Welcome to Your Week in Asia.
Chinese President Xi Jinping heads to Southeast Asia for a three-nation tour, just as the region begins to grapple with the fallout from sweeping trade tariffs introduced by U.S. leader Donald Trump.
Investors are looking out for key economic data: China is publishing its latest gross domestic product figures amid concerns over stagflation, while Japan will share a reading of its consumer prices index as its central bank weighs a further interest rate hike.
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MONDAY
Xi begins Southeast Asia visit
Xi kicks off a tour to Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia that will wrap up on Friday. The trip comes at a critical time for both China and Southeast Asia, with Vietnam and Cambodia among the countries hit hardest by the tariffs Trump announced on April 2. Malaysia, meanwhile, is this year's ASEAN chair, leading the bloc's response to Washington's measures.
Singapore monetary policy decision
Singapore is expected to further ease its monetary policy on Monday, following a similar move in January, as the recently announced "reciprocal" U.S. tariffs cloud the outlook for the trade-dependent economy. The government is also set to release preliminary GDP figures for the January-March quarter.
Indonesia's Fore Coffee makes stock market debut
Fore Coffee will debut on the Indonesia Stock Exchange with the aim of raising up to $22.6 million as it looks to expand its store network across Southeast Asia's largest economy. The listing takes place as the nation's stock market is pressured by growing fears over the effects of the new U.S. tariff policy and concerns over the government's fiscal policy.
WEDNESDAY
China reveals latest GDP data
China will release GDP data for the first quarter. The world's No. 2 economy is expected to have performed relatively well, with a recent Nikkei poll forecasting a 5.0% growth rate for the period, thanks in part to the front-loading of exports. That would be in line with Beijing's annual target of "around 5%." But China now faces a major challenge: It has been singled out by Trump for tariffs reaching 145%.
THURSDAY
TSMC reports full first-quarter earnings
The Taiwanese chip titan has already revealed better-than-expected revenue for the first three months of the year, but when it reports its full earnings for the quarter, all eyes will be on its profitability and outlook for the rest of 2025 amid the chaos sparked by Trump's tariff policy.
Monetary Policy: South Korea, Turkey
Earnings: Infosys, Malaysia Aviation Group
FRIDAY
Japan releases inflation data
Japan's government will publish its core consumer price index reading for March. Attention is focused on whether inflation will continue to stay above the central bank's 2% target, which could reinforce market expectations of further interest rate hikes.
