Economy

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim vows to focus on achieving faster growth. Left: Kuala Lumpur's new landmark, Merdeka 118, is a symbol of the country's growing affluence. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Hiroki Endo and Reuters)
Comment

How Malaysia is finding its way out of the middle-income trap

It has taken the slow but steady route while addressing an ethnic incongruity

24 December 2023
Tourists visit the Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia's Siem Reap province. 
Travel & Leisure

On topic: Asia travel news highlights

A collection of stories to catch up on a hot topic

24 December 2023
Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin poses for a photo before an interview with Nikkei Asia at Government House in Bangkok on Dec. 12. (Photo by Hiroki Endo)
Turbulent Thailand

Thai PM Srettha seeks longevity as political factions bide time

Newcomer's fate seen as resting on party's favor, rollout of digital wallet

24 December 2023
People pose for pictures at a Christmas display outside an office building in Manila on Dec. 19.
Economy

Price woes threaten to spoil holiday cheer in Philippines

Christmas spending hit by still-high inflation, slowing cash remittances

23 December 2023
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo visits a construction site in Indonesia's new capital, Nusantara, on Dec. 21. (Cabinet Secretariat of Indonesia)
Economy

Jokowi breaks ground for police station, hospital in new capital

Construction of key facilities underway as Indonesia prepares for relocation

21 December 2023
Travelers walk through the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Dec. 20. As the number of tourists surges across Southeast Asia, so too are COVID cases. (Photo by Norman Goh)
Coronavirus

Malaysia and Singapore put guard up as COVID cases surge

Southeast Asia asks public to mask up and get vaccinated as travel season begins

21 December 2023
Chinese tourists visit Bangkok's Wat Phra Kaew temple in August. People from the country made up the world's biggest outbound travel market before the COVID pandemic, with 155 million trips in 2019. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Travel & Leisure

In charts: How Asia's tourism recovery is held back by stay-home Chinese

World's biggest foreign travel market hurt by weak economy, safety concerns

21 December 2023
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s move to launch the country's first sovereign wealth fund is creating needless risk.  (Pool via Reuters)
Opinion

To maintain the Philippines' momentum, Marcos needs new ideas

Maharlika fund has distracted president from more pressing economic priorities

20 December 2023
Gov. Chea Serey says Cambodia's central bank is expanding the Bakong's cross-border payment network. (Photo by Shigeru Seno)
Technology

Cambodia chalks up 10m Bakong digital currency accounts

Central bank focuses on internationalizing its blockchain-based payment system

19 December 2023
Honda has started producing the e:N1 SUV at a plant in Prachinburi province, east of Bangkok.
Automobiles

Honda becomes first Japan company to produce passenger EVs in Thailand

SUV to hit local market in early 2024 as competition with Chinese rivals heats up

18 December 2023
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaks during an interview with Nikkei Asia on Dec. 17 in Tokyo. (Photo by Yuki Kohara) 
Interview

Malaysia's Anwar pushes for local currency transactions in trade

Country looks to 'gradually' reduce dollar dependency to avoid forex risks

18 December 2023
Filipino shoppers collectively lost more than $2.8 million in online scams during the first nine months of 2023.
Retail

Philippines emerges as Asia's epicenter for online shopping scams

Experts warn over country's lack of digital literacy and cybercrime awareness

18 December 2023
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, pictured in Tokyo on Dec. 17, argues that some countries that promote democracy and human rights are engaging in "hypocrisy" when it comes to Gaza. (Photo by Yuki Kohara) 
Interview

Malaysia's Anwar slams 'hypocrisy' over Gaza crisis

Prime minister reiterates call for humanitarian cease-fire in Israel-Hamas war

17 December 2023
A Japanese oil tanker attacked by pirates in the Strait of Malacca in 2014: Thailand's 'Landbridge' would provide an alternative route between the Pacific and Indian oceans.
Opinion

Thailand's 'Landbridge' will bring East and West closer together

New link between Indian and Pacific oceans to provide economic boost

17 December 2023
Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, back left, and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida applaud as Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, front right, and Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi shake hands during a document exchange ceremony on Dec. 16. in Tokyo.
Trade

Indonesia and Japan agree on removing more trade barriers

Tokyo to remove tariffs on processed fishery items, sides to improve banking relations

16 December 2023
Container ships at the port in Singapore on Sept. 28. The city-state's economy is projected to grow 2.8% in 2024, according to a survey of experts. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Economy

Singapore's economic rebound to boost ASEAN growth in 2024: JCER

Survey finds concerns rise over Israel-Hamas war spillover on oil prices, markets

16 December 2023
City workers sweep at a section of road beside stored materials for a railway construction site in Quezon City, Metro Manila on Aug. 10.
Economy

Philippines announces lower growth projection for 2024

Marcos also signals possible constitutional review to lure foreign investment

15 December 2023
Michael Widjaja, group CEO of Sinar Mas Land, hopes to cooperate with Japanese companies in the construction of Indonesia's new capital. (Photo by Shigeru Seno) 
Economy

Indonesia's Sinar Mas CEO calls for Japanese investment in country

New capital project offers opportunities for businesses: Michael Widjaja

15 December 2023
Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin poses for a photo before the interview at Government House of Thailand in Bangkok on Dec. 12. (Photo by Hiroki Endo)
Interview

Thailand's 'bad' economy must grow to get investment, PM Srettha says

Srettha Thavisin tells Nikkei Asia he will not resign if digital wallet plan fails

12 December 2023
World Bank said it expects little economic growth in near term (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar economy to stagnate as fighting escalates at border

World Bank warns conflict in north disrupts vital trade routes with China

12 December 2023
Taiwan's National Development Council led almost 30 startups to Singapore for a business expedition in November. (Startup Island Taiwan)
Technology

Taiwanese tech startups pile into ASEAN amid risks in China

From Singapore to Vietnam, companies tap Southeast Asia in expansion drive

12 December 2023
A conservationist and volunteers clean a coral nursery by removing algae in the sea off Nusa Dua in Bali. Efforts to protect coral reefs tend to be community-led and self-funded. 
COP28

Indonesian coral reefs to get U.N.-backed weather insurance

Quick payouts for floods, heat stress, typhoons also under consideration

11 December 2023
Indonesian presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo, right, is greeted during campaigning for the 2024 election in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan province, on Dec. 5. Candidates have been crisscrossing the country to gain support from voters.
11 December 2023
Singapore's commercial property investment volume declined 11%, year-on-year, to $2 billion in the third quarter of 2023. (Photo by Norman Goh)
Market Spotlight

From Singapore to South Korea, commercial property deals falter

Japan and India are bright spots, although most real estate investors remain wary

11 December 2023
A cafe in Ho Chi Minh City: Vietnam's distinctive coffee filters and "ca phe sua da" have become a cultural export. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Food & Beverage

Latest buzz: India and Vietnam to lead Asia's growth in coffee consumption

Region's move beyond tea linked to urbanization and more disposable income

10 December 2023