Oil prices were steady on Friday as reports of sluggish economic growth in China, the world's biggest crude importer, raised concerns about fuel demand which countered optimism from the signing of a Sino-U.S. trade deal this week.
China's economic growth slowed to its weakest in nearly 30 years in 2019 amid a bruising trade war with the United States and sputtering investment, and more stimulus steps are expected this year to help avert a sharper slowdown.
China's crude oil throughput rose to a record high in 2019 following the start-up of two mega-refineries, official data showed on Friday, with December posting the highest daily run-rate on record.
China's property investment hit a two-year low in December even as it grew at a solid pace in 2019, adding to recent signs of a slackening in the sector and suggested Beijing might need to offer more stimulus to stabilize a cooling economy.
China will maintain a proactive fiscal policy and a prudent monetary policy in 2020 and roll out more support measures this year as the economy faces downward pressure, the chief of the country's statistics bureau said on Friday.
Asian shares rose on Friday after global stock indexes and Wall Street posted more records, and as China's economic growth matched expectations in spite of U.S. trade pressures.
China's 2019 pork output plunged to a 16-year low, official data showed on Friday, as the fatal hog disease African swine fever killed millions of pigs in the world's top producer.
China's annual aluminum production fell for the first time in 10 years in 2019, official data showed on Friday, hit by softer demand amid the Sino-U.S. trade row and large-scale smelter outages.
Temasek Holdings and Trustbridge Partners have held talks with WeWork China over increasing their stake in the China branch of the troubled co-working startup to take majority ownership, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
NBCUniversal's new Peacock streaming service will offer free and $5-per-month options with advertising to try to win customers for its belated entry into the online video wars, the company announced on Thursday.
Four companies sued Facebook Inc in U.S. federal court on Thursday for alleged anticompetitive conduct, saying the social network inappropriately revoked developer access to its platform in order to harm prospective competitors.
Asian shares inched higher on Friday after global stock indexes and Wall Street posted more records, with strong corporate earnings and upbeat U.S. economic data adding to optimism after China and the U.S. signed a partial trade deal.
Oil prices were steady on Friday as investors braced for data expected to show China's economic growth last year slid to its slowest pace in 29 years, holding on to gains for now after Washington and Beijing inked a long-awaited trade deal.
The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved a revamp of the 26-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement that includes tougher rules on labor and automotive content but leaves $1.2 trillion in annual U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade flows largely unchanged.
China's annual aluminum production fell for the first time in 10 years in 2019, official data showed on Friday, hit by softer demand amid the Sino-U.S. trade row and large-scale smelter outages.