Business this week

Stockmarkets rallied after the Chinese government promised a “more forceful” policy to counter a slowdown in China’s economy that has sent a chill through global markets recently. The Nikkei surged by 7.7%, its biggest one-day increase since 2008, a welcome relief for investors in Japan’s benchmark share index following a sharp drop in August. But trade data suggested a big decline in China’s imports and exports in August. The central bank said that its foreign-exchange reserves dropped by a record $94 billion last month, due to interventions in currency markets.