EghtesadOnline: Asian countries should pursue a Pacific trade pact even after the U.S. walked away, and its standards should be incorporated into other regional deals, according to a report authored by half a dozen former trade envoys.

EghtesadOnline: A United Nations report says Asia's economic outlook for 2017 is strong despite slowing global growth due to sluggish international trade and investment.

EghtesadOnline: Japan, China and the rest of East Asia enjoyed rapid development and rising living standards by opening up their economies and becoming integral parts of the global trade and economic system. The openness was underpinned by international commitments, like signing up to the WTO and joining regional agreements that were supported by and reinforced that global system.

EghtesadOnline: A United Nations official believes that economic stability in Asia and the Pacific provides opportunities to make progress on productivity and inclusiveness.

EghtesadOnline: The Chinese and U.S. stock markets are going in opposite directions. An intensifying crackdown against leverage in Asia’s biggest economy has rocked the hither-to unflappable Shanghai Composite Index over the past week, sending it to a three-month low last session. In the U.S., the largest equity market is embracing a risk rally spurred by the French election, with the S&P 500 Index continuing to build on reflation-trade gains ignited by Donald Trump’s November victory.

EghtesadOnline: President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that the emerging Asian economies would change the direction of the world’s economy from the West to the East; and this would turn the twenty first century to the era of rising Asia.

EghtesadOnline: Developing economies in Asia are holding steady and will grow at the earlier forecast rate of 5.7% this year and next, buoyed by resilience in the region’s two largest economies, China and India, the Asian Development Bank said in its report released Tuesday.