Bloomberg: The Asia Trade 9/6/25

Market Trends & Global Economy - Asian stocks are poised for a positive start to the week, driven by encouraging U S jobs data that has alleviated recession concerns [1] - The Japanese yen has weakened against the U S dollar, hovering around the 145 level, with forecasts suggesting a potential move to 136 by the end of September [3][87] - The S&P 500 has surpassed the 6000 level, fueled by a significant rally in big tech stocks [5] - Bond markets are experiencing volatility due to expectations of increased debt issuance, with particular attention on the longer end of the curve [38][62][88] US-China Trade Relations - US and China are set to resume trade talks in London, focusing on resolving tensions related to China's rare earth export restrictions [2][24][60][164] - The Trump administration aims to restore the flow of critical minerals, essential for various industries including cell phones, EVs, and military systems [25][165][191] - China seeks a complete tariff pause or removal before engaging in earnest talks, while the US is concerned about export controls [169] - There is potential for a summit between President Xi and President Trump if negotiations progress positively and a firm deliverable for China is identified [72][170] Political & Social Issues in the US - President Trump is considering deploying U S Marines to Los Angeles, following the deployment of National Guard troops, in response to protests over immigration raids [2][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][145] - Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) faces pressure to increase arrests to a minimum of 3000 per day, leading to expanded operations and community responses [11][15][149][150][202][221] - California leaders are condemning the deployment of federal troops, viewing it as an overreach and inflammatory to the situation [9][141][142][143][144][153][154][199][203][223] Corporate Investment & AI - Bloomberg reports that Meta is in discussions to make a multibillion-dollar investment, potentially exceeding $10 billion, in artificial intelligence startup Scale AI [2][5][78][79][111][118][140] - Scale AI's expertise in data labeling and reinforcement learning could significantly enhance Meta's Llama AI systems [82][85] South Korean Market - South Korean stocks experienced a significant rally, with the KOSPI gaining over 4% last week, driven by optimism surrounding the presidential election [97][98][119][140] - Foreign funds have added a net $18 billion to the South Korean equity market, marking the second consecutive week of inflows [99] - Small investors in South Korea are leveraging online platforms to advocate for corporate reforms and improved governance [100][101][102][103][104][214][215][216][217][218][219] Japanese Economy - Japan's revised fourth-quarter GDP showed a smaller contraction of 0 2% annualized, with private capital expenditure contributing positively [3][105][106][107][108] - The Ministry of Finance is considering adjustments to debt issuance, potentially reducing the supply of long-end bonds [63][88][109] - There are expectations that the Bank of Japan will continue to reduce its quantitative easing (QE) program, starting next April [91]