Corporate finance theory suggests that the quality of a firm’s information environment affects its overall access to external funds and its access to equity financing. Information quality also affects investment policy because reduced information asymmetry reduces investment risk and makes external capital more readily available.

Innovation occurs across all levels of an organisation’s operations, including product design, trial production, market analyses, fixed asset investments that translate into new or improved products, and more. Typically, stakeholders learn about product innovations through a firm’s new product announcements, and the disclosures in these announcements are critical corporate indicators, as sustained product innovation has been linked to firm success and prosperity.

The question of whether and how firms disclose their private information to competitors is a significant and well-researched topic in economics. Classical literature on firms’ information sharing under oligopoly settings indicates that the decision to disclose information depends on the type of competition, known as either Bertrand or Cournot competition, and the nature of the private information, such as demand or cost data.

When used appropriately, generative AI can significantly enhance human productivity. It can help teams explore strategies, draft marketing plans, and greatly expand the breadth and speed of individual output.

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, represented by generative AI and machine learning, are reshaping industries with unprecedented speed and potential. Reports indicate that AI is expected to elevate productivity by 33% and redefine the global competitive landscape and economic growth (see Note 1).

In 2025, despite the threat posed by Donald Trump’s disruptive reciprocal tariffs and various other uncertainties, the global economy fortunately maintained a degree of resilience and recorded growth of about 2.7%. At this turn of the year, while attention is naturally on short-term changes and transitions, some long-standing and deeply entrenched issues such as climate change, income inequality, debt crises, geopolitical conflicts, and internal imbalances in major economies should not be overlooked.

As global technology conglomerates project an unprecedented $390 billion expenditure on Artificial Intelligence infrastructure in 2025, the discourse surrounding a potential “AI bubble” has intensified.

The Chinese economy is in a state of “strong supply and weak demand”. While production capacity continues to leap forward, domestic demand has not expanded in tandem. Data from the General Administration of Customs shows that on 11 January 2025, China’s trade surplus reached a new high of US$1.076 trillion.