German Chancellor Angela Merkel: there are signs of ambivalence seeping into German attitudes.
Opinion

Germany's painful wriggle between China and the US

Navigating between the powers has become a headache for Berlin

28 December 2020
Despite the U.K.-EU trade deal, Japanese automakers still have concerns, especially over customs procedures and tariffs. (Source photos by Reuters)
Business trends

UK-EU trade deal allows Asian companies to breathe sigh of relief

Auto and financial sectors remain cautious as they await further details

25 December 2020
A wind turbine under construction in Yichang, China, pictured on May 10: COVID accelerated ongoing trends that may have been better served by gradual evolution.
Opinion

COVID aftershocks promise further oil market turmoil

Global energy road map deserves calmer rethink in 2021

24 December 2020
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is seen on a screen during a video news conference after a virtual summit with China's President Xi Jinping in September.
International relations

China and EU close in on investment deal as US casts wary eye

Brussels must reckon with internal split on Beijing and alarm in Washington

24 December 2020
U.S. President-elect Joe Biden campaigns on behalf of Democratic U.S. Senate candidates in Atlanta, Georgia, on  Dec. 15.
Biden's Asia policy

Biden urged to ditch bilateralism by scholars in Europe, US and Japan

Think tanks say US should immediately accept Okonjo-Iweala for WTO

19 December 2020
The Ariya will be Nissan Motor's first global electric vehicle in over 10 years. (Photo by Kosuke Terai)
Automobiles

Nissan picks Japan, not Britain, to make Ariya electric car for EU

No-deal Brexit risk dashes Sunderland plant's hopes of exporting new model

17 December 2020
Government debt is now extremely cheap, with nominal and real interest rates on the sovereign debt of high-income economies at staggeringly low levels. (Source photo by Getty Images) 
The World Ahead

Five powerful forces will affect the world in 2025: Martin Wolf

Tech, inequality, debt, de-globalization and political stress to remain decisive

16 December 2020
A medical worker wearing protective gear speaks as people wait in line at a coronavirus testing center in Seoul on Dec. 12.
Coronavirus

South Korea and Germany blindsided by COVID-19 wave

Reduced vigilance opens door to infections despite mass testing and tracking

15 December 2020
The Japan-U.K. economic partnership agreement "ensures continuity for Japanese and British companies," Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi says. (Nikkei montage)
Trade

Japan ratifies UK trade deal to take effect Jan. 1

Car companies and train makers to benefit from tariff cuts

5 December 2020
A volunteer holds a syringe during a COVID-19 vaccinator training course: if vaccines prove to be effective, this pandemic could be behind us by the end of next summer.
Opinion

What can we hope for in 2021?

Many reasons to believe next year will be better than 2020

3 December 2020
Angela Merkel in Beijing, pictured in June 2016: diversification is a euphemism for reducing Germany's China dependency.
Opinion

Why German industry is looking past China to the rest of Asia

Berlin's interest in new partnerships is a blessing for ASEAN

1 December 2020
India's Red Fort prepares for Independence Day celebrations. The country is considering legislation to strengthen control over data collected within its borders.
Century of Data

Asian countries build data fortresses to protect new national assets

Limits on cross-border flows hurt business and risk leaving countries poorer

26 November 2020
A virtual meeting of the 4th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Summit, pictured on Nov. 15 in Hanoi: RCEP is the latest sign of a shift in economic power. eastward.
Opinion

Europe wakes up to the China challenge

But the search for 'strategic autonomy' faces obstacles

24 November 2020
Singapore is no longer the world's most expensive city -- though at No. 4, it is not exactly cheap.
Coronavirus

COVID knocks Singapore and Osaka off top of expensive cities list

Hong Kong still No. 1 as pandemic spreads deflationary pressure, survey finds

18 November 2020
Countries are searching for smarter taxation and spending programs to spark economic growth.
Datawatch

No end in sight for record-high public debt fueled by COVID-19

Investment for economic growth more important than tax increases or austerity

25 October 2020
British Trade Secretary Liz Truss speaks with Nikkei in Tokyo on Oct. 23. (Photo by Kosuke Imamura)
Interview

UK hopes Japan trade deal pays digital dividends and paves TPP path

Trade Secretary Truss says pact will 'help set standards elsewhere'

23 October 2020
Pakistan, led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, left, and India, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, have opened a new front in their long rivalry: basmati rice. (Source photos by Reuters) 
International relations

Basmati rice row marks latest front in India-Pakistan rivalry

Islamabad readies objection to New Delhi's geographical indication push in EU

21 October 2020
Tourists walk along a beach on Vihamanafushi Island in the Maldives in 2012.
Interview

Western tourists shrug off COVID fears to play in the Maldives

Sunseekers stay longer, unhappy with pandemic response at home, minister says

19 October 2020
Japanese automakers often export vehicles to the U.K. that contain critical components made in the European Union.
Trade

Japan-UK trade deal keeps low tariffs for cars made with EU parts

A win for Japanese automakers, but no-deal Brexit still a threat

7 October 2020
The U.K. faces growing pressure from automakers to reach a free trade agreement with the European Union. (Source photos by Reuters and Kyodo)
Automobiles

Toyota and Nissan demand UK cover tariffs if no EU deal reached

Pressure grows on Boris Johnson ahead of summit with EU leaders next week

5 October 2020
A wall is under construction along the border between the U.S. and Mexico.
Datawatch

Lack of immigrants risks population decline in rich countries

Labor shortages already threaten economic growth as COVID-19 limits worker mobility

4 October 2020
A man wearing a protective mask in Belgrade, Serbia, passes a billboard depicting Chinese President Xi Jinping, which reads 'Thank you brother Xi', in April.
Comment

East European nations grow disillusioned with China

Delayed economic cooperation deepens sense of detachment from Beijing

1 October 2020
 British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab meets Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the Government Office in Hanoi, Vietnam September 30, 2020. 
Trade

Vietnam backs UK to join TPP in Hanoi talks

Brexit and COVID push both sides to finalize bilateral trade deal

1 October 2020
Britain Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will be in Hanoi for a two-day visit from Tuesday to discuss a trade deal, among other issues. 
Trade

Vietnam and UK foreign ministers to meet for trade deal

Hanoi seeks recovery from COVID while London keen to secure pact due to Brexit

29 September 2020
Vietnamese customs officers patrol a port in the province of Quang Ninh in August. Vietnam's government last year estimated free trade with the EU would almost double exports to the bloc by 2025.
Trade

Vietnam's EU trade deal fails to inspire COVID-hit neighbors

Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines hesitate despite need to revive economies

25 September 2020