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The success of the government’s Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC) in establishing an ecosystem for start-ups to raise funds has put a damper on the Christmas plans for employees of some local venture capital (VC) firms.“After partnering with the HKIC, the number of deals we are working on this year has tripled compared to last year,” said David Chang, founder and CEO of leading VC firm MindWorks. He added that 2025 was one of the busiest years for the firm since its establishment 11 years ago.“I have told some of my staff that they will not have Christmas holidays as…

Three in four multinational corporations (MNCs) operating in mainland China have maintained or increased their investments in 2025, according to a recent KPMG survey, despite Washington stepping up efforts to decouple from Beijing and its allies following suit.The survey published on Monday, polling 137 senior executives from global companies operating in the world’s second-largest economy between June and September, revealed that only 1 per cent reported preparing to exit the market. About 20 per cent said they may reduce investment, while the rest had yet to decide.Companies planning to expand said they would pursue greenfield investment, mergers and acquisitions or…

Three in four multinational corporations (MNCs) operating in mainland China have maintained or increased their investments in 2025, according to a recent KPMG survey, despite Washington stepping up efforts to decouple from Beijing and its allies following suit.The survey published on Monday, polling 137 senior executives from global companies operating in the world’s second-largest economy between June and September, revealed that only 1 per cent reported preparing to exit the market. About 20 per cent said they may reduce investment, while the rest had yet to decide.Companies planning to expand said they would pursue greenfield investment, mergers and acquisitions or…

South Korea’s rival political parties are set to appoint special prosecutors to investigate allegations that the Unification Church bribed and lobbied politicians across the ideological divide, a rare move that observers have said could test the country’s constitutional separation of religion and politics.On Monday, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said it would accept a proposal from the conservative opposition People Power Party (PPP) for the team of special prosecutors to investigate the church’s alleged political influence.The decision marks a turnaround for the DPK, which has previously opposed the idea, and reflects growing public pressure to launch an inquiry…

As 2025 draws to a close, it marks an important milestone in the reconfiguration of the global economic system. Every century is defined not only by changes in technological leadership and shifts in global power, but also by the restructuring of the global financial system. The 20th century was the century of the US dollar, but with the arrival of the 21st century, the contours of the global macroeconomic system have begun to change.A recent International Monetary Fund study, “Playing with Blocs: Quantifying Decoupling”, examines how global trade is being reorganised between two emerging blocs centred on the United States…

ISLAMABAD: A Chinese energy expert has warned that the rapid expansion of decentralized solar power in Pakistan is placing additional pressure on the national grid and increasing costs for consumers who cannot afford solar systems. Prof. Dr Yixian Sun from the University of Bath, UK, said Pakistan has spent over USD 10 billion on solar imports without capturing industrial or economic spill-overs. He stated this at the launch ofthe policy report, titled “From Solar Boom to Green Industrialization: Policy Pathways to Localizing Solar Value Chains in Pakistan,” by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in collaboration with the University of…

LAHORE: The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) has introduced the SME Registration Portal (SMERP) as a key initiative, aimed at strengthening transparency and enhancing convenience for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). SMERP facilitates online registration of SMEs and issuance of SMEDA SME Size Certificates through a fully digital process with minimal human interaction, ensuring transparency, efficiency, and ease of access for businesses across the country. The portal has been designed to develop a comprehensive and reliable SME database, which will support research, evidence-based policy formulation, and effective alignment of government interventions with the needs of SMEs. To further…

KARACHI: Renowned economist Professor Amir Sufi says that as global markets increasingly shift toward high-tech services, including information technology and professional scientific services, the financial sector must undergo a fundamental transformation to keep pace. He was speaking at the 25th Zahid Husain Memorial Lecture hosted by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).The lecture series, which honours the transformative legacy of the SBP’s first Governor, Zahid Husain, convened an audience of diplomats, academics, banking industry leaders, business community and the family of the late Governor to discuss the evolution of the financial system in an era of high-tech growth. Professor Amir…

KARACHI: The Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) has written a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging his personal and urgent intervention to arrest the declining business confidence and restore the competitiveness of Pakistan’s economy. In its letter, PBF President Khawaja Mehboob ur Rehman highlighted that 2025 has once again proven to be an extremely challenging year for businesses and industry. Despite repeated commitments by successive governments, the fundamental demand of the business community was ease of doing business and a reduction in the cost of operations has not been addressed in a meaningful or sustainable manner. The PBF noted that…

BEIJING/BRUSSELS: China will impose provisional duties of up to 42.7 percent on dairy products imported from the European Union, the latest in a series of measures against EU exports widely seen as retaliation for the bloc’s electric vehicle tariffs. The duties, to be collected from Tuesday, will range from 21.9 percent to 42.7 percent, although most companies will pay just under 30 percent. They target unsweetened milk and cream and fresh and processed cheeses, including the iconic French Roquefort and Camembert. China’s Ministry of Commerce said it had found evidence that EU dairy imports were subsidised and hurting Chinese producers.…