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(Reuters) -China's economic growth slowed to the weakest pace in a year in the third quarter, matching expectations, as a prolonged property slump and trade tensions hurt demand, keeping pressure on policymakers to roll out more stimulus to shore up momentum. Data on Monday showed gross domestic product (GDP) grew 4.8% in July-September, slowing from 5.2% in the second quarter and in line with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a rise of 4.8%. KEY POINTS * Q3 GDP +4.8% y/y (f'cast +4.8%, Q2 +5.2%) * Q3 GDP +1.1% q/q s/adj (f'cast +0.8%, Q2 +1.0% revised) * September industrial output +6.5% y/y (f'cast +5.0%, August +5.2%) * September retail sales +3.0% y/y (forecast +3.0%, August +3.4%) * January-September fixed asset investment -0.5% y/y (forecast +0.1%, January-August +0.5%) * January-September property investment -13.9% y/y (January-August -12.9%) COMMENTARY KYLE RODDA, SENIOR FINANCIAL MARKETS ANALYST, CAPITAL.COM, MELBOURNE: "Better than expected but still underwhelming. Domestic activity remains weak and investment was sluggish too, suggesting more needs to be done to boost demand. Ultimately, the story is the same: an economy that is recovering from the post-pandemic slump, but with very little momentum." ALEX LOO, FX AND MACRO STRATEGIST, TD SECURITIES, SINGAPORE: "It is likely that Beijing will meet its growth target for 2025 of 'around 5%'. The impressive growth record year-to-date suggests little need for more fiscal stimulus at this juncture and Beijing would probably take a hard-line stance in pressing the U.S. to roll back its technology curbs in any potential trade deal. As the Fourth Plenum is underway, we expect USD/CNY to stay in a tight range as the People's Bank of China (PBOC) ensures volatility is kept at a minimum during these big political events." TONY SYCAMORE, ANALYST AT IG, SYDNEY: "Given everything that's going on… my initial read is it's a decent number. "I don't expect there will be any broad-based stimulus measures. I know we've got the fourth plenum and I don't expect there to be anything too significant. From now, we are going to continue to see targeted additional fiscal stimulus. There's probably an idea that the quarter-three GDP number will be the low point in this cycle and that they can try with that additional targeted stimulus. You know the anti-involution, all the rest of those measures to potentially get the Chinese economy back on a firmer footing into year-end." LI HAO, RESEARCH DIRECTOR, CYPRESS INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, BEIJING: "Third-quarter GDP growth was in line with expectations. At this stage, achieving the full-year growth target of 5% doesn't appear too difficult, assuming no major geopolitical or macroeconomic shocks. While short-term policy support may not exceed expectations, medium- to long-term efforts to stimulate domestic demand must continue. "September data shows the underlying economic structure remains unchanged. Domestic demand is still weak, with investment and consumption falling short of forecasts. Meanwhile, resilient exports suggest front-loading of overseas orders is still driving factory activity." DAN WANG, CHINA DIRECTOR, EURASIA GROUP: "The market understanding was that China is going to miss the target, no matter what. Even with stimulus, it was going to be below 5%. But judging by the figure for the first three quarters, it's going to hit the target, suggesting China can withstand any pressure from the U.S., even with such levels of tariff threats and export restrictions. Beijing is sending the signal that it is capable of reaching its development goals and is strongly committed to its policies." TIANCHEN XU, SENIOR ECONOMIST, ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT, BEIJING: "Q4 will be structurally different, heavy in investment and light in consumption. After all, negative investment growth is not something policymakers want to see. Supportive measures rolled out since September like policy finance tools and the front-loaded government bond issuance are directed towards public investment projects." ZHIWEI ZHANG, CHIEF ECONOMIST, PINPOINT ASSET MANAGEMENT: "China GDP growth slowed further in Q3. The fixed asset investment growth turned negative year-to-date, which is rare and alarming. The Ministry of Finance announced the RMB 500 billion stimulus on Friday. It should help to mitigate the downward pressure on investment in Q4. Nonetheless, the risk to GDP growth in Q4 is likely on the downside." BACKGROUND * China's economy has steadily lost momentum following a strong start to the year, weighed down by a prolonged property slump, weak consumption and trade tensions. * Trade friction with Washington has intensified after China expanded its rare earth export controls, prompting a threat from U.S. President Donald Trump to raise tariffs by an additional 100% starting November 1. * However, U.S. officials have signalled that both countries were prepared to lower the temperature in their tariff spat. * China has rolled out modest support measures this year to preserve policy space for future shocks, taking advantage of resilient exports and strong stock markets. * China's heavy reliance on manufacturing and overseas demand has made it vulnerable to external shocks. Exporters are already feeling the impact of higher U.S. tariffs imposed earlier this year. * While China's export growth rebounded in September, much of the recent data shows the world's second-largest economy has lost momentum. * China's economy is projected to grow 4.8% this year, below the official target of around 5%, according to a Reuters poll. Growth is expected to ease further to 4.3% in 2026. (Reporting by Reuters Asia bureaus; Compiled and edited by Subhranshu Sahu)

