**Tai-Ex opening **

The Tai-Ex opened up 17-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 15,437

on turnover of 1.7-billion N-T.

The market lost ground on Monday after moving in narrow range throughout the

session, as investor sentiment remained muted due the financial woes

affecting the U-S and European banking sectors.

Turnover for session dropped to below 200-billion N-T and market watchers say

that decline came as investors await the outcome of a policymaking meeting by

the U-S Federal Reserve, which is scheduled for today.

Ma Ying-jeou Foundation executive director, Xiao Xu-cen says the former

president is not planning to meet with any top Chinese political figures or

visit Beijing during his upcoming trip to China.

The statement comes after it was announced that Ma will will travel to the

Chinese cities of Nanjing, Wuhan, Changsha, Chongqing and Shanghai from March

27 through April 7.

According to the foundation, Ma plans to worship his ancestors during the

Tomb Sweeping holiday and will also be leading a delegation of around 30

Taiwanese students to meet with their Chinese counterparts.

**Central Bank to Focus on Inflation at Policymaking Meeting **

Central bank deputy governor Yen Cong-da says the focus of this Thursday's

policymaking meeting will be on inflation.

Speaking in a hearing of the Legislative Finance Committee, Yen said the

central bank wil be considering economic growth, financial stabilization and

inflation when it adjusts (調整) its monetary policy later this week.

According to Yen, inflation is weighing on consideration as the consumer

price index has risen by more than the 2-per cent alert level for 19

consecutive months and that long period of high growth has boosted

expectations that it will continue to rise.

The C-P-I rose by 2.74-per cent over the first two months of this year

compared to the same period of last year.

**Japan PM Invites Indian Counterpart to G7 Summit **

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has invited his Indian counterpart

Narendra Modi to the Group of Seven summit and announced a new action plan

for a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Kishida met Modi in New Delhi during his two-day trip to India.

The Indo-Pacific plan is a Tokyo-led initiative aimed at curbing (抑制)

China’s assertiveness and will include Japan’s assistance to emerging

economies, support for maritime security, the provision (提供) of coast guard

patrol boats and other infrastructure cooperation.

Kishida also said Modi accepted his invitation to participate in the G-7

summit of major industrial nations, which will be held in Hiroshima in May.

He told reporters later that he will also invite seven other heads of non-G-7

countries, including South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

**US Biden Signs Bill on COVID Origins Declassification **

US President Joe Biden has signed a bill concerning the origins of COVID-19.

AP correspondent Lisa Dwyer has the details.

**IMF Approves Sri Lanka Bailout Program **

The International Monetary Fund says its executive board has approved a

nearly $3 billion bailout program for bankrupt Sri Lanka.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe's office says the approval will unlock

financing of up to $7 billion from the IMF and other international

multilateral financial institutions

About $333 million will be disbursed (支付) immediately, and the approval

will open up support from other institutions.

Sri Lanka last year suspended repayment of its debt amid a foreign currency

crisis.

The currency crisis created severe shortages of fuel and other essentials,

leading to street protests that forced out then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

That was the I.C.R.T. news,

Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded

every day in the afternoon.

Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____.

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