Aug 25 A Chinese oil rig at the centre of last year's standoff between China and Vietnam will continue drilling not far from Vietnam's coast, China's maritime safety authorities said on Tuesday.

China and Russia aren’t targeting a deal during the visit as the more than 50 percent slump in crude over the past year complicates talks

Despite all denials coming from the Chinese officials in recent months, China is reportedly planning to build gigantic floating islands in the disputed South China Sea. This unchecked ambition of Chinese leaders will surely tip this already heated-up Asian sub-region into what experts called “land-grabbing tussle”, a situation that might be escalated into civil wars among China and countries like the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia and Indonesia that also lay claim to some parts of these islands.

The Spratly Islands- at the heart of the dispute- are a collection of 750 islands, reefs, cays and atolls in the South China Sea. The region is rich in extensive natural gas and oil reserves and is recognized for the fishing opportunities it offers. The islands enjoy a strategic location in Northeast Asia’s most prominent maritime commerce routes; the waterway facilitates international sea-borne trade worth $5 trillion every year.

The six nations that make up Central Asia hold at least 11% of the world’s proven natural gas reserves, as well as substantial deposits of oil and coal, according to data compiled by BP. Afghanistan says its mineral wealth is valued at $1 trillion to $3 trillion.

Imports by Iran's four biggest buyers - China, India, Japan and South Korea - totaled 1.17 million barrels per day (bpd) last month, up more than 13 percent from a year earlier, government and tanker-tracking data showed.

Imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Japan, South Korea, and China, the three largest global importers, all located in the Asia Pacific region, have declined by an average 1.4 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) (6.7%) in the first five months of 2015 compared to the same period in 2014.

HONGHUA GROUP issued a profit warning, expecting the net profit for the six months ended 30 June 2015 to decrease significantly as compared to that for the same period in 2014 and may record a loss.

The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, through the Department of Commerce, announced today that the goods and services deficit was $41.9 billion in May, up $1.2 billion from $40.7 billion in April, revised.

China's crude oil output looks set to rise this year from a record in 2014 as new production from third largest producer CNOOC helps to counter reductions from its two bigger rivals.