Asia Roundup
Australia’s Falling China Trade Surplus Rings Economic Alarm
Australia’s trade surplus shrank to the lowest since 2018, underscoring how China’s soaring exports and weak imports are reshaping merchandise flows and potentially dragging down major trade partners, Bloomberg reported.
The value of Australia’s shipments to China of iron ore, coal and other goods dropped 2% last year, falling for a second year in a row. Meanwhile, Australian shoppers splurged on cheap Chinese imports of everything from BYD electric cars to e-commerce bargains from the likes of Temu and Shein.
Vietnam Overhauls Decade-Old Bankruptcy Legislation
Vietnam has overhauled its decade-old bankruptcy legislation and enacted a new law that will take effect on 1 March 2026, A&O Shearman wrote.
This was a response to longstanding concerns that the existing bankruptcy regime has been an ineffective tool for addressing distressed situations, according to the law firm.
Autobahn Rent A Car Director Roy Tan Faces Fresh Forgery Charge
The director of Singapore private hire car rental company Autobahn Rent A Car, Tan Boon Kee, was charged with another count of forgery, The Business Times reported. Also known as Roy Tan, the 49-year-old is accused of creating nine fradulent receipts with the letterhead of Toyota distributor Borneo Motors.
These were supposed to show that payment in full for nine cars, a sum totalling SGD 1.9 million (USD 1.5 million), had been received by Borneo Motors.
Indonesia Roundup
Indonesia Assets Slide as Moody’s Outlook Cut Hurts Sentiment
Indonesia’s assets slid on Friday after Moody’s Ratings cut the country’s credit outlook to negative, Bloomberg reported.
Stocks tumbled as much as 2.7%, while 10-year bond yields jumped 11 basis points to a four-month high. The rupiah weakened toward the key psychological level of 17,000 per dollar.
Credit risk indicators also deteriorated. The cost of insuring Indonesian sovereign debt rose about 4.3 basis points to around 80 basis points earlier, the biggest increase among Asian sovereigns, according to a trader.
Indonesia Coal Quota Cuts Risk Pushing Away Top Chinese Buyers
China’s coal importers are ready to turn to alternative supplies if Indonesia’s lower production quotas curb exports, a shift that could undermine Jakarta’s efforts to lift prices and risk alienating its top buyer, Bloomberg reported.
Some Indonesian miners have suspended spot sales to the international market after the government slashed this year’s output allowances to well below last year’s levels, according to three Indonesia-based traders. The move has fueled speculation that exports could tighten in coming months.
Medco Gets IDR 8.8 Trillion of Loans from Two Banks
Indonesia’s Medco Energi Internasional said it had secured IDR 8.8 trillion (USD 521.3 million) in combined loans from two banks, according to its stock exchange filings.
On 4 February 2026, Medco signed an agreement with Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) for a IDR 8 trillion term loan. The energy company also obtained a IDR 800 billion loan from Bank ICBC Indonesia.