Economy

Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference at the Federal Reserve in Washington on May 4.
Economy

Fed hikes rates by half a percentage point for 1st time in 22 years

U.S. central bank to start balance sheet reduction June 1

5 May 2022
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, left, and his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa in Colombo in Octobe 2019: Political pressure is growing on the Rajapaksas to either step down or enact political reforms.
Opinion

U.S. should push the Quad to help Sri Lanka

One area of possible collaboration is food security

5 May 2022
Some in the U.S. government argue that slashing tariffs on Chinese imports might offer consumers relief from rapidly rising prices. 
Trade war

U.S. starts review of China tariffs as inflation looms

Biden faces calls to cut levies ahead of midterm elections

4 May 2022
A man checks his smartphone in Beijing: Chinese netizens are not even made aware that other opinions exist.
Opinion

Rise of disinformation shows the importance of different perspectives

Confirmation bias magnifies the Rashomon effect on social media platforms

28 April 2022
"The world’s democracies will not stand idly by in the face of continued Russian aggression and war crimes," Canadian Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, fifth from left, tweeted with this photo, explaining the walkout. (From Freeland's Twitter account)
Ukraine war

G-20 tensions mount as Western finance ministers walk out on Russia

Economic recovery from pandemic among issues on the agenda

21 April 2022
A journalist sees a screen of his smartphone in Pokrov, Russia, on March 22: Overly broad restrictions on the access to the internet would further isolate the embattled pro-democracy and anti-war activists.
Opinion

Cutting Russia off from the internet would be deeply problematic

Online access is increasingly being recognized as a human right

19 April 2022
Containers are stacked at the Chinese port of Qingdao. Chinese imports from Russia grew 26% in March. (Xinhua via Kyodo)
Trade

China, South Korea lift Russian energy imports, eroding sanctions

Even countries opposing Moscow take advantage of discounts

14 April 2022
China Zhongwang controlling shareholder Liu Zhongtian at company headquarters in Liaoyang, China in 2009.
Materials

U.S. fines 6 companies linked to Chinese metals tycoon $1.8bn

Court found conspiracy to inflate sales of Hong Kong-listed Zhongwang

12 April 2022
The Port of Los Angeles. The new framework is designed to bolster U.S. economic ties in the Indo-Pacific but will not grant greater access to the American market.
Indo-Pacific

U.S. aims to launch new Indo-Pacific framework as early as May

Washington plans nontraditional economic pact to boost Asian presence

8 April 2022
The U.S. Federal Reserve, chaired by Jarome Powell, is getting ready to slash its balance sheet to tackle soaring inflation. 
Economy

Fed prepares to shrink balance sheet by up to $95bn a month

Central bank officials look to 0.5-point rate hike in the future

7 April 2022
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai is pitching a new Indo-Pacific economic framework that includes labor and environmental protections.
Trade

Singapore welcomes U.S. 'high-ambition' trade engagement in Asia

But USTR Katherine Tai says framework needs to 'defend' American interests

5 April 2022
A traveler at Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan.
Coronavirus

Japan lowers travel warnings for U.S., Thailand, 100 other nations

Many places had been on higher alert level since start of coronavirus pandemic

2 April 2022
Some American companies are warning that they may quit China if strict COVID-19 controls continue.
Coronavirus

U.S. companies warn over China's COVID lockdown measures

AmCham survey says some groups eyeing relocation if strict rules continue

1 April 2022
People arrive at a temporary accommodation center after fleeing Russian invasion of Ukraine, in Korczowa, Poland on March 3.
Indo-Pacific

From war to nuclear warheads, geopolitical risk hits boardrooms

Ukraine reminds companies that strategies cannot be based on peaceful outlook

1 April 2022
Stream article image
Trade

U.S. and Japan to ask ASEAN to help avert next chip crisis

Biden seeks Indo-Pacific supply chain partnership to cut reliance on China

1 April 2022
Speculation that the government and central bank would respond to the yen's sharp depreciation in recent weeks pushed the currency back up to the 121-yen level against the dollar on Wednesday. (Photo by Kosuke Imamura) 
Currencies

Yen surges to 121-level as BOJ governor meets Kishida

Speculation is growing that government, central bank will respond to sharp depreciation

30 March 2022
Geopolitics will, at some stage, force banks to choose between the dollar framework and a rival yuan system.
Opinion

The risks of a global financial schism are mounting

Precedent set by Russian sanctions dramatically increases geopolitical instability

27 March 2022
A cab bearing an Uber taxi logo in Tokyo in July 2020: Japan only recently allowed Uber to work through taxi companies. (Photo by Masashi Isawa)
Opinion

Ride-hailing insanity shows Japan is right to shun startups

Investors are starting to notice that losses show no sign of easing

25 March 2022
Children wearing virtual reality headsets play a game at a shopping mall in Shanghai on Jan. 1: there are no serious studies on how much energy will be needed to power metaverse.
Opinion

The metaverse's hunger for energy must be quantified

Powering the virtual world has the potential to worsen climate change

24 March 2022
A screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange shows the rate decision of the Federal Reserve on Mar. 16: average inflation targeting may be responsible for the delay in policy actions.
Opinion

Looking behind the monetary policy curve

A 'policy-induced' forecast error could happen through organizational mechanism

23 March 2022
The coronavirus pandemic has eased in the U.S., but the slow return of workers is overshadowing the economy's recovery. (Source photos by Reuters) 
Datawatch

U.S. return to work lags Japan, EU in wake of COVID

Labor crunch could stifle economic rebound, stoke inflation

20 March 2022
As Russia is discovering, the ability to access currency reserves depends on the goodwill of G-7 nations.
Opinion

Japan's banks suddenly hold huge leverage over China's economy

Accessing dollars outside the U.S. is not as easy as it sounds

14 March 2022
Crude oil storage tanks are seen at the Cushing oil hub in in the U.S. state of Oklahoma.
Interview

U.S. will not ask Japan to limit Russian oil imports: State Dept adviser

Putin's invasion of Ukraine will 'change the entire landscape of energy'

10 March 2022
A thick layer of foam generated by contamination floats on the Yamuna River, India, on Jan 24: pollution intensity will disqualify industries in developing countries from ESG funding when they are the ones needing it the most.
Opinion

Current ESG scheme leaves emerging economies' efforts unrewarded

International system favors companies from developed countries

9 March 2022
Vladimir Putin talks with Xi Jinping via video link in December 2021: China wants to reassure Moscow of its support without appearing to do so to the rest of the world. (Handout photo from Kremlin Press Office)
Opinion

China's long game has just gotten a lot harder

Putin's war against Ukraine has upended key assumptions

8 March 2022