Features

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing next month, as the two countries cast aside some noisy prior disagreements over trade and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Big Story

China-Australia thaw reveals limits of Beijing's economic coercion

Ahead of Albanese's first China visit, relaxation of punitive trade measures proves Xi will not sacrifice economy for politics

25 October 2023
Tourists look toward North Korea from an observatory on the South Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone, Oct. 18, 2023. (Photo by Steven Borowiec) 
Asia Insight

Hamas' Israel assault reverberates on tense Korean border

Experts see new security jitters in South, no obvious chance of DMZ escalation

24 October 2023
A glut of office space and the expected opening of more commercial towers are likely to weigh further on Hong Kong's slumping real estate market. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by Getty Images) 
Market Spotlight

Hong Kong property market woes pile pressure on government

End of COVID seclusion fails to stimulate real estate demand

23 October 2023
Japan's trade ministry proposed allowing loss-making small businesses to carry forward the tax benefits of wage hikes until they become profitable.
Datawatch

Japan fails to boost wages with tax break

About 60% of smaller companies remain ineligible due to unprofitability

21 October 2023
An advanced chip from a Huawei Mate 60 Pro smartphone. In some ways, the U.S. clampdown on Huawei has been a success, but the Chinese tech giant has still managed to thrive. (Nikkei Montage/Source photos by Getty Images)
Business Spotlight

How China's tech ambitions slip through the U.S. export control net

Experts reveal weak points and strengths of America's clampdown

20 October 2023
Chinese President Xi Jinping's economic policies are helping to lift property values in Japan, especially in the Niseko area of Hokkaido, left, and in Osaka's Dotonbori entertainment district. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Ken Kobayashi, Yusuke Hinata, and Yo Inoue)
China up close

Analysis: China's property market woes prompt buying spree in Japan

Buyers snap up properties they can renovate and rent out to travelers

19 October 2023
A man wearing a VR headset explores the metaverse version of Shibuya, a district in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Yuki Kohara) 
The Big Story

Asia's metaverse is still thriving, from digital cities to gaming

In Japan, Philippines and more, virtual worlds are expanding despite Meta's flop in the West

18 October 2023
South Korea has more than doubled the maximum number of visas for migrant workers this year versus 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
Asia Insight

South Korea turns to migrant labor to fuel growth

With falling birthrate, country widens range of jobs filled by foreign workers

17 October 2023
Currencies in Southeast Asia have trended lower against the dollar in recent months due to tepid regional economic growth and interest rate gaps with the U.S. (Source photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Market Spotlight

Malaysian, Thai economies suffer as currencies slide vs. dollar

ASEAN depreciations bring higher import costs and increase inflation risks

16 October 2023
With the growing availability of skilled freelancers, many businesses in Japan outsource core management work, including corporate planning and personnel reform.
Datawatch

Japan Inc. entrusts key management tasks to outside experts

Pool of freelance specialists jumps threefold over 4 years

15 October 2023
Maruti Suzuki sells high-end vehicles through its newly established Nexa sales channels, where staff offer customers refreshments in semi-private booths to enhance the shopping experience. (Photo by Sayumi Take)
Business Spotlight

India's Maruti Suzuki looks beyond EVs for green growth

Automaker says electric-only is not the right strategy for the massive developing market

13 October 2023
Fisherman of Sarufutsu village, Hokkaido, move scallops off their boat. The local scallop industry has gotten rich selling to China but now feels trapped by Xi Jinping's brand of politics. (File photo by Nobuo Watanabe)
China up close

Analysis: How Xi Jinping haunts remote Hokkaido fishing towns

Luxury sea cucumbers and scallops face price falls as China bans imports

12 October 2023
A weak yen, post-pandemic inflation and the Russia-Ukraine war are putting pressure on Japan's central bank to reconsider its longtime commitment to ultraloose monetary policy. (Photo by Tsuyoshi Tamehiro)
The Big Story

Japan's yen dilemma in charts: BOJ juggles deflation and inflation

Rising U.S. rates and tumbling currency test Japan's monetary easing resolve

11 October 2023
Bets are placed at a small gambling hall in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone. (Photo by Alastair McCready)
Asia Insight

Will Laos' economic zones boost growth or bring in criminals?

