Economy

A cloth stall in Jakarta: Indonesia is seen exporting more textiles and clothing to the U.S. to fill the hole left by China.
Trade war

Southeast Asia poised for export boost from new US tariffs

Businesses seek reprieve as trade war squeezes Chinese shipments

13 August 2019
Narendra Modi visits Sri Lanka in June 2019: if connectivity initiatives have to succeed, "we must also build bridges of trust," said Modi.
Opinion

India responds to Belt and Road Initiative with infrastructure push

New Delhi does not want China to dominate its backyard so has started spending

13 August 2019
Asia has not been insulated from the risk of surging corporate debt. 
Datawatch

Asia's 'zombies' concentrated in India, Indonesia and South Korea

Debt-laden companies kept alive by easy credit have doubled in decade

11 August 2019
The yen's rise reduces the odds Japan Inc. will fatten paychecks. (Photo by Kai Fujii)
Opinion

Japan and South Korea will be biggest losers in US-China currency war

ASEAN countries will also be collateral damage as demand falls and exports are hit

8 August 2019
Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are both keen to bring the Olympics to their countries. (© Nikkei montage/Source photos by Getty Images)
Asia Insight

Indonesia and India seek Olympic glory with rival bids

Both see 2032 Games as a chance to step out as global powers

6 August 2019
Joko Widodo, who won a second term as Indonesia's president in April, is preparing measures to help boost the country's human capital. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura)
Economy

Indonesia April-June GDP up 5.05% as Jokowi seeks boost

Statistics agency casts doubt on 5.3% expansion target for 2019

5 August 2019
The Port of Bangkok: Any drop in Chinese electronics exports will hit Thai suppliers of circuit boards and other components, a trade official said.
Trade war

New Trump tariff hits Asian exporters dependent on US consumers

Thai electronics industry faces drop in trade, but food and textiles to benefit

3 August 2019
An anti-China protest on July 12 in Metro Manila: Duterte is facing popular backlash over his relations with China.
Opinion

China's overreach provokes backlash across Southeast Asia

Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia all show signs of rejecting Beijing's influence

31 July 2019
European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, seen here in Brussels in May, told the Nikkei Asian Review: "It is the EU as a whole that has decided to enhance its engagement on security issues in and with Asia, and we are intent on delivering on that objective."
Interview

EU keen to strengthen security ties with Asia: foreign policy chief

Korean Peninsula and South China Sea 'matter to all of us,' Federica Mogherini says

30 July 2019
A ship loaded with containers readies to depart Qingdao in China's Shandong Province.
Trade war

Trade war triggers Asia-wide exports slump

China slowdown ripples through supply chain, hurting Singapore and Thailand

26 July 2019
A UPS logistics plane is parked at the company's hub in Shenzhen, China. (Photo courtesy of UPS)  
Interview

Thailand and Indonesia cargo traffic spikes amid trade war: UPS

Countries emerge as Asian growth leaders replacing Vietnam and Taiwan

25 July 2019
Bank Indonesia had held its benchmark rate steady for seven straight meetings, before the July 18 decision.
Economy

Bank Indonesia cuts rate in anticipation of Fed easing

Healthier rupiah and political stability create maneuvering room

18 July 2019
Malaysia has banned import of plastic scrap but the ruling has been poorly enforced and monitored.
Opinion

How to end Asia's plastic waste war

Trade bans in Southeast Asia risk shifting problem to South Asia and Africa

17 July 2019
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, left, and Indonesian leader Joko "Jokowi" Widodo see relocating their capitals as a solution to multiple problems. (Nikkei Montage/Reuters)
Asia Insight

Duterte and Jokowi seek new capitals to solve old cities' woes

Gridlock and smog plague Manila and Jakarta as inequality worsens

16 July 2019
Credit card companies' reputation for high fees has turned away many potential users in Asia.
Business trends

Credit cards fall behind in Asia's race to go cashless

Consumers flock to low-cost local mobile apps to meet their payment needs

15 July 2019
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, with Indonesian President Joko Widodo at an ASEAN meeting in Singapore last November: The two leaders have agreed to work toward a goal of $50 billion in trade between their countries by 2025, more than double the current level.
International relations

India raises the alarm over trade deficit with Indonesia

Modi's government seeks easing of auto curbs and wider access for farm products

13 July 2019
A dump truck with organic waste separated at home arrives at the MPH plant. (Photo by Ian Lloyd Neubauer)
Life

For Bali, tourism is a rubbish issue

Indonesian island bans single-use plastics and pilots recycling plants

10 July 2019
A port in Qingdao, Shandong province, China. Although the U.S. and China have agreed to reopen trade talks, the future direction of their trade relationship remains unclear.
Economy

US-China trade war will hit ASEAN economy harder

JCER quarterly survey records fourth straight downgrade as uncertainty remains

9 July 2019
Newly reelected, President Joko Widodo is now tasked with overseeing Indonesia’s next stage of economic growth. “We are optimistic,” he said in an interview with the Nikkei Asian Review. (Photo by Rie Ishii)
The Big Story

Jokowi vows to invest in tech skills for an Indonesian 'Golden Age'

Second-term success hinges on company tax breaks and uneasy alliances

3 July 2019
Indonesia’s presidents have long hoped that spinning out the bureaucratic capital would jump-start the country’s struggling east: Jakarta generates 17% of the country's GDP. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura)
The Big Story

Indonesia chases a game-changer: moving the capital

Jokowi aims to do what predecessors couldn't as Jakarta overflows

3 July 2019
Libra might promise nirvana for financial markets. 
Opinion

Facebook's Libra is a risk to developing Asia's currencies

Central banks should beware as planned cryptocurrency could trigger financial turmoil

3 July 2019
The appreciation of Thai baht was largely supported by the opposing monetary stances of Thai and U.S. central banks.
Markets

Thai baht outperforms Asian currency peers on Fed's dovish turn

Shanghai leads stock index gainers during first half

2 July 2019
Indonesian President Joko Widodo speaks to the Nikkei Asian Review in Jakarta on June 25. (Photo by Rie Ishii)
Interview

Jokowi to feed Indonesia's unicorns with tax breaks

President says country will make own decision on Huawei

26 June 2019
Some of Southeast Asia's plastic waste, like this stuff in Thailand, ends up in recycling centers, but a lot of it is discarded haphazardly and finds its way into the ocean. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Environment

Southeast Asia's trash, Japan Inc.'s power-generating treasure

Public-private deals put waste to use in Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia

23 June 2019
The administration of Indonesian President Joko Widodo has pledged to create a more business friendly environment. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura)
Economy

Indonesia expects more foreign investment after ratings bump

S&P and others list country as 'BBB' as structural reforms look to continue

16 June 2019