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By Ellen Zhang and Kevin Yao BEIJING (Reuters) -China's economic growth slowed to the weakest pace in a year in the third quarter, as a property crisis and trade tensions hurt demand, leaving policymakers with the daunting challenge of rebalancing GDP drivers towards greater consumption over time. Authorities have unveiled modest stimulus measures this year, supported by resilient exports and strong stock markets, but renewed U.S.-China trade tensions pose risks. While there is room for additional support, analysts are divided over whether policymakers will act this year. Data on Monday showed gross domestic product (GDP) grew 4.8% in July-September, slowing from 5.2% in the second quarter and in line with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a rise of 4.8%. China is aiming for full-year growth of around 5%. "The market understanding was that China is going to miss the target, no matter what. Even with stimulus, it was going to be below 5%," said Dan Wang, China director at Eurasia Group. "But judging by the figure for the first three quarters, it's going to hit the target, suggesting China can withstand any pressure from the U.S., even with such levels of tariff threats and export restrictions. Beijing is sending the signal that it is capable of reaching its development goals and is strongly committed to its policies." On a quarterly basis, GDP grew 1.1% in the third quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics data showed, compared with a forecast 0.8% increase and a revised 1.0% gain in the previous quarter. TRADE RIFT HIGHLIGHT WEAKNESS IN LOPSIDED ECONOMY Renewed trade tensions with Washington have highlighted the vulnerabilities of China's lopsided economy, which relies heavily on manufacturing and overseas demand. This has raised expectations that Chinese leaders may embrace painful changes to rebalance growth towards domestic consumption. While China's export growth rebounded in September, much of the recent data show the world's second-largest economy has lost momentum, and deflationary pressures have persisted despite efforts to curb overcapacity and fierce competition among firms. Despite resilient headline figures, exporters are already feeling the impact of higher U.S. tariffs imposed earlier this year, forcing many to diversify into new markets. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods by an additional 100% starting November 1. However, U.S. officials have signalled that both countries were prepared to lower the temperature in their tariff spat. CHINA'S FIVE-YEAR PLAN IN FOCUS Chinese leaders will hold a closed-door meeting from Monday through to Thursday to discuss, among other things, the country's 15th five-year development plan, which is expected to prioritise high-tech manufacturing in the wake of the intensifying rivalry with the United States. Investors are also looking to a Politburo meeting and the Central Economic Work Conference, expected in December, for clues on economic policy for next year. "Q4 will be structurally different, heavy in investment and light in consumption. After all, negative investment growth is not something policymakers want to see," said Tianchen Xu, senior economist at Economist Intelligence Unit in Beijing. "Supportive measures rolled out since September like policy finance tools and the frontloaded government bond issuance are directed towards public investment projects." Separate September activity data, which were also released on Monday, showed industrial output grew to a three-month high of 6.5% year-on-year, accelerating from a 5.2% increase in August and beating a forecast of 5.0%. Retail sales growth slowed to their weakest in 10 months at 3.0% in September, from 3.4% in August, matching a forecast rise of 3.0%. Fixed asset investment shrank 0.5% in the first nine months compared with the same period last year, versus 0.5% growth in the January-to-August period and an expected 0.1% expansion. Property investment in China fell 13.9% in the first three quarters year-on-year, after dropping 12.9% in the January-to-August period, official data showed on Monday. A prolonged property crisis has weighed heavily on growth and consumer confidence in China, with momentum already pressured by the U.S. trade spat. (Reporting by Ellen Zhang and Kevin YaoEditing by Shri Navaratnam)

