Economy

European countries held an investment forum in Taipei to promote investment on Sept. 22. (Photo by Lauly Li)
International relations

EU-Taiwan investment forum signals warmer ties amid China chill

Tsai calls for bilateral agreement to strengthen economic ties

22 September 2020
The U.K. seeks to join Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Chile and Brunei in the TPP. 
International relations

UK to apply for TPP membership early next year

London seeks to expand Asian trade in post-Brexit world

16 September 2020
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Mogi, left, and U.K. International Trade Secretary Liz Truss meet on Aug. 7 in London. (Photo provided by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Trade

Japan and UK reach general agreement on new trade pact

Deal marks first post-Brexit accord between Britain and other countries

11 September 2020
The U.K., which left the European Union in January, now says that joining the TPP would "put us in a stronger position to reshape global trading rules alongside countries who share our values."
Trade

UK starts talks with all TPP members to discuss joining pact

London is trying to strengthen trade ties with Asia after Brexit

10 September 2020
A person take a newspaper with headlines and pictures of clashes between police and protesters in Hong Kong in September 2019: the presentation of bad news is a useful measure of a country's degree of democracy.
Opinion

Bad news sells, but only good news can save democracy from itself

Media must rediscover altruism and start celebrating the world's positive transformations

10 September 2020
Czech Republic Senate President Milos Vystrcil, left, stands with Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu at a press conference in Taipei on Sept. 3.
International relations

Taiwan visit shows Czech Republic can resist China retaliation

China's economic clout in European country dampened by failed promises

7 September 2020
The trade agreement with Japan will be U.K.'s first with a large country since it left the EU and will serve as a model for negotiations with other countries.
Trade

Japan and UK to sign equal-to-EU trade deal by September

Duty on British cheese to be as low as that on European varieties

26 August 2020
A Civic rolls along a production line. Honda makes the car at its Swindon plant in the U.K. (Photo courtesy of Honda)
Automobiles

Honda to shift some UK auto production to Japan

Move comes as two countries negotiate on ending auto tariffs by 2026

25 August 2020
U.K. trade secretary Liz Truss, right, meets with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, left, in London on Aug. 6: the prospects for a deal look reasonable. (Handout photo from Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Opinion

UK and Japan race to reach free trade agreement

Deal would put spotlight on viability of "Global Britain"

25 August 2020
Logs infested with bark beetles are loaded onto a truck in Baden-Wuerttemberg. 
Trade

China buys bug-infested spruce from Germany, spurning Canada

Yet, Beijing complains that Canadian lumber plagued with insects

15 August 2020
An employee displays a ventilator at a VinSmart factory near Hanoi. Medtronic will buy components made by VinSmart for ventilators to be sold in the U.S. and Ireland.
Economy

Vietnam courts EU investment in medical and drug supply chains

Vingroup's ventilator parts deal with Medtronic seeks third pillar of manufacturing

14 August 2020
A garment factory in Phnom Penh. The sector has already suffered mass job suspensions after global consumer demand collapsed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trade

Cambodia loses EU trade privileges as it rushes FTA with China

Sanctions will hit nation's $10 billion garment and footwear sector

12 August 2020
Liz Truss, the U.K.'s secretary of state for international trade, meets with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi in London on Aug. 6.  (Photo courtesy of Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Trade

Japan and UK agree on 'substance' of trade deal with aim of Jan 1 start

Both sides look to wrap up negotiations on post-Brexit pact this month

8 August 2020
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, right, and British counterpart Dominic Raab attend a joint press conference after talks in Tokyo on Feb. 8.
Trade

Japan's foreign minister to fly to UK in bid to conclude FTA talks

Motegi's trip is first by a Japanese minister since onset of COVID

4 August 2020
Thai companies have been accused by animal welfare activists of abusing monkeys, which are sometimes used to harvest coconuts.
Environment

Thailand's coconut-picking monkeys trigger ethics debate

Local food processors promise traceability to head off threat of boycotts

25 July 2020
The Johnson government should avoid outright confrontation with China, where it is outmatched.
Opinion

UK's Huawei ban opens new front in US-China trade war

Red mist descends on London's relationship with Beijing as Trump piles on pressure

21 July 2020
The country's tourist industry has recovered from disasters before and hopes the new measures will revive sinking visitor numbers.
International relations

Maldives tests waters by opening resorts to COVID-weary tourists

No quarantine and free 30-day visas to greet visitors from July 15

11 July 2020
China has been accused of flooding overseas markets with cheap steel exports. 
International relations

China loses WTO dispute with EU over steel dumping

Europe, US and Japan can slap tariffs on cheap Chinese products

11 July 2020
Premier Li Keqiang speaks at a news conference after the EU-China summit in Brussels in April 2019: the EU should stand up for a rules-based economic order and liberal values more generally.
Opinion

Europe should realize it has leverage to stand up to China

Beijing's need for technologies and investments means Brussels can be bolder

10 July 2020
People stand in line to apply for unemployment benefits in the U.S. state of Kentucky.
Economy

Clock ticks on 100m jobs as global stimulus packages expire

US, Japan and Europe brace for second wave of unemployment

3 July 2020
Japan looks to negotiate a trade deal by the end of July.
International relations

Japan presses UK on speedy trade talks for end-of-year deal

Post-Brexit pact to include digital rules and remove auto tariffs

25 June 2020
China has revived its steel industry through its economic stimulus program.
Commodities

China's steel dominance grows as global output shrank 9% in May

Asian powerhouse accounts for more than 60% of market after rivals scale back

24 June 2020
Vietnam Airlines crew members and passengers arrive at Noi Bai international airport in Hanoi, Vietnam. 
Interview

Europe urges Vietnam to restart flights as FTA takes effect

EU and EuroCham see country as gateway to enhancing Southeast Asia links

23 June 2020
The pandemic-induced slowdown may offer the Asia-Pacific region a prime opportunity not only to catch up on environmental targets, but also to lay the groundwork for a greener future. © Illustration by Hiroko Oshima
Asia Insight

Asia risks missing 'green' economic reset after coronavirus

Except in South Korea, experts see absence of environmental resolve in region

23 June 2020
Stream article image
17 June 2020