Xi Jinping wants a strong stock market and is doubling down on his efforts to build one. Whether the Chinese leader is a true convert to the religion of shareholder value, or simply wants to boost some $11 trillion of equities to stimulate the world's second-largest economy,

China’s 200 million-strong army of retail investors was supposed to help the market turn a corner. Instead, it has become a source of weakness.

Assurances from government officials on plans to strengthen the private sector offset a lack of specifics about economic stimulus.

The stimulus of China’s economy continued today as key interest rates were cut, pushing its stock market higher.

The trading week in Asia opens against an increasingly bullish global backdrop fueled by continued strength in US stocks, but with local sentiment more circumspect due to the uncertainty surrounding China's deep-rooted economic problems.