China's trade falls into deficit but new loans jump

China's trade balance fell into deficit in March, according to a report on Wednesday. Imports rose 14.1 percent from the previous year. Exports were also up 10.0 percent.

In a sign that China's economy is likely to continue growing, a report on Thursday showed that new local-currency lending rose to 1.06 trillion yuan in March from 620 billion yuan in February.

Meanwhile, another report on Thursday showed that Japan's economic recovery also looks likely to continue. Core machinery orders rose 7.5 percent in February, the fastest pace since mid-2011. Orders had fallen 13.1 percent in January.