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(Reuters) -China's economic growth slowed to the weakest pace in a year in the third quarter, matching expectations, as a prolonged property slump and trade tensions hurt demand, keeping pressure on policymakers to roll out more stimulus to shore up momentum. Data on Monday showed gross domestic product (GDP) grew 4.8% in July-September, slowing from 5.2% in the second quarter and in line with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a rise of 4.8%. KEY POINTS * Q3 GDP +4.8% y/y (f'cast +4.8%, Q2 +5.2%) * Q3 GDP +1.1% q/q s/adj (f'cast +0.8%, Q2 +1.0% revised) * September industrial output +6.5% y/y (f'cast +5.0%, August +5.2%) * September retail sales +3.0% y/y (forecast +3.0%, August +3.4%) * January-September fixed asset investment -0.5% y/y (forecast +0.1%, January-August +0.5%) * January-September property investment -13.9% y/y (January-August -12.9%) COMMENTARY ALEX LOO, FX AND MACRO STRATEGIST, TD SECURITIES, SINGAPORE: "It is likely that Beijing will meet its growth target for 2025 of 'around 5%'. The impressive growth record year-to-date suggests little need for more fiscal stimulus at this juncture and Beijing would probably take a hard-line stance in pressing the U.S. to roll back its technology curbs in any potential trade deal. As the Fourth Plenum is underway, we expect USD/CNY to stay in a tight range as the People's Bank of China (PBOC) ensures volatility is kept at a minimum during these big political events." TONY SYCAMORE, ANALYST AT IG, SYDNEY: "Given everything that's going on… my initial read is it's a decent number. "I don't expect there will be any broad-based stimulus measures. I know we've got the 4th plenum and I don't expect there to be anything too significant. From now, we are going to continue to see targeted additional fiscal stimulus. There's probably an idea that the quarter-three GDP number will be the low point in this cycle and that they can try with that additional targeted stimulus. You know the anti-involution, all the rest of those measures to potentially get the Chinese economy back on a firmer footing into year-end." LI HAO, RESEARCH DIRECTOR, CYPRESS INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, BEIJING: "Third-quarter GDP growth was in line with expectations. At this stage, achieving the full-year growth target of 5% doesn't appear too difficult, assuming no major geopolitical or macroeconomic shocks. While short-term policy support may not exceed expectations, medium- to long-term efforts to stimulate domestic demand must continue. "September data shows the underlying economic structure remains unchanged. Domestic demand is still weak, with investment and consumption falling short of forecasts. Meanwhile, resilient exports suggest front-loading of overseas orders is still driving factory activity." DAN WANG, CHINA DIRECTOR, EURASIA GROUP: "The market understanding was that China is going to miss the target, no matter what. Even with stimulus, it was going to be below 5%. But judging by the figure for the first three quarters, it's going to hit the target, suggesting China can withstand any pressure from the U.S., even with such levels of tariff threats and export restrictions. Beijing is sending the signal that it is capable of reaching its development goals and is strongly committed to its policies." TIANCHEN XU, SENIOR ECONOMIST, ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT, BEIJING: "Q4 will be structurally different, heavy in investment and light in consumption. After all, negative investment growth is not something policymakers want to see. Supportive measures rolled out since September like policy finance tools and the front-loaded government bond issuance are directed towards public investment projects." ZHIWEI ZHANG, CHIEF ECONOMIST, PINPOINT ASSET MANAGEMENT: "China GDP growth slowed further in Q3. The fixed asset investment growth turned negative year-to-date, which is rare and alarming. The Ministry of Finance announced the RMB 500 billion stimulus on Friday. It should help to mitigate the downward pressure on investment in Q4. Nonetheless, the risk to GDP growth in Q4 is likely on the downside." BACKGROUND * China's economy has steadily lost momentum following a strong start to the year, weighed down by a prolonged property slump, weak consumption and trade tensions. * Trade friction with Washington has intensified after China expanded its rare earth export controls, prompting a threat from U.S. President Donald Trump to raise tariffs by an additional 100% starting November 1. * However, U.S. officials have signalled that both countries were prepared to lower the temperature in their tariff spat. * China has rolled out modest support measures this year to preserve policy space for future shocks, taking advantage of resilient exports and strong stock markets. * China's heavy reliance on manufacturing and overseas demand has made it vulnerable to external shocks. Exporters are already feeling the impact of higher U.S. tariffs imposed earlier this year. * While China's export growth rebounded in September, much of the recent data shows the world's second-largest economy has lost momentum. * China's economy is projected to grow 4.8% this year, below the official target of around 5%, according to a Reuters poll. Growth is expected to ease further to 4.3% in 2026. (Reporting by Reuters Asia bureaus; Compiled and edited by Subhranshu Sahu)

