New Zealand

GoTo was formed last May through a merger between Gojek, a ride-hailing and payments super app, and the e-commerce giant Tokopedia. It was the biggest merger in Indonesian corporate history. (Photo courtesy of GoTo group) 
Your Week in Asia

Indonesia's GoTo IPO, China economic data, Hong Kong's one man race

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

10 April 2022
Solomon Islands citizens tour a landing craft from a New Zealand ship that dropped off personnel and supplies in 2013. The islands' government is drawing closer to China. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy)
International relations

No China base: Solomon Islands' denial does little to quell fears

Analyst says Sogavare risks boxing himself in despite vow not to choose sides

29 March 2022
China is Zespri's biggest market, buying more than 100,000 tons of kiwis from the company every year and accounting for over 20% of its global sales.
Caixin

In depth: New Zealand fruit giant's kiwi battle in China

Zespri is taking aim at unauthorized plantations in its largest market

10 January 2022
Ministers and delegates of the Pacific Rim trade bloc attend a joint press conference in Tokyo in January 2019: current CPTPP members should proactively lobby the U.S. to join the trade agreement.
Opinion

U.S. must rethink its approach to a flexible and inclusive Indo-Pacific

Washington needs to properly anchor itself into regional frameworks

14 December 2021
Modern coalitions must be more diverse.
Opinion

Japan should be admitted to the Five Eyes network

Difficulty adding new members demands a new type of intelligence sharing coalition

14 November 2021
A containership at a port in a Shenzhen free trade zone: APEC's joint statement called trade a "pillar for the development and future prosperity of all our people."
International relations

At APEC, Xi vows to open China as Taiwan promotes CPTPP bid

Biden raises U.S. engagement while grouping seeks trade-led COVID recovery

13 November 2021
Full vaccination rates vary widely across APEC, with Vietnam toward the lower end at about 30%.
COVID vaccines

APEC ministers pledge more COVID vaccines and safe travel

21 members, including U.S. and China, hold virtual talks ahead of Friday summit

10 November 2021
RCEP comes into force 60 days after six of 10 ASEAN nations and three of five other countries submit depositions to ASEAN, which is serving as the wider bloc's secretariat.
Trade

World's biggest trade deal RCEP to take effect Jan. 1

Asia-focused pact covers 30% of global population and GDP

4 November 2021
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern meets with visiting Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in May 2021.
Indo-Pacific

New Zealand signals shift in China stance by opening door to AUKUS

Diplomat indicates willingness to collaborate on technology outside of nuclear subs

3 November 2021
SoftBank Robotics and Keenon Robotics are keen to roll out their service bots to the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. (Photo by Mayuko Tani)
Technology

SoftBank-powered robots to help Grab with meal deliveries

Singapore and Japan to use the droids jointly developed by China's Keenon

21 September 2021
China says the U.S. and U.K. decision to export nuclear-powered submarine technology to Australia proves that they are using nuclear exports for geopolitical gains.
Indo-Pacific

China slams U.S.-led plan to give nuclear submarines to Australia

Beijing calls on Washington, London, Canberra to drop 'zero-sum game mentality'

16 September 2021
New Zealanders drive to a vaccination center in Auckland on Aug. 26, with the country's largest city under a strict lockdown.
Coronavirus

New Zealand's delta COVID outbreak grows amid race to vaccinate

Extended lockdown tests economic resilience with uncertain end point

27 August 2021
The Singapore Exchange cut the required market cap for SPACs by half after consultation revealed that stakeholders found the previous level prohibitively high.
Companies

SGX joins Hong Kong exchange in moving to tighten climate rules

Sustainability reporting to be made stricter as bourses prod listed companies

26 August 2021
A Japanese Olympian captures footage of himself during the opening ceremony. Many athletes use social media to engage with fans, but this has its pitfalls.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics

'Go die': Cyberbullying adds to Olympic athletes' mental hurdles

From Japan to Malaysia to New Zealand, sports stars and officials cry foul

4 August 2021
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern cited health risks to citizens in shutting down the travel bubble with Australia.
Transportation

New Zealand suspends travel bubble with Australia over delta wave

Eight-week pause in effect after three Aussie states impose lockdowns

24 July 2021
Japan takes 36 times longer to process trade paperwork than France or Italy, the World Bank reports.
Trade

Blockchain greases trade wheels between 7 Asian-Pacific economies

TradeWaltz aims to keep supply chains of 5,000 companies moving at steady pace

11 July 2021
Jacinda Ardern and Scott Morrison, pictured during the Australia-New Zealand Leaders Meeting in Queenstown on May 31: Prime Ministers of both countries gave a joint statement focusing on their unity of vision with a wider array of friends.
Opinion

Five Eyes must protect unrivaled intelligence-sharing network

Claims that the grouping is an Anglo-Saxon clique are fundamentally wrong

21 June 2021
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison poses with New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern before talks in Queenstown, New Zealand, on May 31.
International relations

Australia and New Zealand tout Indo-Pacific ties, reject 'coercion'

At summit, neighbors raise China human rights while sidestepping differences

31 May 2021
New Zealand's minister for trade and export growth, Damien O'Connor, speaks to Nikkei Asia during an online interview on May 21. (Photo by Koji Uema)
The Future of Asia 2021

New Zealand will manage China ties in 'predictable' way: minister

Trade chief O'Connor holds out hope for India's return to RCEP deal

21 May 2021
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2019: Ardern is walking a fine line between criticizing Beijing on human rights and preserving economic ties.
International relations

New Zealand 'shadow boxes' over Xinjiang amid pressure to speak up

Analysts say parliament declaration without 'genocide' likely kept China happy

7 May 2021
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern smiles during a campaign in Auckland on Oct. 10, 2020.
5 May 2021
New Zealand's Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern said there are things on which China and New Zealand "do not, cannot, and will not agree," but added the differences need not define their ties. 
International relations

Ardern says differences with China harder to reconcile

New Zealand faces pressure from allies for tougher line on Beijing

3 May 2021
New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta speaks to reporters on April 22. She has caused a stir by confirming a reluctance to participate in Five Eyes joint statements on human rights.
International relations

Five Eyes glare at New Zealand over independent China stance

Ardern and Mahuta walk fine line amid pressure to speak out on human rights

26 April 2021
A passenger prepares to catch a flight to New Zealand at Australia's Sydney Airport on April 19, as the countries' quarantine-free travel bubble opens.
Coronavirus

Australia-New Zealand travel bubble off to fast, emotional start

Quarantine-free trips raise hopes for an economic shot in the arm

19 April 2021
A police officer stands guard outside the Masjid Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, two days after the March 15, 2019, shooting attack by a lone Australian gunman.
Terrorism

Two years after Christchurch shooting, far-right haunts Australia

New Zealand attack by Australian gunman exemplifies growing security threat

15 March 2021