US President Donald Trump questioned Russia's sincerity in wanting to end the war in Ukraine. His apparent skepticism came in an online post after he held a surprise 15-minute, face-to-face meeting this weekend in Rome with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy just before the funeral of Pope Francis. Trump cited continuing Russian missile attacks on civilian areas of Ukraine and said Russian President Vladimir Putin may be just stringing him along in voicing his desire to end hostilities.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday reiterated his warning that the Trump administration might walk away from its role as peace broker if a deal is not reached soon.

Signaling improved business conditions, China's industrial profits in the first quarter rose 0.8 percent from a year earlier, boosted by a 2.6 percent gain in March after two months of declines. Equipment manufacturing and technology sectors led the recovery, helped by a series of government support policies. Amid the ongoing US trade war, the Chinese government is expected to introduce further measures to soften the impact of tariffs on the world's second-largest economy.In other first-quarter data released on Sunday, air passengers trips in China rose 4.9 percent from a year earlier to 190 million, with air and mail cargo rising almost 12 percent.

China's auto imports in the first quarter fell 39 percent from a year earlier to 95,000, underscoring a shift in domestic market dynamics. According to the China Passenger Car Association, imports of US vehicles plummeted 66 percent, with cars from Japan and Germany models dominating inbound shipments.The drop contrasts sharply with domestic car production and sales, which rose over 12 percent during the same period. The decline in imports highlights the growing competitiveness of China's domestic automakers, particularly in new energy vehicles.

TikTok will enter the online shopping market in Japan in the next few months, according to the Nikkei financial newspaper. The popular short-video platform, where live-streamers sell products, has already expanded in Europe and Southeast Asia, as its future in the US remains in limbo.