On March 30th Baosteel, China's biggest producer, reported its first quarterly drop in net profits in more than three years.

ECONOMIST: Chinese banks: Rot in the vaults | The

According to figures out this morning from the Treasury Department, China was a net buyer of Treasuries in April for the first time in six months.

FORBES: Connect

For the first time ever, the Asia-Pacific region, dominated by China, is now home to more high net worth individuals (HNWI) than all of Europe.

FORBES: Emerging Asia Now Has More Rich People Than Europe

China's Shanghai Composite slipped 0.1%, to a six-week low, after the country's National Bureau of Statistics indicated net income from China's largest industrial groups dropped 5.2% in the first two months of the year.

WSJ: Stocks Slide in a Late Fall