Foxconn and its Indonesian parter Indrika Energy is looking to make EV batteries with a Thai firm, possibly the state-run energy giant PTT.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a formal meeting on Tuesday, which was the first by leaders of the two countries since 2016.

Mining industry leaders say they are concerned about global supply chains for the metal which is vital to the renewable energy and EV sectors

The statement came after Washington "strongly suggested" that China's Cosco should not get a controlling stake in a contested deal over a terminal at the port in Hamburg

Officials have continued to fight the spread of Covid with lockdowns, mass testing and quarantines, which has hit economic growth and caused major disruption to businesses

Shares in Japan closed at their highest level in nearly seven weeks, while world stocks also hit a five-week high and most Asian currencies also eked out gains after a decline in the dollar index

Rising gas prices have forced Thailand to extend the lifespan of some coal plants to meet its power needs. Meanwhile, Thai exports rose by 7.8% in September

Southeast Asia's largest economy has been enjoying an export boom for more than a year due to rising commodity prices

Japanese PM Fumio Kishida said the two nations had been working to achieve a free and open Indo-Pacific under "an increasingly severe strategic environment"

Australia and Japan are expected to update their security agreement, given China's aggressive posturing over Taiwan and the South China Sea. But Tokyo also wants help with its energy transition

Imports rose by more than 40% for the fifth month in a row, hitting their highest ever level since data began in 1979, according to Japan's MOF

Falling prices and cooling demand in China, because of the prolonged crisis in its property sector, caused Rio to more than halve its interim dividend payout in July