ELAINE KURTENBACH

Asia business editor

Based in Bangkok, Kurtenbach is the AP’s business editor for Asia, helping to improve and expand our coverage of regional economies, climate change and the transition toward carbon-free energy. She has been covering economic, social, environmental and political trends in China, Japan and Southeast Asia throughout her career.

A Security member stands guard at one of the entrance of the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Stock market today: World shares are mixed after another Wall Street record day

Stocks are mixed in Europe and Asia after Wall Street tapped fresh records, led by big gains in chipmakers.

FILE - Vietnam's President Vo Van Thuong addresses the media during a joint press conference with Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida after their meeting at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, Monday, Nov. 27, 2023. Vietnam’s president resigned in the latest episode of the ruling Communist Party's “blazing furnace” anti-corruption campaign, and Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan was named acting president. The appointment is Xuan's second stint as acting president after she stepped in when Vo Van Thuong's predecessor resigned in early 2023. (Richard A. Brooks/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Vietnam’s president resigns in latest twist of anti-graft campaign shaking its fast-growing economy

Vietnam’s president has resigned as the ruling communist party in the latest episode of a “blazing furnace” anti-corruption campaign.

A Security member stands guard at one of the entrance of the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Stock market today: Asian shares slip after another Wall Street record day

Stocks are mostly lower in Asia after Wall Street tapped fresh records, led by big gains in chipmakers.

President of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China Jens Eskelund speaks during a press conference for European Chamber in Beijing, China, Wednesday, March 20, 2024. Uncertainty and "draconian regulations" have drastically raised risks for foreign businesses in China, a report by a European business group said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Doing business in China is growing tougher, more uncertain, European business group says

A report by a European business group says that uncertainty and “draconian regulations” have drastically raised risks for foreign businesses in China.

FILE - A man walks past a depiction of Evergrande properties across a China map at a partially shuttered Evergrande commercial complex in Beijing, on Jan. 29, 2024. Troubled property developer China Evergrande Holding says Beijing’s stock watchdog has fined it 4.2 billion yuan ($333.4 million) for allegedly falsifying its revenue, among other allegations. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

China’s stock watchdog fines property developer Evergrande, slaps lifetime ban on its chairman

Troubled property developer China Evergrande Holding says Beijing’s stock watchdog has fined it 4.2 billion yuan ($333.4 million) for allegedly falsifying its revenue, among other allegations.

FILE - A person stands in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm Monday, March 18, 2024, in Tokyo. Shares are mixed in Asia after the Bank of Japan hiked its benchmark interest rate for the first time in 17 years, ending a longstanding negative rate policy.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)

Stock market today: Asian shares are mixed after Bank of Japan ups key rate for 1st time in 17 years

Shares are mixed in Asia after the Bank of Japan hiked its benchmark interest rate for the first time in 17 years, ending a longstanding negative rate policy.

FILE - People stand in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's stock prices at a securities firm Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, in Tokyo. Asian markets retreated Friday, March 15, with Hong Kong’s benchmark falling nearly 2%, after a mixed batch of data on the U.S. economy dashed hopes that easier interest rates are coming soon.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)

Stock market today: Asian markets retreat after data dash hopes that a US rate cut is imminent

Asian markets have retreated after a mixed batch of data on the U.S. economy dashed hopes that easier interest rates are coming soon. Hong Kong’s benchmark fell 2%.

Chinese President Xi Jinping adjusts his jacket as he stands to sing the national anthem at the closing session of the National People's Congress held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

China’s congress ends with a show of unity behind Xi’s vision for national greatness

China’s national congress has concluded its annual session with the usual show of near-unanimous support for the ruling Communist Party’s blueprint for the year.

A currency trader passes by the screens showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), center, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, right, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Shares were mostly higher in Asia on Tuesday ahead of a report on inflation in the U.S. that could sway the Federal Reserve’s timing on cutting interest rates. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Stock market today: Asian shares are mostly higher ahead of a US report on inflation

Shares are mostly higher in Asia ahead of a report on inflation in the U.S. that could sway the Federal Reserve’s timing on cutting interest rates.

