TIBOR

China gingerly raised a key short-term interest rate on Thursday following the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank’s move overnight, in a symbolic reminder that Beijing is keeping an eye on global market trends even as it cracks down on financial risks at home.

Economic talks between the United States and Japan, tackling topics from persimmons and potatoes to energy and infrastructure, have helped keep Tokyo clear of protectionist moves such as those that recently hit Chinese solar panels and South Korean washers.

U.S. President Donald Trump vowed on Monday to push for a free and balanced trade partnership with Japan after decades of “massive trade deficits” but said relations with close ally Tokyo were “better than we have ever had.”

The Federal Reserve’s next interest rate increase will mark a key milestone as the era of cheap dollars draws to a close