Overall, December was a positive month for the region’s stock markets, as improving global economic data provided the catalyst for year-end gains. The notable exception was China, where equities struggled to make headway against the backdrop of higher interest rates. In order to contain inflation, the Chinese authorities hiked the benchmark interest rate by 0.25% for the second time this year, as higher food prices triggered an acceleration in the consumer price index. The central bank also raised its required reserve ratio by 0.5% for the third time in a month, to 18.0%, underscoring worries about the threat of easy credit and capital inflows to inflation. Chinese monetary tightening overshadowed the Hong Kong market, which also lagged the regional index over the month. Australian equities recorded impressive gains, largely on the back of the continuing boom in commodity markets driven by seemingly insatiable demand from the emerging Asian economies. This is fuelling business investment in further mineral extraction, counterbalancing the impact of higher interest rates on consumer demand. The Taiwanese stock market has been driven by an influx of international investment, which has pushed the local dollar close to a 13-year high against its US counterpart. South Korea also performed well, as the prospect of a sustained recovery in the US economy bodes well for the major electronics exporters.