New Zealand

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, right, meets New Zealand's Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters in Beijing on May 25. 
International relations

New Zealand ends China honeymoon over security concerns

New defense policy no longer calls Beijing an 'important strategic partner'

13 July 2018
Electrify co-founder Martin Lim envisions letting consumers control their energy consumption data in order to negotiate better prices.
Companies

Singapore startup to bring 'smart' electricity contracts to Australia and Japan

Electrify harnesses blockchain technology to cut power prices

13 July 2018
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern discussed economic and security issues in a meeting in Sydney in March.
International relations

Australia and New Zealand eye new Pacific security framework

Closer ties with island neighbors seen as a bulwark against rising China

13 July 2018
Deloitte aims to offer better corporate services in the Asia-Pacific region by expanding its pool of specialists and facilitating their cross-border travel.
Companies

Deloitte to invest $320m in Asia to recruit top talent

Specialists to help auditing firm offer consistent quality regionwide

13 July 2018
The yuan continues to weaken, suggesting China is content to let it slide for now. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Trade war

Trade headwinds roil Asian currencies

Yuan, won and Australian dollar suffer as investors shelter in the dollar

13 July 2018
China's aircraft carrier Liaoning
Opinion

ASEAN must engage over maritime security

US-backed Indo-Pacific plan can bolster region without openly targeting China

11 July 2018
Ofo bicycles near a subway station in Wuhan, China 
Sharing Economy

Alibaba-backed Ofo shrinks overseas bike-sharing

Shuts down India, Australia and Israel to focus on profitable cities

10 July 2018
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's diplomatic outreach extends not only to the U.S. and China but also to Southeast Asia. (Getty Images)
Asia Insight

India's new 'Modi doctrine' straddles the US-China divide

PM abruptly changes diplomatic tack to shape the Indo-Pacific order

10 July 2018
Bags of rice are unloaded at a port in Jakarta. Though a consensus has been reached on just two of the RCEP's 18 sections, many ASEAN members prioritize reaching any deal for the trade pact.
International relations

RCEP trade pact members seek year-end deal despite differences

16 Asia-Pacific countries hope for agreement to combat US protectionism

2 July 2018
Damaged transportation links near Mazda's main plant in Hiroshima Prefecture forced the company to suspend operations there for parts of the summer.
Companies

Mazda's 3-row SUV to debut outside Japan

Model bound for China, Australia and New Zealand in global sales ramp-up

30 June 2018
"The biggest conservation issue" for Australia, a female feral cat is found at Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary (Photo by C. Thomas, AWC)
Life

War in the wild: Australian conservationists battle feral cats

Sanctuaries helping to prevent extinction of continent's native fauna

30 June 2018
Australia and the U.S. are becoming wary of Chinese communications equipment makers like Huawei.
International relations

Huawei was biggest sponsor of trips by Australian politicians

National security concerns hang over Chinese telecom equipment maker

27 June 2018
Silkworms hard at work. Chinese startup Bugsolutely is making snacks from the nutritious bugs.
Business

Asian investors begin to bet on bugs as the future of food

Ventures back silkworms and crickets in the race to meet region's dietary needs

26 June 2018
ANZ is targeting institutional investors in Japan with a new securities arm.
Companies

ANZ to launch securities business in Japan

Low interest rates drive investors to higher-yielding options abroad

21 June 2018
Huawei may become a victim of rising tensions between Australia and China.
Business

Huawei scrambles to remain a player in Australia's 5G rollout

Security concerns are causing Canberra to rethink the role of Chinese telecom giant

20 June 2018
Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, right, stands with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on March 24, 2017. 
Politics

Australia's spy law revamp irks China

Bill targets foreign meddling in politics but sparks civil rights fears

20 June 2018
In the South Pacific, ordinary citizens have been expected to remain on the sidelines of decision-making, but Facebook is changing that, much to the consternation of the political elite.
Politics

Pacific nations out to limit Facebook political chatter

Papua New Guinea and Samoa propose blocks on the social network

19 June 2018
The conservative and stable image of Australian banks may be only one side of the potentially perilous size and rigidity.
Opinion

The burden of Australia's oversized banks

Concentration of power is bad for the economy and a poor precedent for other countries

19 June 2018
Thailand's Safety Insurance ranks No. 8 in that country's non-life insurance sector.
Business deals

Tokio Marine to buy Thai auto insurer for $360m

Deal expands overseas business to burgeoning Southeast Asian market

19 June 2018
Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing, right, listens to his son Victor Li, co-managing director and deputy chairman of CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd., during a news conference in Hong Kong on March 16.
Business deals

CK group leads $9.8bn bid for Australian energy company

Hong Kong conglomerate continues overseas expansion laid out by Li Ka-shing

13 June 2018
David Parker, New Zealand's trade and export growth minister, speaks in an interview on June 11. He said the U.S. is welcome to return to the TPP on acceptable terms for existing members. (Photo by Keiichiro Sato)
The Future of Asia 2018

New Zealand sees TPP 11 as antidote for 'turbulent times'

Trade minister says pact should take effect in 2018 and calls for adding members

11 June 2018
China remains reliant on coal power because supplies of cleaner-energy natural gas have not kept pace with demand.
Commodities

Asia coal prices soar as China and India continue dependence

Shift to cleaner energy stumbles, resulting in 18-month high

7 June 2018
Australian shoppers will lose access to the bigger and better-priced Amazon marketplaces abroad.
Business

Amazon shuts Australians out of its overseas sites

US giant cites tax change for move that has upset bargain hunters

6 June 2018
An ANZ bank branch in Sydney. The banking group, along with Citigroup and Deutsche Bank, was hit with cartel charges.
Business trends

Australia brings down hammer on more wayward banks

ANZ hit with cartel charges; CBA agrees to record settlement

6 June 2018
Sydney's Dulwich Hill light rail line has received growing ridership since opening in 1997. (Photo by Fumi Matsumoto)
Business trends

Australia's urban boom breathes new life into light rail

Asia-Pacific seen as biggest railway market as traffic jams cause headaches

3 June 2018