Features

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and former President Jiang Zemin had different approaches to the economy. (Nikkei montage/Getty Images/CCTV/AP)
China up close

Analysis: Jiang Zemin was almost fired before embarking on market reforms

The drastic turnaround that put China on a growth surge has lessons for Xi

8 December 2022
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Women's Wealth

From Pakistan to the Philippines, women break open closed industries

Female pioneers make their mark as combat pilots, cricketers and chip technologists

7 December 2022
Since protesters took to the streets of Shanghai and other Chinese cities on the last weekend in November, authorities have signaled a careful, gradual and uneven shift in their COVID-19 strategy.
Asia Insight

China recalibrates zero-COVID as patience runs thin

Low vaccinations, Xi's reputation and fear of the virus force a cautious shift

6 December 2022
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Women's Wealth

Asia's female financial firepower surges to record highs

Combined wealth of women in Asia now world's second-highest, but systemic issues challenge equality

5 December 2022
Vietnam has seen the sharpest stock market drop in Asia this year, as a crackdown on corruption and worries about the real estate market weigh on sentiment. (Photos by Ken Kobayashi)
Market Spotlight

Vietnam stocks hit by recession fears and graft crackdown

Bear market has echoes of China's corruption scandals and property woes

5 December 2022
As younger investors shift their focus overseas, people aged 70 and older now make up the largest cohort of retail investors in Japanese stocks.
Datawatch

Elderly make up 40% of retail investors in Japan Inc.

Younger Japanese shun domestic stocks to invest overseas

4 December 2022
Jim Thompson CEO Frank Cancelloni poses for a portrait at the Jim Thompson Museum in Bangkok. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca)
Business Spotlight

Thai silk icon Jim Thompson vows COVID comeback as global brand

Household name in silk can be Asia's version of Ralph Lauren, says CEO

2 December 2022
President Xi Jinping is facing the most widespread popular discontent seen in China since 1989 because of the war on COVID-19 he has spearheaded and the extreme lockdown measures he has enforced across the country. (Nikkei montage/Reuters)
China up close

Analysis: Quash the 'white paper' -- Xi's Chinese dream turns into nightmare

Weekend unrest possible ahead of International Human Rights Day

1 December 2022
As the U.S. continues to attack China's chipmaking industry with sanctions, domestic tech champions such as Huawei are quietly working to build self-sufficient supply chains at home. 
The Big Story

China's chip industry fights to survive U.S. tech crackdown

Battered by sanctions, Huawei leads the way in stealthily building a domestic semiconductor supply chain

30 November 2022
With the North ramping up provocations, recent surveys show that around 70% of South Koreans support the country developing its own nuclear weapons.
Asia Insight

South Korea's nuclear option: Calls grow for weapon development

More lawmakers, voters see need for homegrown program as North's threat grows

29 November 2022
Building construction and infrastructure demand in China are the major drivers of demand for copper, which is mostly used for electric wiring. (Source photo by AP and Refinitiv)
Market Spotlight

Copper's green future keeps miners bullish despite China weakness

Experts expect more resource deals amid scramble for 'future-facing' red metal

28 November 2022
A satellite survey taken between 2015 and 2020 by researchers at the University of Rhode Island reveals that Asia accounts for 17 of the 20 fastest-sinking cities in the world.
Datawatch

Flood risk rises in Asia as cities grow, land sinks

Water hazards affect one-third of region's population

27 November 2022
Japan's banks are racing to go digital to fend off challenges such as demographic shifts and low lending margins. (Source photo by Yuki Kohara) 
Business Spotlight

Japan's banks prepare to meet the digital challenge

Legacy lenders and net-only newcomers tussle for dominance in a changing industry

25 November 2022
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Most read in 2022

Analysis: Xi no longer described as 'people's leader' in China

Leader tries smile diplomacy, but public scolding of Canada PM ruins image

24 November 2022
The Trilateral Commission convened for two days in Tokyo on Nov. 19 for its first in-person meeting in three years. Members discussed China, India and the new global order. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
The Big Story

Inside the Trilateral Commission: Power elites grapple with China's rise

Enigmatic group linking Asia, the U.S. and Europe opens up on eve of 50th anniversary

23 November 2022
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's poll ratings are slumping, in part due to his government's handling of the Unification Church issue.
Asia Insight

Japan builds case to dissolve scandal-hit Unification Church

Victims speak up as government probe gets under way

22 November 2022
At least nine Singapore and Hong Kong upstarts this year have announced plans to go public with SPACs listed in America. (Nikkei montage/Reuters)
Market Spotlight

Tech startups shun Singapore and Hong Kong for U.S. SPACs

Blank-check companies in Asian financial hubs show little results

21 November 2022
Heavily dependent on imports for their wheat supply, many Asian countries are facing growing risks of food security in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Datawatch

Growing appetite for wheat exposes Asia's soft underbelly

Consumption up 30% in 10 years but Ukraine war threatens food security

20 November 2022
Larger than life: South Korean forward Son Heung-min adorns a skyscraper in Doha ahead of the FIFA World Cup, hosted by Qatar this year.
Business Spotlight

Why Asia Inc. is rushing to sponsor the Qatar World Cup

Concerns over human rights take back seat to reaching global audience

18 November 2022
Xi Jinping and Joe Biden are not the friends they once thought they were. (Nikkei montage/AP/Reuters)
China up close

Analysis: Xi Jinping's path to greater power goes through Taiwan

Chinese president does not show Joe Biden his 'leader for life' road map

17 November 2022
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The Big Story

Asia's scamdemic: How COVID-19 supercharged online crime

Internet predators are often the prey in Thailand's lawless border zones

16 November 2022
The symbiotic relationships between Central Asia's leaders and Vladimir Putin are rearranging themselves as the war in Ukraine weakens Russia.
Asia Insight

Central Asia looks beyond Russia's orbit to secure its future

Jittery over Ukraine war, Kazakhstan and neighbors seek alternative export routes

15 November 2022
Debt concerns that started at a Legoland theme park developer have rattled corporate bond markets in South Korea, though stocks have not been affected. (Source photos by Yonhap/Reuters and Getty Images)
Market Spotlight

South Korea suffers from corporate debt liquidity crunch

Companies struggle to raise money in bond market amid investor concern

14 November 2022
About 70% of new homebuyers in Japan opt for variable-rate mortgages, exposing themselves to rising interest rates.
Datawatch

Japan mortgage balances soar despite slowing property values

Total outstanding loans top $1.5tn but BOJ rate risk looms

12 November 2022
Flooding in Bangkok in July 2022. Disasters caused by rising temperatures and sea levels are costly, and the risk is outsized in industrializing Asia. 
Business Spotlight

Thailand's businesses prepare to face the storm of climate change

Better risk management helps readiness as regulators and investors seek disclosure

11 November 2022