Military officers and delegates leave the Great Hall of the People after attending the second plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, Friday, March 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

China’s top court, prosecutors report surging cyberscams, stress protecting national security

China has reported large increases in arrests and cases of phone and internet scams last year, as leaders showcase the ruling Communist Party’s determination to safeguard national security and public order.

Visitors tour Tiananmen Square as high-rise office buildings of Central Business District are seen in the background, in Beijing, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. China has plenty of room to maneuver to attain its target for robust economic growth of about 5% this year, top Chinese financial officials said Wednesday, after a strong start for the year. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

China says economy got a strong start in 2024, sets sights on latest technology, upgrading factories

Top Chinese financial officials have outlined details of the ruling Communist Party’s plans for the year, saying a 5% target for economic growth is within reach after a strong start to the year.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang deliver his opening speech during the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Tuesday, March 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

China’s plans for 2024 prioritize technology, offer scant comfort for businesses and investors

China’s blueprint for its economy in 2024 is replete with goals and promises, but it’s also notable for not spelling out specific moves to attain long-promised reforms that foreign businesses and investors have been hoping for.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, center, speaks during the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Tuesday, March 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

China sets an economic growth target of around 5% but acknowledges it will not be easy to achieve

Premier Li Qiang says China aims to achieve 5% economic growth this year but acknowledges it will be a challenging goal in difficult times.

Currency traders watch monitors at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Shares were mixed Tuesday in Asia after China’s premier said the country’s target for economic growth this year is around 5%, in line with expectations. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Stock market today: Asian shares are mixed as China unveils 5% economic growth target for 2024

Shares are mixed in Asia after China’s premier said the country’s target for economic growth this year is around 5%, in line with expectations.

A young couple walk by a construction site near office buildings in the Central Business District in Beijing on March 2, 2024. China's efforts to restore confidence and rev up the economy will top the agenda during this month’s meeting of the ceremonial national legislature.(AP Photo/Andy Wong)

China seeks ways to revive slowing economy and salvage property market as annual congress convenes

China’s efforts to restore confidence and rev up the economy will top the agenda during this month’s meeting of the ceremonial national legislature.

Delegates arrive to attend a preparatory session of the National People's Congress outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Monday, March 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

China in a surprise announcement says it is eliminating an annual news conference by the premier

The Chinese government says it is eliminating an annual news conference by the premier that was one of the only times a top Chinese leader took questions from the news media.

A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, in Tokyo. Shares were mixed in Asia on Thursday after a lackluster day on Wall Street, where selling of technology stocks pulled benchmarks lower. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Stock market today: Asian shares are mixed after Wall Street slips lower and bitcoin bounces higher

Shares are mixed in Asia after a lackluster day on Wall Street, where selling of technology stocks pulled benchmarks lower.

FILE - A trader looks over his cell phone outside the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022, in the financial district of Manhattan in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

Stock market today: Wall Street edges back from its record heights

Asian shares have retreated after U.S. stocks edged back from their record heights. Most regional markets fell, while Shanghai advanced.

A person takes photograph an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Tokyo. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index surged Thursday past the record it set in 1989 before its financial bubble burst, ushering in an era of faltering growth. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Japan’s Nikkei stock index breaks its 1989 record and surges to an all-time high

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index has surged past the record it set in 1989 before its financial bubble burst, ushering in an era of faltering growth.

A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Stock market today: Japan’s benchmark briefly reaches all-time high after rally on Wall Street

Japan’s Nikkei 225 share benchmark has touched an all-time high, bypassing its previous record set in December 1989.

A woman walks by China's central bank, or the People's Bank of China in Beijing, Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024. China's central bank announced it cut its five-year loan prime rate while leaving its one-year rate unchanged. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

China cuts key interest rate in the latest move to boost its ailing property sector

China’s central bank has cut its five-year loan prime rate while leaving its one-year rate unchanged.

