Canberra fears tying infrastructure fund to Beijing’s plans would hit US relations

A North Korean missile appeared to have exploded on Wednesday just after it was launched, the U.S. and South Korean militaries said after detecting the latest in a series of weapons tests by the nuclear-armed state that have alarmed the region.

Business sentiment at Asia's top companies rose to its highest in almost two years in the first quarter of 2017, buoyed by positive economic signs from the United States and China that underpinned improved global demand, a Thomson Reuters/INSEAD survey showed.

Preparatory work for a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump has begun, China's Foreign Ministry said on Monday, after a weekend visit to Beijing by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

The Trump administration gave its clearest signal yet that it would consider military action against North Korea, with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson saying Friday that “all options are on the table.”

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrived in South Korea on Friday for the second leg of an Asian tour focused on finding a "new approach" for North Korea after what he described as two decades of failed efforts to denuclearize the reclusive state.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman began a visit to Beijing Thursday that highlights growing ties underpinned by China's thirst for Saudi oil and the kingdom's status as a key link in Beijing's bid to connect China to Europe through infrastructure development.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Thursday that cooperation among Japan, South Korea and the United States was critical as Washington and its key Asian allies confront the challenge of North Korea's missile and nuclear programs.

China has started fresh construction work in the disputed South China Sea, new satellite images show, a sign that Beijing is continuing to strengthen its military reach across the vital trade waterway.

China's Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday that Beijing does not want to see a trade war with the United States and urged talks between both sides to achieve common ground.