Pelliot, a manufacturer of outdoor sports apparel and equipment, is aiming to become the first listed company among its peers in China, after it recently filed for an initial public offering on the Hong Kong stock exchange. The move is believed to be part of the company's efforts to further capitalize on China's surging outdoor sports trend.

Also in today’s newsletter, Joe Biden diagnosed with prostate cancer, and pro-EU centrist wins Romanian presidency

S et amid a backdrop of lush rolling hills and marshy lakes, Ningde is an unassuming company town on the south-eastern coast of China, lined with low-rise buildings and apartment blocks. One structure stands out: a gleaming rectangular tower with a gently curving glass facade, which bears an uncanny resemblance to a giant lithium-ion battery pack.

Institution president Dennis Lo also says tariff tensions between China and US have driven up prices of equipment, chemicals.

The forthcoming patrol of the George Washington comes as the Chinese navy—the world's largest by hull count—continues operations near Japan and Taiwan, which are a U.S. ally and partner, by deploying its aircraft carrier and a task group led by an amphibious warship.

Asian shares have advanced after China cut key interest rates as part of its effort to fend off malaise worsened by the trade war.

Solina Chau, Hong Kong’s richest man Li Ka-shing’s longtime companion and business partner, is one of the world’s most powerful women with a net worth of US$2.4 billion.

USS Blue Ridge, a U.S. Navy command and control ship, has visited four countries in the South Pacific since mid- April.