Welcome to Your Week in Asia.
As the end of the U.S. tariff pause approaches on July 8, this week Japan will get an insight into the impact of the levies that have been applied when the Bank of Japan's survey of business sentiment is published.
The following day, the Dalai Lama is scheduled to give a speech ahead of his 90th birthday that could address the issue of his successor.
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Hong Kong will mark the fifth anniversary of the national security law -- Beijing-imposed legislation that enabled a sweeping crackdown on political dissent. The law has led to hundreds of arrests of activists, journalists and others, while prompting pro-democracy organizations to fold. The anniversary comes one day before commemorations of the handover of the city from Britain to China in 1997.
The BOJ will release its Tankan survey, a quarterly assessment of business sentiment among Japanese companies, amid uncertainty over U.S. tariffs and the global economy. It will also be the first survey in which the central bank will have heard companies' views on the impacts of U.S. President Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" levies.
Vietnam will cut the number of provinces and cities to 34 from 63, in the country's biggest reform in nearly four decades. The government is aiming to increase efficiency, cut costs and reduce the number of civil servants across government bodies as it seeks to streamline the state apparatus and boost growth.
The Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader who has been living in exile in India since 1959, is expected to issue a special video message on Wednesday, four days ahead of his 90th birthday, with all eyes fixed on whether he will address the sensitive issue of his succession. The Central Tibetan Administration -- formerly known as the Tibetan government-in-exile -- based in the northern Indian hill station of Dharamshala, has not disclosed what the content of the Dalai Lama's message will be.
The upper house election campaign in Japan will officially begin, with voters set to cast their ballots on July 20. Of the chamber's 248 seats, 125 will be up for grabs. As Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner Komeito could not secure a majority in the lower house election last year, this election could have a major impact on the operations of the government.
Danish toy maker Lego Group's first theme park in China opens in Shanghai, featuring more than 75 interactive attractions, thousands of Lego models built with over 85 million bricks, and a hotel. Spanning 318,000 square meters, the $550 million Legoland Shanghai Resort joins other international theme parks in China, including Shanghai Disneyland and Universal Studios Beijing.
SUNDAY
BRICS summit
Brazil hosts a summit of the BRICS intergovernmental organization, which also counts Russia, India, China and South Africa as members. However, the two-day forum in Rio de Janeiro will be missing two key people: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the latter of which will skip it due to an outstanding arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend, along with leaders from an expanded group of member countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Iran.
Data: Vietnam second-quarter gross domestic product