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BEIJING (Reuters) -China's economic growth slowed to the weakest pace in a year in the third quarter, matching expectations, as a prolonged property slump and trade tensions hurt demand, keeping pressure on policymakers to roll out more stimulus to shore up momentum. Authorities have unveiled modest stimulus measures this year, supported by resilient exports and strong stock markets, but renewed U.S.-China trade tensions pose risks. Beijing also faces a daunting challenge in rebalancing the economy towards greater consumption over time. While there is room for additional stimulus, analysts are divided over whether policymakers will act this year. Data on Monday showed gross domestic product (GDP) grew 4.8% in July-September, slowing from 5.2% in the second quarter and in line with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a rise of 4.8%. On a quarterly basis, GDP grew 1.1% in the third quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics data showed, compared with a forecast 0.8% increase and a revised 1.0% gain in the previous quarter. Renewed trade tensions with Washington have highlighted the vulnerabilities of China's lopsided economy, which relies heavily on manufacturing and overseas demand. This has raised expectations that Chinese leaders may embrace painful changes to rebalance growth towards domestic consumption. While China's export growth rebounded in September, much of the recent data show the world's second-largest economy has lost momentum, and deflationary pressures have persisted despite efforts to curb overcapacity and fierce competition among firms. Despite resilient headline figures, exporters are already feeling the impact of higher U.S. tariffs imposed earlier this year, forcing many to diversify into new markets. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods by an additional 100% starting November 1. However, U.S. officials have signalled that both countries were prepared to lower the temperature in their tariff spat. Chinese leaders will hold a closed-door meeting from Monday through to Thursday to discuss, among other things, the country's 15th five-year development plan, which is expected to prioritise high-tech manufacturing in the wake of the intensifying rivalry with the United States. Investors are also looking to a Politburo meeting and the Central Economic Work Conference, expected in December, for clues on economic policy for next year. Separate September activity data, which were also released on Monday, showed industrial output grew 6.5% year-on-year in September, accelerating from a 5.2% increase in August and beating forecast of 5.0%. Retail sales growth slowed to 3.0% in September from 3.4% in August, matching a forecast rise of 3.0%. (Reporting by Kevin YaoEditing by Shri Navaratnam)

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By Svea Herbst-Bayliss NEW YORK (Reuters) -Activist investor Starboard Value, which built a 9% stake in Tripadvisor earlier this year, plans to discuss the need to make changes at the travel-review company at an industry conference on Tuesday, two sources familiar with the matter said on Sunday. Starboard, which is run by Jeff Smith, has been engaging with Tripadvisor for several weeks, the sources said. They were not permitted to talk about what was said during the private sessions. Smith has not discussed the investment publicly and it is not clear what changes Starboard, which often focuses on operational improvements, may have pressed management to make. A representative for Tripadvisor could not be reached for comment. Tripadvisor allows customers to find and review hotels. Its Viator unit lets users book and review tours and other experiences, while TheFork offers restaurant reservation services. In 2024, the company conducted a strategic review. For years, Smith has been the kickoff speaker at the annual 13D Monitor Active Passive Investment Summit in New York, which marks the unofficial start of the proxy season, where activist investors ratchet up pressure on companies to perform better. Smith is expected to discuss Tripadvisor and possibly other investments at the conference, the sources said. Starboard ranks among the industry's busiest activists and this year won board seats at automation software company BILL Holdings, design software company Autodesk and Tylenol and Band-Aid maker Kenvue. The share price of Tripadvisor, which has a market capitalization of $1.8 billion, has risen roughly 17% since Starboard's investment became public in early July. But in the last 12 months, its shares have gained just 0.33%. (Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus.)

