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A look at economic developments and activity in major stock markets around the world Monday:
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BEIJING — China's foreign investment rose for a sixth straight month in January in a new sign that recovery in the world's third largest economy is on track.
Foreign direct investment rose 7.8 percent in January from a year earlier to $8.1 billion, the Commerce Ministry said. That was below December's growth rate, but China's economic data in the first two months of the year are distorted by the Lunar New Year holiday, which results in fewer working days.
Asian shares jumped following strong growth reports in Taiwan and Thailand. Japan's Nikkei 225 stock index added 2.7 percent, Hong Kong's main index climbed 2.4 percent, South Korea's market rose 2.1 percent, Australia's market closed up 1.8 percent and Taiwan's market gained 1.6 percent.
Only Chinese shares lost ground, with the main Shanghai index retreating 0.5 percent in the first day of trade after weeklong Lunar New Year holidays.
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ATHENS, Greece — The European Union denied reports it was readying a financial aid package for Greece worth up to 25 billion euros ($34 billion), as its officials were due in Athens to begin a rigorous inspection of Greek public finances.
The EU has given Athens a March 16 deadline to show improvements in its budget, under the threat of tougher spending cuts. Inspectors from the EU and the International Monetary Fund were due in Athens later Monday to assess Greek spending cuts.
The Socialist government has promised to take tougher measures if needed to meet its target for reducing the budget deficit from a projected 12.7 percent last year to 8.7 in 2010, with an austerity program that has so far been received broad public tolerance.
Markets in Europe slipped. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares closed down 0.1 percent, Germany's DAX 0.6 percent and the CAC-40 in France ended 0.3 percent lower.
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TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan's economy saw its strongest growth in five years in the fourth quarter, surging 9.2 percent with help from stimulus-fueled demand from China for the island's high-tech exports.
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BAGHDAD — Iraq's top oil official says prices are at satisfactory levels and does not expect OPEC to make changes to output during its meeting next month.
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Dubai's battered real estate prices have nearly bottomed out and should start to recover, but probably not until at least next year, the head of one of the troubled emirate's most prominent property developers said.
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MEXICO CITY — The government says Mexico's economy contracted 6.5 percent in 2009, one of the worst performances in decades.
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BANGKOK — Thailand's economy bounced back in the fourth quarter, posting year-on-year growth after 12 months of contraction amid a recovery in exports, private investment and household spending.
Southeast Asia's second-largest economy expanded by 5.8 percent in the October-December period from a year earlier, the National Economic & Social Development Board said.
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BALI, Indonesia — Sales of household electrical gadgets will boom across the developing world in the next decade, wreaking environmental havoc if there are no new strategies to deal with the discarded TVs, cell phones and computers, a U.N. report said.
The environmental and health hazards posed by the globe's mounting electronic waste are particularly urgent in developing countries, which are already dumping grounds for rich nations' high-tech trash, the U.N. Environment Program study said.
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BUDAPEST, Hungary — The National Bank of Hungary said it would cut its main interest rate by a quarter percentage point to 5.75 percent, its lowest level ever.
