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.

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

China's central bank kicked off two funding schemes on Friday that will initially pump 800 billion yuan ($112.38 billion) into the stock market through newly-created monetary policy tools. The People's Bank of China (PBOC) spelt out operational details of the swap and relending schemes first announced in late September,

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.