New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon tells Nikkei Asia that the country wants to be more engaged in defense and security issues in the Indo-Pacific region. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
Interview

New Zealand 'resets' foreign policy on Indo-Pacific security: PM

Wellington keen to boost exports but wary of China encroachment

20 June 2024
Taiwanese troops on a combat readiness drill at a base in Taitung in January:. The island on its own will never be able to survive a full-scale Chinese invasion.
Opinion

Taiwan must resolve its defense approach for help to be effective

Island's identity politics holds back shift away from traditional posture

20 June 2024
Xi Jinping at the Chinese Communist Party's big agenda-setting meeting in 2013. China watchers, eagerly awaiting news on where the new president would take the country, failed to hone in on the key signals. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by AP and Yusuke Hinata)
China up close

Analysis: Don't misread Xi Jinping's intentions at his big meeting

Politics will come before economics as it always has in China's new era

20 June 2024
Asylum-seeking migrants from China and Vietnam wait to be transported at a staging area in Jacumba Hot Springs, California, on June 6.
Immigration

Chinese migrants to U.S. look for detour as Ecuador halts visa waiver

Mexico might offer a more expensive option but only for those with certain visas

19 June 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hold talks in Pyongyang on June 19.
International relations

North Korea and Russia sign 'strategic partnership' during summit

Kim Jong Un says deal with Putin raises ties to 'alliance' level

19 June 2024
Vice President Sara Duterte has resigned from the cabinet of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in a bombshell move that sets them on a collision course. (Source photos by Reuters) 
Politics

Sara Duterte quits Philippine cabinet in open challenge to Marcos

Remains vice president, but cabinet departure seen as 'ultimate sign' of split

19 June 2024
Millions have been granted Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status, which lets foreign nationals born in the country live and work there visa-free.  
Politics

India immigration crackdown sparks fear among outspoken diaspora

Modi government accused of clamping down on visa-free entry for critics

19 June 2024
Vietnamese wishing to work in Japan learn Japanese at a local recruitment agency in Hanoi. Vietnamese make up half of all foreign technical interns in Japan.
Japan immigration

Japan to ease financial burden on Vietnamese migrant workers

Employers to pay half of recruitment costs under new program

19 June 2024
Images of Iran's six approved presidential candidates loom over a Tehran street on June 17: 80 people applied to run in the election. (WANA via Reuters)
Opinion

Iran election outcome could bring foreign policy shift

Outlook for nuclear talks to be affected by voters' choice of president

19 June 2024
Philippine Coast Guard personnel on a rubber boat pass by a China Coast Guard ship in the disputed South China Sea on March 5.
South China Sea

Philippines accuses China of 'piracy' in South China Sea

Chinese with 'bolo, spear, knives' boarded Manila ship and seized weapons, equipment

19 June 2024
Chinese premier Li Qiang, left, and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim walk in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on June 19. (Prime Minister's Office of Malaysia)
International relations

Malaysia asks China to support its bid to join BRICS

Prime Minister Anwar meets Premier Li to discuss economic cooperation

19 June 2024
Group of Seven leaders meet in Borgo Egnazia, Italy, on June 13. They are tasked with addressing interconnected global crises.
The Nikkei View

G7 must stay united in addressing interconnected crises

How to enlist Global South's help in maintaining global order remains uncertain

19 June 2024
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is trying to restore faith in his ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which is facing record-low approval ratings and local election losses amid an enduring political kickback scandal. (Photo by Uichiro Kasai) 
Politics

Japan passes amended political funds law: 4 things to know

PM Kishida seeks to restore trust amid record-low ratings as slush fund scandal persists

19 June 2024
Security cameras are installed in Urumqi, in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, in 2021. (File photo by Kyodo)
Politics

China strips Uyghur identity from place names, Human Rights Watch says

Religious, cultural, historical words replaced by ones aligned with Communist Party ideology

19 June 2024
Russia's President Vladimir Putin meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un upon his arrival in Pyongyang on June 19.
International relations

Russia's Putin lands in North Korea for talks with Kim Jong Un

Need for ammunition in Ukraine war seen as an impetus for first visit in 24 years

19 June 2024
Australian Ambassador to Japan Justin Hayhurst speaks during an interview with Nikkei on June 17 in Tokyo. (Photo by Manami Yamada)
Interview

Australia's new rules 'facilitate' Japan investment, envoy says

Canberra streamlines access to critical minerals to strengthen supply chains

18 June 2024
Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra at a Bangkok airport in 2023. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Politics

Thaksin released on bail after lese majeste indictment

Former PM viewed as becoming more active in Thai politics

18 June 2024
Thailand's plan to relist marijuana as a narcotic has drawn backlash from cannabis farms and other industry players.
Society

Thailand eyes recriminalizing marijuana, juggling health and commerce

60% of users do so for recreational purposes instead of intended medical use

18 June 2024
Japan's new Taigei class "great whale" submarine. (Photo by Konosuke Urata)
Defense

Japan defense spending plan takes 30% hit from weak yen

Loss of purchasing power may force changes to procurement levels

18 June 2024
A Minuteman III ICBM is test-launched at the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. (U.S. Air Force)
Indo-Pacific

U.S. shows Japanese officials ICBM launch procedures

Disclosure of Wyoming visit seen as signal to China and Russia

18 June 2024
Russia's Vladimir Putin welcomed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to the Vostochny Сosmodrome in the Russian Far East last September. (KCNA via Reuters)
18 June 2024
A family member pays respects during the funeral of a Kuwait fire victim, in the Pathanamthitta district of the Indian state of Kerala on June 15. Rampant unemployment in their home country has chased millions of Indians abroad.
Politics

India calls for stronger protections for its overseas workers

Kuwait fire that killed 45 Indians highlights migrants' harsh living conditions

17 June 2024
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, left, and Chinese Premier Li Qiang shake hands in Canberra on June 17. Both men welcomed improved relations between their countries.
International relations

Chinese Premier Li Qiang says ties with Australia are back on track

Meeting with Prime Minister Albanese in Canberra comes as economic ties warm

17 June 2024
Hong Kong is pulling out all the stops to make itself a destination for tech companies, from direct investments to courting international contestants for a startup "elevator pitch" competition held at the city's International Financial Centre, at right. (Photo by Kenji Kawase)
Technology

Hong Kong's AI bet through Temasek-style fund signals strategic shift

City steps up comprehensive effort to transform into tech hub in tense times

17 June 2024
Japanese stocks fell Monday morning against the backdrop of risk-averse investors following the rumble in recent global politics. (Photo by Yuji Murakami)
Equities

Japanese stocks fall over 2% on European political uncertainties

BOJ's lack of clarity on bond purchases leaves market players uneasy

17 June 2024