China to Tax Bond Interest Income After Decades of Exemption

August 4, 2025--China said it plans to tax interest income on bonds issued by the government and financial institutions, in a surprise move that's prompted investors to reevaluate their debt market positions.

The government will resume collection of value-added tax on interest income from bonds sold by central and local governments, as well as those from financial institutions starting Aug. 8, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement released on Friday. Bonds issued before that, including the reopening sales on these notes, will be exempted from the tax.

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New World Bank Report Charts Pathways for Energy Security, New Jobs, and Market Opportunities in East Asia

August 28, 2025-A new World Bank report, Green Horizon: East Asia's Sustainable Energy Future, outlines practical pathways to modernize and upgrade the region's energy systems to support power and industrial sectors-a key step for East Asia to sustain long-term growth, create jobs, and retain economic competitiveness.

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Dissecting Medium-Term Growth Prospects for Asia

August 22, 2025-Summary
This paper explores Asia-Pacific's medium-term growth prospects using two approaches. First, growth accounting analysis and machine-learning estimation reveal how demographics, capital deepening, productivity, and human capital shaped Asia's growth.

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