TV crew members film an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm as people pass by Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, in Tokyo. Shares advanced in Asia on Friday, with Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225 index trading near a record high, 34 years after it peaked and then plunged with the collapse of Japan's financial bubble. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Stock market today: Asian shares track Wall Street rally as Japan’s Nikkei nears a record high

Shares in Asia are higher, with Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index approaching a record high. U.S. futures were lower after stocks on Wall Street set another record following some mixed reports on the economy.

Monitors show Nikkei stock index, yellow, at a foreign exchange trader's company in Tokyo, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. Shares rose in Asia on Thursday after Wall Street stocks recovered much of their sharp losses from a day before.(Kyodo News via AP)

Stock market today: Asian shares track Wall Street’s rebound

Shares are higher in Asia after Wall Street stocks recovered much of their sharp losses from a day before. Oil prices declined.

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a new energy vehicle using "LiDAR" intelligent driving equipment are display at the 21st Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province on Nov. 17, 2023. A Nasdaq-listed Chinese technology company that makes parts for self-driving vehicles is threatening to sue the U.S. government after it was included in a list of companies the Pentagon says have links to the Chinese military. (Liu Dawei/Xinhua via AP)

Chinese technology company lashes back at US claims it has ties to military

A Nasdaq-listed Chinese technology company that makes parts for self-driving vehicles has threatened to sue the U.S. government after it was included in a list of companies the Pentagon says have links to the Chinese military.

People walk by a giant dragon lantern decorated near the frozen Houhai Lake in Beijing, Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024. Chinese shares rose Thursday as investors appeared to welcome Beijing's choice of an industry veteran to replace its top securities watchdog in its latest effort to boost confidence in ailing markets. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

China names a new stock regulator and reports new developer financing in a bid to soothe markets

Shares have risen in China after Beijing ousted its top stock market regulator and announced more funding for hard-strapped property developers.

CORRECTS TO DELETE AN EXTRANEOUS PHRASE OF "A DELEGATION LED BY" - In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, right, shakes hands with Jay Shambaugh, the Under Secretary of U.S. Department of Treasury prior to their 3rd China-US Economic Working Group Meeting in Beijing, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (Yin Bogu/Xinhua via AP)

China and US hold economic talks as trade issues heat up on the campaign trail

Chinese and U.S. officials have met in Beijing for talks on tough issues dividing the two largest economies as trade and tariffs increasingly draw attention in the runup to the U.S. presidential election.

People walk in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Stock market today: Asian shares are mostly higher as S&P 500 nears the 5,000 level for the 1st time

Share are mostly higher in Asia after the S&P 500 neared the 5,000 level for the first time. Hong Kong’s benchmark fell while Shanghai advanced after China replaced its top stock market regulator.

FILE - A woman reacts in front of an electronic screen displaying stock prices at a brokerage house in Hangzhou in east China's Zhejiang province, on Feb. 5, 2024. A Chinese state investment fund has promised to expand its purchases of stock index funds to help markets that have been sagging under heavy selling pressure from a property crisis and slowing economy. (Chinatopix via AP, File)

Chinese shares jump as Beijing steps up moves to boost sagging markets

China has redoubled efforts to revive its wobbling financial markets, with a major Chinese state investment fund promising to expand its purchases of stock index funds.

A woman reacts in front of an electronic screen displaying stock prices at a brokerage house in Hangzhou in east China's Zhejiang province, Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. Chinese shares gyrated on Monday, sinking to 5-year lows, after stock market regulators sought to reassure jittery investors with a promise to crack down on stock price manipulation and "malicious short selling." (Chinatopix Via AP)

China markets slump to 5-year lows as regulator promises to protect small investors

Chinese shares have sunk to 5-year lows even after market regulators sought to reassure jittery investors with a promise to crack down on stock price manipulation and “malicious short selling.”

FILE - A man rides on an electric bike past by a residential buildings under construction in Beijing on June 5, 2023. China promised more help for renters as it rolls out a flurry of measures to prop up its ailing property market, while also promising to keep government spending at a “necessary intensity.” (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)

China pledges more help for its ailing property market, as IMF forecasts economy will slow

Chinese markets have retreated despite a fresh flurry of measures to help prop up the ailing property sector.