomat called a “very critical” week.The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces downed 119 Ukrainian drones overnight, most of them over Russia’s Bryansk border region. In Ukraine, air raid sirens rang out across the country Monday morning. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.The outcome of a push by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration to swiftly end the…

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Cardinals arriving for the first day of informal meetings after Pope Francis’ funeral were swarmed at the city-state’s gates by journalists eager for hints of whether any consensus was building around the election of a successor. A date for the start of the highly anticipated conclave could come as soon as Monday.In a chaotic scene, journalists shouted out questions about the mood inside, whether there was unity, and when the conclave would begin. A reporter for a satirical Italian television program repeatedly asked whether an Italian cardinal who has been convicted by the Vatican criminal court…

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) opened the week with a strong buying spree, as its benchmark KSE-100 Index gained over 1,100 points during intra-day trading on Monday. At 10:15am, the KSE-100 was hovering at 116,583.23, up by 1,113.89 points or 0.96% against the previous close. On Friday, the benchmark index had closed at 115,469.35. A rise in tensions between Pakistan and India following Pahalgam attack kept the stock market under pressure as the KSE-100 declined by 1.57% last week. “This decline can be attributed to cross border tension with India and futures rollover week. Other development during the outgoing week…

Selling returned to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) after a positive start, as the KSE-100 Index went into the negative territory to lose over 1,400 points during trading on Monday. The KSE-100 opened the session positive, hitting an intra-day high of 116,658.95 during the initial hours. However, selling pressure in the latter hours pushed the index to an intra-day low of 113,867.81. At close, the benchmark index settled at 114,063.90, down by 1,405.45 points or 1.22%. “Today’s trading session witnessed a classic tug-of-war between bulls and bears. The index opened on a positive note, gaining strong momentum in the early…

Bears took control of the trade floor on Monday as shares at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) reversed their short-lived gains in intraday trade, declining more than 1,400 points after a week of volatility due to heightened tensions between Pakistan and India. The benchmark KSE-100 index climbed by 941.79 points, or 0.82 per cent, to stand at 116,411.13 from the previous close of 115,469.34 at 10:05am. However, at 3:03pm, selling pressure ensued as the index decreased by 969.19 points, or 0.84pc, to stand at 114,500.15 from the previous close. Finally, the index closed at 114,063.90, down by 1,405.44 points or…

This article is an on-site version of our Unhedged newsletter. Premium subscribers can sign up here to get the newsletter delivered every weekday. Standard subscribers can upgrade to Premium here, or explore all FT newslettersGood morning. While the financial world has been laser-focused on one geopolitical crisis — the trade war — two others are heating up in Asia. China is provoking the Philippines in the South China Sea, and tensions between India and Pakistan are high after killings in Kashmir. Unhedged tends to play down the market impact of geopolitics. But this is, at the very least, seriously bad…

China’s top general He Weidong missed another top political gathering on Friday amid speculation about his whereabouts over the past few weeks.Beijing has not offered an official explanation for his absence, although his absence is not expected to affect China’s political stability, according to an analyst.He, the second-ranked vice-chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC) and one of the 24-member of the Communist Party Politburo, last appeared in public on March 11.He was absent from a Politburo study session presided over by Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, according to footage made public by state broadcaster CCTV on Saturday.…

Hong Kong’s lived-in home prices fell for a fourth straight month in March, dragging a key market indicator to the lowest level in more than eight years, as the threat of a global tariff war stoked economic uncertainty and sapped investment appetite.Prices in the secondary market declined 0.49 per cent last month, according to an index published by the Rating and Valuation Department on Monday, following a 0.56 per cent setback in February. The index has retreated a cumulative 1.7 per cent for the quarter to the level last seen in July 2016.Since the city’s housing market peaked in September…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Much the most important economic problem the UK confronts is long-term stagnation of productivity. That was the theme of my column two weeks ago. Yes, the turmoil of the moment cannot be ignored. But the urgent is not necessarily the important. Barring a catastrophe (a world war or global depression, for example, about either of which the UK can do little), the main determinant of our prosperity and stability will be decisions made by — and within — this country. The economy…