https://www.scmp.com/rss/522200/feed The latest news and top stories on Matteo Giovannini. Known for his extensive experience in finance, Matteo Giovannini serves as a senior finance manager at the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, where he has been involved in cross-border project financing, particularly for Belt and Road Initiative projects. He is also a non-resident associate fellow at the Centre for China and Globalisation, contributing to discussions on global trade, finance and policy. He views fentanyl as a potential... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma The US-Israeli war on Iran has unleashed sharp swings across global energy and financial markets, fuelling demand for safe-haven assets, with Hong Kong emerging as a potential beneficiary across gold, property and capital markets. In the first of a three-part series, we examine Hong Kong’s bid to position itself as Asia’s bullion hub. War in the Middle East has intensified global demand to diversify gold storage, creating a strategic window for Hong Kong to tap its unique status and evolve from... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350511/hong-kong-wants-become-global-gold-vault-does-iran-war-create-opening?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350511/hong-kong-wants-become-global-gold-vault-does-iran-war-create-opening?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 06:00:16 +0000 Ji Siqi,Kandy Wong Ji Siqi,Kandy Wong In an effort to offer an alternative amid the global rise of stablecoins – cryptocurrencies pegged to a reference asset, such as a fiat currency – China’s central bank is poised to upgrade its digital yuan from a cash equivalent to “digital deposit money”. The move, which will allow the digital currency to function like a deposit in a bank account, is expected to broaden global usage of the e-CNY by making it more attractive to banks and individuals, but it also reflects Beijing’s cautious... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338159/how-china-upgrading-its-digital-yuan-stablecoin-era?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338159/how-china-upgrading-its-digital-yuan-stablecoin-era?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 13:00:09 +0000 Ann Cao,Wency Chen Ann Cao,Wency Chen Freshly pardoned by US President Donald Trump, Binance founder Zhao Changpeng is expected to return at the helm of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange in terms of daily turnover, according to analysts. The Chinese-born Canadian entrepreneur, widely known as CZ, received a pardon after he pleaded guilty to breaking US anti-money-laundering laws and went to prison for four months, part of a US$4.3 billion settlement with the US government to resolve a years-long investigation into... https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3330261/crypto-tycoon-zhao-changpeng-plans-comeback-after-trump-pardon-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3330261/crypto-tycoon-zhao-changpeng-plans-comeback-after-trump-pardon-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Oct 2025 12:00:41 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong China’s largest government-backed research funder has begun accepting applications for the study of stablecoins and their cross-border monitoring systems, a move indicating Beijing’s growing interest - and wariness - towards the emerging digital asset. In a circular posted on its website last week, the National Natural Science Foundation of China – an affiliate of the Ministry of Science and Technology that manages hundreds of billions of yuan in annual funding – solicited proposals for the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324893/china-offers-funding-stablecoin-research-global-interest-grows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324893/china-offers-funding-stablecoin-research-global-interest-grows?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Sep 2025 23:00:09 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong Once a niche corner of the cryptocurrency world, stablecoins have surged into the global spotlight this year, prompting analysts and industry insiders to declare that the digital asset’s time has come. In July, US President Donald Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law, establishing the first federal regulatory regime for stablecoins – a move many believe could pave the way for mass-market adoption. Shortly after, Hong Kong introduced its own ordinance, which took effect on August 1, requiring... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324322/chinas-stablecoin-dilemma-why-us-dollar-tokens-matter-and-how-beijing-might-respond?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324322/chinas-stablecoin-dilemma-why-us-dollar-tokens-matter-and-how-beijing-might-respond?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 22:00:12 +0000 Kandy Wong,Ji Siqi Kandy Wong,Ji Siqi As the dust settles on the latest round of US-China trade talks in Stockholm this week, the world’s two biggest economies may be shifting towards “indirect forms of negotiation” by strengthening partnerships with third countries that could reshape the global economic order, analysts said. The talks concluded on Tuesday with Beijing announcing that both sides had agreed to extend their “tariff truce” by another 90 days. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said the two countries had reached a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3320287/us-china-trade-talks-signal-shift-could-reshape-global-order-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3320287/us-china-trade-talks-signal-shift-could-reshape-global-order-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jul 2025 10:00:27 +0000 Ji Siqi,Kandy Wong Ji Siqi,Kandy Wong Trade relations between China and the United States remain mired in uncertainty after two days of tense negotiations in Sweden earlier this week. But Beijing may actually have emerged in a stronger position as Washington continues to raise tariffs on other global economies, analysts said. A third round of US-China trade talks in Stockholm ended on Tuesday with China announcing that both sides had agreed to extend their “tariff truce” by another 90 days, while the US side insisted the deal was... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3320157/us-china-trade-talks-why-beijing-unexpectedly-emerged-stronger-position?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3320157/us-china-trade-talks-why-beijing-unexpectedly-emerged-stronger-position?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jul 2025 14:00:10 +0000 Alice Li,Kandy Wong Alice Li,Kandy Wong The trafficking of materials to make the drug fentanyl – the issue cited by the US in its initial tariff escalation against China in March – is set to be back in focus for future talks, analysts said, after two previous rounds did not appear to broach the subject. Speculation over the drug’s presence in future negotiations was fuelled by US President Donald Trump’s remarks on the topic Wednesday, making reference to China’s “big steps” – including the threat of the death penalty for smugglers –... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3318620/fentanyl-likely-us-china-trade-agenda-after-long-absence-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3318620/fentanyl-likely-us-china-trade-agenda-after-long-absence-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jul 2025 22:00:10 +0000