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(Reuters) -Sany Heavy Industry is seeking to raise as much as HK$12.36 billion ($1.59 billion) through its Hong Kong listing, a filing showed on Monday, as the machinery maker taps into renewed investor appetite for Chinese listings in the city. The company is selling 580.4 million shares in a price range of HK$20.30 to HK$21.30 each, according to the filing. Reuters reported in February that Sany Heavy was looking to raise up to $1.5 billion. The final price of Sany Heavy Industry's shares is due to be set on Friday and the stock will start trading on October 28, according to the prospectus filed with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Sany Heavy Industry's Shanghai-listed shares are trading up 36.5% this year, which is more than double the local market's performance. The company specializes in heavy equipment, making a wide range of machinery including excavation, lifting, road construction and pile-driving equipment. It has operations and factories in the United States, Europe, India, Brazil and Germany, as well as five manufacturing hubs in China, according to its website.     Sany Heavy Industry plans to use about 45% of the funds raised in the Hong Kong listing to develop its global sales and service network. It is seeking to increase its presence in Germany, France and the UK and build out its sales across Asia and Saudi Arabia. A further 25% will be spent on research and development and 20% on building more overseas manufacturing bases, it said. Cornerstone investors have taken up stock worth about $759 million in the deal, the filing showed. Singapore's Temasek will invest about $75 million in the stock, while Hillhouse, UBS Asset Management, BlackRock and Oaktree will also subscribe, according to the filing.  The listing underscores Hong Kong's resurgence as the premier offshore fundraising hub for Chinese companies, as mounting U.S. scrutiny pushes more firms to pivot away from American exchanges. Toymaker Miniso said in late September it would spin off its brand Top Toy and list it in Hong Kong, while Reuters has reported that China's Momenta was considering shifting its initial public offering to Hong Kong from New York. Hong Kong, fuelled by the influx of Chinese companies, has emerged as the top global bourse by volume of IPOs and second listings so far this year, overtaking its biggest rival, the New York Stock Exchange, according to data from LSEG. ($1 = 7.7669 Hong Kong dollars) ($1 = 7.1264 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Scott Murdoch in Sydney and Rishav Chatterjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Diane Craft, Tom Hogue and Christian Schmollinger)

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By Yuka Obayashi TOKYO (Reuters) -Oil prices dipped on Monday, pressured by worries over a global glut as escalating U.S.-China trade tensions added to concerns about an economic slowdown and weaker energy demand. Brent crude futures fell 24 cents, or 0.4%, at $61.05 a barrel at 0032 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were down 21 cents, or 0.4%, at $57.33, erasing gains from Friday. Both benchmarks declined more than 2% last week, marking their third consecutive weekly decline, partly due to the International Energy Agency's outlook for a growing supply glut in 2026. "Concerns about oversupply from increased production by oil- producing nations, coupled with fears of an economic slowdown stemming from escalating U.S.-China trade tensions, are fuelling selling pressure," said Toshitaka Tazawa, an analyst at Fujitomi Securities. "While the U.S. is stepping up pressure on buyers of Russian crude, the upcoming summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin adds uncertainty to the outlook, making it difficult for some investors to adjust their positions," he said. Last week, the head of the World Trade Organization said she had urged the U.S. and China to de-escalate trade tensions, warning that a decoupling by the world's two largest economies could reduce global economic output by 7% over the longer term. The two top oil consumers have recently renewed their trade war, imposing additional port fees on ships carrying cargo between them – tit-for-tat moves that could disrupt global freight flows. Meanwhile, Trump and Putin agreed on Thursday to hold another summit on the war in Ukraine, even as Washington pressured India and China to stop buying Russian oil. Following talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the White House on Friday, Trump implored both Ukraine and Russia to "stop the war immediately," even if it means Ukraine conceding territory. U.S. and European pressure on Asian buyers of Russian energy could restrict India's oil imports from December, leading to cheaper supplies for China, trade sources and analysts said. On the supply side, U.S. energy firms last week added oil and natural gas rigs for the first time in three weeks, energy services firm Baker Hughes said in its closely followed report on Friday. (Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Sonali Paul)