Amid bold plans, experts say border hubs like Boten face uncertain prospects

10 October 2023
Japan's office towers and other pieces of commercial real estate have more stable occupancy rates and profitability compared with those in other APAC countries.
Market Spotlight

Foreign investors flock to Japan to buy warehouses and offices

Low borrowing costs stand out amid 'higher for longer' interest rates elsewhere

9 October 2023
Consumers perceive inflation as much higher than official figures indicate at the moment, largely due to sharp increases in the price of things like restaurant dining, hotel accommodation and gasoline.
Datawatch

Japan statistics fail to fully capture inflation surge

Consumers feel price rise over 10 points higher than official data

7 October 2023
Beauty blogger Austin Li Jiaqi applies makeup while livestreaming on the e-commerce platform Taobao. The influencer, nicknamed China's "Lipstick King," sparked a backlash from some of his followers when he snapped at one of them in September.
Business Spotlight

China's 'Lipstick King' leaves Alibaba with a livestreaming dilemma

Live-selling influencer's outburst highlights perils of relying on stars

6 October 2023
Xi Jinping, left, Chi Haotian, Zhang Youxia and Li Shangfu: China's leader is playing an ancient game in pitting different factions of the military against one another, all to ensure their loyalty to one man. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters and Yusuke Hinata)
China up close

Analysis: Inside Xi Jinping's great military purge

Absences from National Day banquet reveal determination to cement army's loyalty

5 October 2023
Chinese battery maker EVE Energy in December announced it will spend $422.3 million to build a cylindrical battery production base in the state of Kedah in Malaysia.
The Big Story

China's biggest green tech projects in Southeast Asia

From raw nickel to cars, joint ventures fuel EV boom across the region

4 October 2023
A Chinese-backed alumina refinery complex on Indonesia's Bintan Island is fouling the surrounding waters. It is just one of a growing number of "green tech" investments by China in the region. (Photo by Dimas Ardian)
The Big Story

China's green tech giants link supply chains to Southeast Asia

From Indonesia to Vietnam, 'clean energy' ties ASEAN more closely to Beijing despite South China Sea tensions

4 October 2023
A farmer carries rice stocks in Lupao, in northern Philippines. This region is the main area where rice is farmed. (Photo by Ramon Royandoyan) 
Asia Insight

Marcos' price ceiling adds to Philippine rice farmers' insecurity

Industry fears official limits could create distortions and worsen food crisis

3 October 2023
Foreign investors are betting on India's burgeoning middle class and growing internet-savvy population, while their domestic counterparts cower at the lack of profitable exits from startup investments. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters, Getty Images and AP)
Market Spotlight

For India tech startups, IPO success hinges on foreign investors

While domestic managers exercise caution, overseas funds take opportunities

2 October 2023
Stream article image
Datawatch

Japan's preference for floating-rate mortgages stokes market fears

Sweden's experience a warning as speculation rises over a BOJ policy U-turn

30 September 2023
Malaysia relies heavily on foreign players like Intel to sustain its chip industry. (Photo courtesy of Intel)
Business Spotlight

Malaysia aims for chip comeback as Intel, Infineon and more pile in

Country aims to regain semiconductor edge as companies seek supply chain stability

29 September 2023
Zhang Dejiang, left, Xi Jinping, Yu Zhengsheng and Deng Pufang. The three elder party members might hold the key to understanding the political tumult in today's China. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters, Kyodo, and Yusuke Hinata)
China up close

Analysis: 'Third man' of Beidaihe offers clue behind China's turmoil

Xi Jinping's regime hits back by ending career of Deng Xiaoping's son

28 September 2023