Features

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Asia's Age of Hydropolitics

Vietnam's Mekong Delta is sinking, but innovations offer hope

From lotus farms to 'floating rice,' farmers get creative in face of China dams, climate change

28 July 2023
After 10 years of hit-and-miss efforts to leverage its brand, the "Super Mario Bros. Movie" ups the ante in Nintendo's bet it can turn Mario into a rival to Mickey Mouse. (Source photos by Ken Kobayashi and Kyodo)
Business Spotlight

Nintendo's Mario mission: grab IP limelight as Switch sales dim

Small nongames business gains traction, with blockbuster movie to boost earnings

28 July 2023
It is not clear why Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, chose Qin Gang as foreign minister, given that he is not a U.S. expert. (Nikkei montage/Reuters)
China up close

Analysis: Did rocky China-U.S. ties doom Qin Gang as foreign minister?

Biden's branding of Xi as 'dictator' threatens plans for big trip to San Francisco

26 July 2023
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Asia's Age of Hydropolitics

Bangladesh, Brahmaputra serve as proxy for Sino-Indian conflict

China, India dams stoke tensions as region's most vulnerable suffer

26 July 2023
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan exudes confidence that his PTI party will overcome opposition from the military and more established political parties to win the next general election, expected in the fall.
The Big Story

Imran Khan tells Pakistan's military to stay out of politics as election nears

Ousted last year, former PM seeks to tap unrivaled popularity in looming confrontation with generals

26 July 2023
As nearly 12 million Chinese graduates leave college this summer, they face doors slamming shut on job creation by private businesses after years of Beijing's mistrust and harsh regulatory scrutiny of the sector.
Asia Insight

China's jobless graduate army falls through cracks in economy

Record youth unemployment after Beijing clampdown on private sector, FDI slump

25 July 2023
Ships sailing in the Kashi River in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China.
Asia's Age of Hydropolitics

China dams make 'upstream superpower' presence felt in Asia

Enormous water diversion projects spark concern across region

24 July 2023
Commercial space activity has expanded rapidly in recent years, but there have also been many failures. Insurance is expected to reduce the economic risk of failure. ( Source photos by AP and Getty. Logo from LLOYD'S 's website )
Market Spotlight

Japanese insurers reach for the stars with space policies

Niche market expected to grow as commercial space activity takes off

24 July 2023
Entrepreneurship beckons young bureaucrats, with the number of job changes among those in their 30s rising sevenfold over the two years through fiscal 2022.
Datawatch

Japan's bureaucrats flock to startups to make social impact

Job changes from public sector to business ventures up 300% in two years

22 July 2023
A Shandong Iron & Steel Group plant in Jinan, China: The company is one of a number of big Chinese steelmakers forecasting losses in the first half of 2023.
Business Spotlight

China Inc's profit warnings reveal deflationary pressures

Weak demand and falling prices hit key industrial sectors from steel to paper

21 July 2023
A cafe, transformed from an old military fort, is seen in Nangan, Matsu archipelago, Taiwan. Even the shelves of convenience stores on this Taiwan-administered island near mainland China carry political overtones. (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) 
China up close

Analysis: On Taiwan's remote islands, Lithuanian beer is the star

Convenience store shelves reflect the geopolitical tensions with China

20 July 2023
At the NATO summit held in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11-12, the alliance's cooperation with Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea was in the spotlight. 
The Big Story

Why is NATO edging into Asia?

Members still divided on Indo-Pacific mission, seen by some as key to U.S. interest in alliance

19 July 2023
Some 10 years after almost losing an election, Hun Sen, center, no longer tolerates competition from serious opponents as he maneuvers to transfer power to eldest son Hun Manet, left, in a reform-resistant, economically and politically fragile system.
Asia Insight

Cambodia democracy dream fades as Hun Sen eyes election walkover

Strongman to coast to July 23 victory, signaling start of handover to eldest son

18 July 2023
Foreign investors increased their holdings in "emerging" Asian bond markets outside China by over $20 billion in the first half of 2023. (Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
Market Spotlight

Indonesia, South Korea bonds benefit from China turmoil

Foreign investors favor Asian debt markets where currency gains are expected

17 July 2023
Elon Musk's SpaceX launched more than 1,000 satellites in the first half of 2023, winning contracts from NASA and expanding its satellite-based internet business.
Datawatch

Elon Musk dominates orbit with Starlink satellites

Billionaire entrepreneur's SpaceX takes 60% share of global launch business

16 July 2023
Mukesh Ambani's Jio Bharat phone is billed as the cheapest internet-enabled mobile on the Indian market. (Source photos by Getty Images and screenshot from Jio's website) 
Business Spotlight

Mukesh Ambani, India's richest man, bets on country's 'cheapest' phone

Reliance Jio Infocomm launches $12 internet-connected cellphone

14 July 2023
Xi Jinping has a political battle plan for Taiwan that became clearer in July when Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki, right, met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing. (Nikkei montage/Reuters/Yusuke Hinata)
China up close

Analysis: Why China rolled out the red carpet for Okinawa governor

Xi Jinping puts Japanese islands in play to maneuver for Taiwan

13 July 2023
Despite U.S. government efforts to decouple from China over the past five years, most American tech giants remain deeply reliant on the Chinese market. 
The Big Story

U.S. big tech won't shake its China addiction

For companies like Apple, Microsoft, Tesla and Qualcomm, decoupling has not dented Chinese market

12 July 2023
China's Xi Jinping government has been sharply critical of Japan's plan to release treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Hong Kong, a key market for Japanese food, has adopted a similar line. (Source photos by Hirofumi Yamamoto, Getty Images and Reuters) 
Asia Insight

Hong Kong becomes China's 'wolf warrior' in Fukushima water fight

City's vocal opposition to Japan's plan contrasts with past pragmatism

11 July 2023
Delistings have outnumbered initial public offerings so far this year in Singapore. (Source photos by Akira Kodaka and Getty Images) 
Market Spotlight

Singapore lags rival Hong Kong in race for stock market listings

Exchange setbacks contrast with city-state's rise as wealth-management hub

10 July 2023
Protectionist industrial policies take hold around the world as the WTO's dispute settlement system remains paralyzed.
Datawatch

Subsidies race casts pall over global free trade

Number of state handouts favoring local businesses rises 60% in 3 years

8 July 2023
The history of horse racing in Singapore, which has endured for over a century, will come to an end with the Turf Club's last race in October next year.
Business Spotlight

Land development spells the end of horse racing in Singapore

Property squeeze in city-state shutters Turf Club after a century of operations

7 July 2023
Thailand's Stark said last week that it was negotiating with creditors to swap debt for equity instead of accelerating debt repayment. (Source photo and logo from Stark website)
Markets

Thai stock regulator files fraud charges over troubled Stark

Company to face further investigation as SEC continues to probe wire maker

6 July 2023
The Chinese city of Xiamen and the Taiwan-administered Kinmen Island likely started making an impact on Xi Jinping in 1985.
China up close

Analysis: For 17 years, Xi closely watched Taiwan-governed islets

Is economic engagement still part of the leader's strategy?

6 July 2023
 The Mountain Pass Rare Earth Mine in California is the U.S.'s only active rare-earth producer. (Photo courtesy of MP Materials)
The Big Story

The U.S.-China rare earths battle

How one mine in California is trying to challenge Beijing's dominance

5 July 2023