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By Pratima Desai LONDON (Reuters) -Copper consumption in the United States and India is set to emerge from China's shadow over the next decade as demand growth in the world's largest consumer of the industrial metal slows. Beijing's industrial and infrastructure expansion has helped fuel a rally that has seen copper prices rise to above $10,000 a metric ton from $1,500 25 years ago. But while China is forecast to remain the largest market for copper into the next decade and beyond, analysts expect other demand and price influences to increasingly come into play. Changing regional policies, infrastructure cycles and geopolitical shifts are likely to mean producers, consumers, traders and investors need to adapt to a market that has many different drivers. "China will reduce its rate of copper consumption and stockpiling. We are going back to old-fashioned drivers of copper, which is basically replacement cycles outside China," said Panmure Liberum analyst Tom Price. The impact has yet to be seen, but moves by the U.S. and other countries to promote local manufacturing also mean China's export machine and manufacturing activity is expected to slow and weigh on its demand for refined copper, which is estimated at around 15 million tons this year. Meanwhile, the data centres needed to support AI technology and upgrades to power grid infrastructure mean copper demand growth outside China will become the driving force for prices. "China has built its infrastructure, including its power distribution grid. Its activity will drift to a lower level to match (its) requirement," said Price, who forecasts Chinese demand will be 6% lower in 2031 than in 2026. Price predicts China will account for 52% of global consumption of primary copper, at around 27 million tons, in 2031 compared with 57% in 2026. And he expects U.S. copper demand of 2.2 million tons in 2031, up nearly 50% from 2026, while for India, he forecasts copper demand to rise above 1 million tons, representing a rise of more than 30%.      'INCREASING PUSHBACK BY COUNTRIES IN THE WEST' Analysts also expect U.S. President Donald Trump's imposition of 50% tariffs on copper pipes and wiring to help encourage local production. For China, the likely outcome is the loss of a major market for its exports of copper pipe. Trade Data Monitor ranks the U.S. as China's fourth biggest market for the product. Last year, it imported 14.4 million tons of copper tubes and pipes directly from China and in the first seven months of this year these totalled some eight million tons, TDM data shows, underlining the potential loss of a major market for Beijing. "China's output of manufactured goods, particularly for export, is likely to slow down to some extent as a function of increasing pushback by countries in the West," said Duncan Hobbs, research director at Concord Resources. Those exports will include copper wire used for power grid infrastructure. In its last network-infrastructure review a decade ago, the U.S. Department of Energy found 70% of U.S. transmission lines were more than 25 years old. Meanwhile, India is expanding its transmission infrastructure to support its goal of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based capacity by 2030.  And in Asia, excluding China, consultancy Benchmark Mineral Intelligence expects copper demand to jump 25% to more than 9.2 million tons between 2025 and 2030.  For electric infrastructure which includes power grids and generation, data centres and telecoms, BMI expects demand to rise 35% to 2.2 million tons.  BMI's forecasts for China are 4% and 11% respectively. MODERNISING INFRASTRUCTURE Grid improvements in the West mainly mean modernising infrastructure. This will be slow and steady and not as copper intensive as building from scratch, as China has been doing. Robert Edwards, principal analyst at metals consultancy CRU has expected China's influence on the copper market to wane for some years. But this did not materialise because of Chinese investment in electric vehicles, renewables and its power grid.  CRU expects China's consumption of global mined and recycled copper consumption to fall to 57% of 31.36 million tons in 2030, from 59% of 27.62 million tons this year. "Demand growth potential in China is limited. You should see more growth in the rest of the world," said Edwards.  (Reporting by Pratima Desai; editing by Veronica Brown and Alexander Smith)

