Oceania

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
Sanjeev Gupta, pictured in April 2016: his New Deal for steel promised more than it delivered.
Opinion

The rise and fall of global steel baron Sanjeev Gupta

Pied Piper of Dubai who led many astray now faces fraud charges

21 May 2021
Chinese steelmakers are calling out for iron ore to sustain record high output levels amid orders to support infrastructure development and manufacturing.
Commodities

Australian iron ore miners shine despite China's fury

Confluence of favorable supply and demand factors unlikely to last

19 May 2021
A screen shows the inauguration of President Joe Biden at a shopping mall in Beijing on Jan. 21: the president's honeymoon with China is coming to an end.
Opinion

How far will Biden dare to push China?

President must soon decide how much tougher he wants to become

19 May 2021
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, left, and Kiribati President Taneti Maamau shake hands in Beijing. The president's January 2020 visit produced a cooperation agreement on China's Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.
Indo-Pacific

China extends South Pacific reach by funding runway project

Kiribati, in sea lane between US and Australia, eyes upgrade for planned resort

19 May 2021
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison holds a news conference at the Ampol's Lytton refinery in Brisbane on May 17. (AAP Image/Darren England)
Energy

Australia pledges $1.8bn to keep its last oil refineries humming

Ampol and Viva Energy welcome government package to bolster fuel security

18 May 2021
For Australian opera singer Cathy-Di Zhang, who has spent most of the past year singing around the house while making loaves of sourdough, the chance to perform before a live audience at the Castlemaine State Festival was a huge emotional relief. (Photo courtesy of Castlemaine State Festival)
Arts

How an Australian arts festival shined through COVID-19

The biggest attraction was being able to join a live audience

16 May 2021
Samoa opposition leader Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, pictured in April, is vying to become the island's first female prime minister.
Politics

Samoa's historic election saga comes down to Supreme Court ruling

Experts see nation, and Pacific women, on cusp of new era regardless of outcome

14 May 2021
Secretary Antony Blinken and Australian Foreign Minister and Minister for Women Marise Payne hold a joint press availability at the U.S. State Department on May 13. 
US-China tensions

US won't leave Australia alone to face China: Blinken

Beijing's economic bullying of allies will harm Sino-American relations, secretary says

14 May 2021
Of Crown Resorts' three major casino properties, only the Crown Melbourne is currently open for betting.
Travel & Leisure

Rivals raise stakes in bidding for Australia's Crown Resorts

Investors welcome news of merger offer from Star Entertainment

10 May 2021
Xi Jinping inspects troops of the People's Liberation Army in June 2017: the Chinese President's belligerence deserves considerable blame.
Opinion

Is Xi Jinping ruining his chances of a third term?

As China's economy races forward, its 'soft power' veers in reverse

10 May 2021
SoftBank Group is set to report a net profit of more than $40 billion, the highest ever for a Japanese company. 
Your Week in Asia

SoftBank comeback, Kelly testifies in Nissan case, Australia budget

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

9 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
A Qantas flight to mark the airline's 100th birthday departs from Sydney Airport in November 2020.
Transportation

Qantas-JAL tie-up faces veto from Australian antitrust regulator

Plan to coordinate flights would undermine post-pandemic competition: watchdog

6 May 2021
China's suspension of an economic dialogue pact with Australia casts doubt on the notion that while ties have deteriorated, day-to-day relations are still intact, according to one expert.
International relations

China freeze on Australia dialogue cuts deeper into practical ties

Beijing's move called 'worrying' but still short of 'nuclear option' on FTA

6 May 2021
New South Wales regulators have extended temporary liquor licenses for the Crown Sydney, but have yet to approve gaming at the $1.7 billion hotel. (Photo by Prashant Mehra)
Travel & Leisure

Rival bidders bet better days ahead for Australia's Crown Resorts

Despite fines, forced closures and regulatory probes, higher offers expected

6 May 2021
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern smiles during a campaign in Auckland on Oct. 10, 2020.
5 May 2021
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson hosts a virtual G-7 meeting in February. This week's gathering of foreign ministers will be the group's first in-person meeting since COVID-19 hit. (File photo by pool/AP)
International relations

China and Russia's authoritarian challenge hangs over G-7 meeting

India, Australia, South Korea and ASEAN to attend London summit as guests

3 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
Peter Dutton, left, Australia's new defense minister, has signaled a tough stance on China.
1 May 2021
Australian Olympians pose in front of the Sydney Opera House at the unveiling of the team uniforms for the 2020 Tokyo Games on March 31.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Australia to prioritize COVID vaccines for Tokyo-bound Olympians

AOC head lauds 'added layer of assurance' as Japan fights virus wave

27 April 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
Indonesian military officials show debris believed to have come from the missing submarine on April 24. (Courtesy of Indonesian military)
International relations

Indonesian submarine deemed to have sunk after debris turns up

Oxygen was expected to run out early Saturday, depending on electricity

24 April 2021
Virgin Australia aircraft at Sydney Airport after a thunderstorm. The airline went bankrupt last year in the wake of the pandemic but hopes to receive a boost from the cheap fares.
Travel & Leisure

Australia's half-price tickets lift airlines but hotels remain grounded

$930m stimulus leaves accommodation sector 'for dead,' critics say

22 April 2021
In better days: Staff members chat at a Beijing venue as they prepare a seminar of Australia-China bilateral cooperation in resources and infrastructure in Western  Australia. 
Belt and Road

Australia nixes state Belt and Road deals with China in first veto

Morrison government uses new powers amid concerns over Beijing's influence

22 April 2021