UK, China rush to forge business deals

China’s President Xi Jinping (R) and Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer shake hands before their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on January 29, 2026. Carl Court | Afp | Getty Images Chinese businesses have pledged hundreds of millions of pounds’ worth of investment in the U.K. and struck new partnerships…

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China’s factory activity grows at fastest pace since October, private survey shows, beating official reading

An employee works on a carbon fiber production line at Zhongfu Shenying in Lianyungang, China’s eastern Jiangsu province on July 31, 2025. Str | Afp | Getty Images China’s factory activity gathered speed in January, according to a private survey released Monday, as manufacturers accelerated production and front-loaded shipments ahead of the extended Lunar New…

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Sotxx 600, FTSE, DAX, CAC, silver, gold, bitcoin

LONDON — European stocks are expected to open in negative territory as concerns over artificial intelligence and volatility in precious metals haunt global markets. The U.K.’s FTSE index is seen opening 0.5% lower, Germany’s DAX down almost 1%, France’s CAC 40 down 0.8% and Italy’s FTSE MIB also down by a similar amount, according to data…

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Chinese organized crime networks moved $16 billion in crypto in 2025, according to report

Amber Casino and former scam center, owned by Chen Zhi, a Chinese businessman who was deported to China, is seen in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on Jan. 18, 2026. Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images Chinese-language money laundering networks funneled an estimated $16.1 billion in illicit funds through cryptocurrency transactions in 2025, according to a report released…

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Hang Seng Index, CSI 300, gold, silver

A study of affluent Chinese released this month by consulting firm Oliver Wyman found that 22% of respondents were negative about the economy when surveyed in May. It just exceeds the 21% seen in October 2022, just before Beijing announced plans to ease its stringent zero-Covid policy. Dukai Photographer | Moment | Getty Images Asia-Pacific…

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