CHINA announced steps towards making the yuan fully convertible with the launch of a pilot scheme in Guangzhou allowing foreign travellers to change foreign money directly into yuan.
The US dollar finished at 112.95 yen in Tokyo on Monday - the lowest close there since the modern exchange rate system was set up in the late 1940s.
It was announced that public funds could be boosted by about $4 billion if plans to sell under-utilised Government sites were backed by Beijing.
China announced it would set up its first currency futures exchange in Shenzhen to cater for the special economic zone's growing financial links with foreign countries.
Japanese economic ministers approved on Tuesday a 13.2-trillion yen (about HK$900-billion) economic stimulation package which they hope will double the growth rate and slash the country's trade surplus.
China and Britain announced on Tuesday that talks on arrangements for Hongkong's 1994/95 elections would resume this week.
