REPORTER SAYING:

"Movers and shakers of the political world convene as regional economies get health checks in the week ahead."

On Tuesday (May 20), Chinese leader, Xi Jinping will play host to high-level attendees at a summit in Shanghai.

On the guest list: Russian President Vladimir Putin, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Russia and China are expected to ink a long-delayed natural gas deal, but both sides have yet to reach an agreement on pricing.

China's stance on Russia's actions in Ukraine will also be closely watched.

REPORTER SAYING:

"Moving from geopolitics to the economy, on Monday (May 19)"

Thailand is expected to report its first quarter growth figures. These numbers will shed more light on the impact of prolonged political instability.

In the final quarter of 2013, Thailand grew a meager six-tenths of a percent.

On Tuesday (May 20), Singapore goes up to bat. Will the Lion City's economy roar away?

Economists we polled expect GDP growth to inch up from a year ago, but slow from the prior quarter.

Nevertheless, 2014 looks promising for the city state's trade-dependent economy.

Like some of its North Asian peers, it's expected to benefit from a recovery in the West, which could offset the impact from a slowdown in China.

Speaking of China, we go back to the Asian growth engine on Thursday (May 22) when we'll get the latest preliminary private survey of the country's factory activity.

In April, China's vast manufacturing sector contracted for a fourth straight month due to shrinking output and export orders.