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By Kevin Buckland TOKYO (Reuters) -The yen weakened on Monday as Sanae Takaichi, an advocate of fiscal and monetary stimulus, appeared all but certain to become Japan's next prime minister after reportedly securing crucial political backing for the top job. The safe-haven currency was also hit by an improvement in risk appetite after trade tensions between Beijing and Washington calmed somewhat, and worries about U.S. regional banks also eased. The risk-sensitive Aussie dollar advanced, although traders will keep a close eye on China's latest reading of gross domestic product at 0200 GMT, Australia's top trading partner. Investors returned to the so-called "Takaichi trade" – bullish equities and bearish the yen – after Kyodo reported that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Japan Innovation Party will firm up an alliance on Monday. A parliamentary vote to choose a prime minister is set for Tuesday. Takaichi's bid to become Japan's first female premier had been in jeopardy after a sudden break-up with the LDP's coalition partner of 26 years, Komeito, earlier this month. However, in the right-wing JIP, Takaichi has a partner more aligned with her policy views. The U.S. dollar added 0.2% to 150.82 yen as of 0010 GMT, following a drop of as much as 1.1% on Friday, mainly with traders jittery following a clutch of bad loans at U.S. banks and with tariff tensions simmering over Chinese rare earths, essential in chip- and other high-tech supply chains. However, credit worries took a step back by the end of Wall Street trading, with the main indexes all finishing higher. "There's a lot more bark than bite on the credit fears," said Jed Ellerbroek, a portfolio manager at Argent Capital. "Looking through all the big banks' results, credit is very good. Overall, there are very few pockets of weakness." Additionally, U.S. President Donald Trump said his proposed, retaliatory 100% tariff on goods from China would be "not sustainable", and confirmed he would still meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in two weeks. The Aussie gained 0.3% to $0.6500 on Monday. The euro appreciated 0.1% to $1.1661. "There's an element – to use the Cold War language – of mutually assured destruction when it comes to total rare earth exports curbs and 100% tariff rates, with both the U.S. and Chinese more or less acknowledging that," said Kyle Rodda, a markets analyst at Capital.com. "As a result, the markets are pricing in that things will de-escalate," Rodda added. "However, the markets are likely to remain jittery until such backdowns are explicitly announced." (Reporting by Kevin Buckland; Editing by Sam Holmes)

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By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Federal Aviation Administration said late Sunday that air traffic control staffing issues were delaying travel at airports in Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta and Newark as a U.S. government shutdown hit its 19th day. The FAA said numerous staffing triggers had been received for the evening shift and flights could also be delayed in Las Vegas and Phoenix because of air traffic control absences. FlightAware said more than 5,800 flights had been delayed on Sunday. Weather issues and a Formula 1 race in Austin were also impacting flights. More than 20% of American Airlines and Southwest Airlines flights were delayed Sunday, according to FlightAware. Some 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers must work during the government shutdown, but are not being paid. Earlier this month, more than 23,000 flights were delayed over a week and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said 53% of flight delays were due to staffing issues, compared with 5% normally, but staffing issues have largely improved over the last week. Air traffic control has become a flashpoint in the debate over the shutdown with both parties blaming the other. Unions and airlines have urged a quick end to the standoff. The Trump administration is airing videos at some airport security checkpoints blaming Democrats, but many airports have refused to run them. In 2019, during a 35-day shutdown, the number of absences by controllers and TSA officers rose as workers missed paychecks, extending checkpoint wait times at some airports. Authorities were forced to slow air traffic in New York and Washington, which put pressure on lawmakers to quickly end the standoff. The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels and many had been working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks even before the shutdown. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Kim Coghill and Diane Craft)

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