Your support helps us to tell the storySupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference. Shares were mostly lower in Asia on Friday after China reported that its economy grew at a 5% annual pace last year, hitting the government’s target but slowing from the year before. U.S. futures edged higher and oil prices also climbed.Strong exports and policies aimed at spurring more consumer spending and investment helped drive a boom in manufacturing, which jumped nearly 6% from a year earlier, the Chinese government reported. Share benchmarks in China showed scant reaction, given that the 5% annual growth exactly matched the government’s target for “about 5%” growth in 2024. In quarterly terms, the economy grew 5.4% in October-December. Economists are forecasting a further slowing of growth this year and beyond, and President-elect Donald Trump’s threats to raise U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods have added to Beijing’s challenges as it faces a raft of moves by Washington to limit access to advanced technology, such as computer chips used in artificial intelligence. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index slipped 0.1% to 19,509.68 and the Shanghai Composite index also fell 0.1%, to 3,231.30. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index lost 1% to 38,193.05, while the Kospi in Seoul shed 0.3% to 2,521.46. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged 0.1% lower to 8,316.70. Taiwan’s Taiex fell 0.1%, even though computer chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp., or TSMC, reported Thursday that its profit in the last quarter jumped 57%. The world’s biggest semiconductor manufacturer — which has found itself in the middle of a trade and technology rift between the U.S. and China — said it results were propelled by the artificial intelligence boom. Its stock that trades in the United States rose 3.9% on Thursday. Early Friday, its Taiwan-traded shares were up 3.9%. The Sensex in India advanced 0.4%.In other dealings early Friday, U.S. benchmark crude oil rose 43 cents to $79.11 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, was up 33 cents at $81.62 per barrel.The U.S. dollar rose to 155.42 Japanese yen from 155.22 yen late Thursday. T
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