Features

Major exchange-traded funds in the five sectors covered by FAANG 2.0 have outperformed the market by 17 percentage points since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February.
Datawatch

Global money ditches Big Tech for a new group of stocks

Fuel, aerospace, agriculture, nuclear and gold make up FAANG 2.0

24 June 2022
Embraer conducts final assembly of its passenger jets in a large hangar in Sao Jose dos Campos. As many as six jets can be accommodated in one hangar. (Photo courtesy of Embraer)
Business Spotlight

Can Brazil's aerospace champion Embraer conquer Asia?

Regional jet maker eyes India, Vietnam and beyond. Competitors have other ideas

24 June 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin must be concerned that Chinese President Xi Jinping has demoted pro-Russia diplomat Le Yucheng. (Nikkei montage/AP/Reuters/Kyodo/Getty Images)
China up close

Analysis: Russia hand's demotion signals shift in Xi's strategy

Le Yucheng was top candidate to be China's next foreign minister

23 June 2022
Barriers like these sprang up around Shanghai residential areas during a two-month lockdown that ended on June 1. The government's attempt to contain a COVID-19 outbreak cost many residents their mental and physical health. 
The Big Story

Inside Shanghai's COVID lockdown nightmare

China's zero-COVID policy devastated the commercial capital

22 June 2022
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hopes his "new capitalism" initiatives will spur a "second founding period," following Japan's post-World War II period of business startups.
Asia Insight

Japan startups see Kishida's 'new capitalism' as road without map

Plan to increase the sector 10-fold spurs both hope and skepticism

21 June 2022
Shanghai's STAR Market has risen as the world's busiest IPO market. (Source photos by Reuters and Tetsuya Kitayama)
Market Spotlight

Asia takes lead even as global IPO market contracts

Companies shelve listing plans amid Ukraine war and monetary tightening

20 June 2022
Shortages and constraints are reaching into the most obscure corners of the global supply chain for electronic chips. (Source photos by Reuters, TSMC and AP) 
Business Spotlight

From chemicals to gases, chip suppliers reel as materials prices surge

Industry braces for 'more costly future' as shortages haunt supply chains

17 June 2022
The rising cost of property maintenance in Japan is a new worry for many elderly homeowners.
Datawatch

Japan's elderly homeowners grapple with inflation and prejudice

Home repair costs rise 20% due to labor shortages and higher materials prices

16 June 2022
Xi Jinping's answer to Japan's Fumio Kishida hosting a Quad summit was not as aggressive as Vladimir Putin would have liked. (Nikkei monatage/Getty Images/Hirofumi Yamamoto)
China up close

Analysis: China feels slight unease in intimidating Japan with Russia

Struggles in Ukraine make Beijing think twice about following Moscow's playbook

16 June 2022
Abortion laws in Asia reflect demographic trends, the sway of religion and social traditions. In South Korea (pictured), abortion was illegal until 2019, when it was decriminalized despite opposition from the Christian community.
The Big Story

Abortion in Asia: The limits of choice

The overturning of Roe v. Wade could be a watershed for U.S. women's rights. Is the same true in Asia?

15 June 2022
Nikkei Asia spoke to Hong Kong attorneys, diplomats and legal scholars who warn of a gradual erosion of judicial independence, which could have implications for the city's appeal as a business destination.
Asia Insight

Hong Kong judicial independence fears threaten city's business case

Under security law, doubts grow over finance hub's key selling point

14 June 2022
The Aussie dollar has fallen in value against its American counterpart despite a surprisingly large interest rate rise by the Reserve Bank of Australia.
Market Spotlight

Australian dollar: the currency that can't catch a break

U.S. rate rises and China growth fears overshadow booming commodities prices

13 June 2022
Demand for IT professionals continues to grow in Japan, but lower pay makes the sector less attractive to midcareer job hoppers.
Datawatch

Low IT pay stifles Japan's digital transformation

Companies slow to ditch seniority system, shift to skills-based hiring

12 June 2022
The apparel industry dumps 92 million tons of textiles a year. The European Union hopes new rules will increase recycling, repair and second-hand retail. (Source photos by Ken Kobayashi and AFP/Jiji)
Business Spotlight

From China to India, Asia braces for EU plan to kill fast fashion

Supply chains may have to shift to recyclable, durable clothes -- with uncertain consequences

10 June 2022
A battle is raging within the Chinese Communist Party over whether to lift Xi Jinping to Mao-like status. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
China up close

Analysis: Xi shushes party elders as he marches toward 3rd term

New expression 'Eternal leader' emerges ahead of Beidaihe summer conclave

9 June 2022
The Metropolitan Outer Area Underground Discharge Channel in Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo, is at the forefront of Japan's fight against flooding as extreme weather threatens the country's infrastructure. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
The Big Story

Japan battles flooding amid deepening climate crisis

Rising rainfall and frequent typhoons test the archipelago's flood defenses

8 June 2022
From a Maldives bond payment to India's central bank meeting and Pakistan's upcoming budget, South Asia's economic strain is in focus.
Asia Insight

Beyond Sri Lanka, economic cyclone bears down on South Asia

From Pakistan to Maldives, forex and debt risks grow as inflationary headwinds build

7 June 2022
The Indian rupee suffered its fifth monthly decline in a row in May, amid relentless selling by foreign institutional investors, slowing economic growth, and a spike in inflation.
Market Spotlight

The droopy rupee: Can India's currency be revived?

Central bank rate rise expected this week as inflation menaces economy

6 June 2022
Tough COVID measures at home have accelerated the decline of Japan's presence in Southeast Asia.
Datawatch

Japan's economic clout wanes in Southeast Asia

China does 3 times more ASEAN trade, but Japan leads in accumulated investment

4 June 2022
Years of telco companies laying their own fiber networks has left Phnom Penh with a messy -- but working -- internet infrastructure. (Photo by Shaun Turton)
Business Spotlight

Cambodia creates new snarls as it tries to untangle its internet mess

Fears grow that cheap and fast access could suffer under regulatory crackdown

3 June 2022
Mao Zedong and Liu Shaoqi in 1966, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang in 2021. (Source photo by AP and Getty Images)
China up close

Analysis: Premier Li's economic rebuild has a dangerous precedent

The last time a No. 2 corrected the top leader's policy, it didn't end well

2 June 2022
Outnumbered by Chinese forces in the South China Sea, the U.S. is working on its game plan for a potential invasion of Taiwan by Beijing in the near future. It hopes to call on treaty allies Japan and Australia for support.
The Big Story

All for one: U.S. enlists its Asian allies in defense of Taiwan

Washington fears a possible Chinese invasion by 2027. It will need all the help it can get

1 June 2022
As LGBT+ communities in Asia prepare to celebrate Pride Month in June, the picture of gains and regression in their battle for recognition and rights is mixed.
Asia Insight

LGBT+ rights in Asia: Small steps forward and big steps back

Biggest setback in Afghanistan, while Japan inches toward marriage equality

31 May 2022
VC funds focused on Southeast Asia and India have raised $3.1 billion so far in 2022. (Source photos by AP/Reuters/Ken Kobayashi) 
Market Spotlight

VCs raise record funds for Southeast Asia, India as money leaves China

Beijing's regulatory crackdown on tech has prompted startup investors to diversify

30 May 2022
The number of coronavirus infections fell in many regions in Japan this year after the introduction of a quasi-state of emergency, but some experts question its effectiveness. (Source photo by AP) 
Datawatch

Japan's COVID curbs on dining and gatherings yielded mixed results

Nearly 1 in 4 prefectures that adopted measures failed to stem spread of virus

28 May 2022