Economy

U.S. President Donald Trump is seen at his desk at the Oval Office of the White House on April 29. The president is once again turning to a harsher stance on China ahead of the November elections. 
Trade war

Calls for virus payback against China mount in Washington

Trump floats new tariffs, signaling start of new trade war

2 May 2020
Meat, fish vegetables and fruit are among the items covered under a mutual supply initiative signed by Singapore and New Zealand.
Trade

TPP countries defy protectionist trend to maintain supply chains

Singapore teams with New Zealand and Japan to keep food and medical gear flowing

2 May 2020
Visitors to the Forbidden City practice social distancing while waiting to enter the palace before its reopening on May 1.
Beijing Diary

Beijing Diary: Forbidden City reopens without fanfare

Nikkei's China bureau chief offers snapshots of the fight against coronavirus

1 May 2020
Kim Yo Jong, right, helps Kim Jong Un sign a joint statement in Pyongyang in September 2018: North Korean leader's younger sister could be handed over power in the event of an emergency.
Opinion

Change of leadership in North Korea threatens economic trouble for all

If Kim Jong Un dies, US and China competition for influence will heat up

30 April 2020
U.S. President Donald Trump signs a memorandum on intellectual property tariffs on China in March 2018, flanked by members of his trade team, including Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, second from left; U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, and trade adviser Peter Navarro, second from right.  
Economy

Hawks in Washington take aim at medical imports from China

Pandemic exposes new crack in bilateral ties after ceasefire

29 April 2020
The Bank of Japan seeks to help small businesses squeezed by the coronavirus outbreak.
Economy

BOJ's Kuroda channels Draghi with 'whatever it takes' vow

Japan's central bank follows Fed playbook with bond buys and small-business aid

28 April 2020
The spread of the coronavirus lead to the collapse in the oil market.
Datawatch

Global crude inventories to max out in 2 months amid coronavirus

Plunging demand leads to a strain on storage facilities

27 April 2020
The Bank of Japan, led by Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda, enacted stimulus measures April 27 to combat the pandemic's effects on the Japanese economy. 
Economy

Bank of Japan vows to buy government bonds 'without upper limit'

Tokyo stocks rise 2.7% after central bank acts to help companies weather pandemic

27 April 2020
Asian businesses' biggest fear is Trump doubling down on import taxes just when China is growing the slowest in 30 years.
Opinion

Trump's China-bashing threatens all Asian economies

Imposing tariffs and devaluing dollar are tempting for embattled president

23 April 2020
A crude oil pump jack and flare burning excess gas in Texas. A key U.S. oil price contract turned negative for the first time on Monday.
Commodities

Four things to know about the historic oil price plunge

Crude treated like 'garbage' shows turmoil in world's largest commodity market

22 April 2020
Roughly 66% of U.S. adults said they have an unfavorable view of China, the most since Pew started asking about it in 2005 and marking a jump of nearly 20 percentage points from 2017.
Politics

Unfavorable views of China jump 20 points to 66% in US: Pew

Negative sentiment spreads among young, likely influencing Trump vs Biden battle

21 April 2020
A medical staff takes samples at a drive-thru testing center in Daegu, South Korea, on Mar. 3; the U.S. can learn from its partners.
Opinion

US can outshine China at coronavirus medical diplomacy

Washington needs to boost existing anti-pandemic research networks in Asia

21 April 2020
The Fed is aggressively purchasing U.S. government bonds.
Datawatch

Trump's coronavirus stimulus package tests credibility of dollar

US government debt set to top World War II levels

20 April 2020
A man enters a hospital where a special ward has been set up for COVID-19 patients in Mumbai.
18 April 2020
A drilling site in the Eagle Ford Shale area in Texas: shale producers are slashing spending and production targets.
Opinion

OPEC's efforts to mop up global oil oversupply are good for Asia

Industry's growth is crucial for long-term energy security

17 April 2020
South Korean President Moon Jae-in attends ASEAN Plus Three virtual summit at the presidential Blue House in Seoul on Tuesday.
South Korea election

Moon has no excuses for missing policy goals after landslide

Virus response and weak opposition helped South Korean ruling party to win

16 April 2020
A nearly deserted 7th Avenue in Times Square is seen near midday in Manhattan during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in New York City.
Economy

Trump vs Govs: Restarting economy will be as messy as closing it

Governors split on timing of 'exit,' often based on allegiance to US president

16 April 2020
Micron says it wants to support its employees, its suppliers and local economies amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Technology

Exclusive: Micron to give 25,000 workers cash in pandemic-hit economies

Employees in Japan to receive one-time payment of $700

16 April 2020
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell at the news conference on Mar. 3: will the Fed follow Japan's lead and prop up the stock market?
Opinion

US should heed warnings from Japan's free-money experiment

Expansive financial policies hold severe risks for central banks

16 April 2020
Instead of crafting a global plan, the U.S. and China -- the two world powers best suited to lead a coronavirus response -- have sniped at one another from the sidelines. 
The Big Story

How coronavirus exposed the collapse of global leadership

The pandemic called for coordinated action. No one answered

15 April 2020
People wear masks at Shanghai's main shopping area after the city's emergency alert level for COVID-19 was downgraded. The IMF sees China's growth rate dropping to 1.2% this year.
Economy

Only emerging Asia will see growth in grim 2020, IMF says

US GDP to shrink 6% while Japan dips 5% in worst recession since Great Depression

15 April 2020
Financial markets have been jittering since the outbreak of the pandemic.
Datawatch

24% of world's large companies risk running out of cash

If sales drop 30% for the next 6 months, data shows

14 April 2020
Gravediggers wear protective suits in preparing a plot in Manaus, Brazil.
Coronavirus: Free to read

Coronavirus: Week of Apr. 5 to Apr. 11, Global death toll reaches 100,000

Kyoto asks to be put under emergency decree; Vietnam preps $2.66bn safety net

11 April 2020
The U.S. is afraid of possible theft of data and cyberattacks. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
International relations

US weighs revoking China Telecom's license

Regulator likely to accept recommendations from government agencies

10 April 2020
A child washes hands with anti-bacterial soap in Dhaka on Mar. 27: hand soap faces a global average tariff of 17%.
Opinion

Asia must brace for new age of protectionism

Putting up trade barriers causes everyone to lose in the long run

9 April 2020