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October 18th, 2018

On the brink

Imran Khan is caught between China and the U.S. as Pakistan’s economic crisis deepens

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The Big Story

Imran Khan inherits an economy on the edge

Will Chinese investment save Pakistan -- or trap it?

Imran Khan, Pakistan's new prime minister, faces a long list of challenges to get his country's economy back on track. 
The small town of Sialkot, which supplies hand-sewn soccer balls for the World Cup, is one of Pakistan's few export success stories.
The Big Story

Pakistan struggles to reverse decades of industrial decline

Lack of export policy bites as India and other rivals pull further ahead

A kiosk in Jakarta serving as a Bukalapak "agent." Its owner buys his daily supply of goods through the company's smartphone app. (Photo by Erwida Maulia)
Startups in Asia

Indonesia's Bukalapak connects kiosk shoppers to the web

Unicorn uses mom and pop shops to reach archipelago's poorest

Employees work at Mediatrac, a data analytics startup in Jakarta: Southeast Asia has seen a strong rebound in deals as investors adjust to the setbacks from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Startups

Indonesian startup rides Southeast Asia's booming office-sharing market

GoWork attracts $10m Chinese investment to bolster ops amid fierce competition

The Airbus ultralong-range A350-900 offers more comfortable travel with features such as higher ceilings, larger windows, quieter cabins and lighting designed to reduce jet lag.
Companies

Singapore Airlines races oil price with world's longest flight

Maiden voyage on fuel-efficient jet takes off from Changi on Thursday

New car sales doubled in Myanmar over the past year, offering a huge potential for automakers. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Companies

Suzuki releases top seller in Myanmar, looking to Indian success

Japanese automaker plans to move fast as new-car market takes off

An AirPod assembler has notified suppliers that it intends to move production from China to Vietnam.
GM and its joint ventures delivered 835,934 vehicles in China during the July-September quarter, with sales down nearly 15% on the year.
Trade war

Chinese shun American purchases as trade war stings

GM sales drop 15%, while tourists choose to go to Asia

A worker collects latex near Bogor, southwest of Jakarta, in Indonesia. Some green bonds will finance sustainable natural rubber plantations.
Markets

Green bonds take root in Southeast Asia

ESG investment gets a boost from new regional guidelines

Jack Ma plans to step down as chairman of Alibaba to concentrate on education and other activities.
Business trends

Jack Ma returns as China's wealthiest

Rising value of Ant Financial brings Alibaba chairman back to top of Hurun list

Zee's managing director and chief executive Punit Goenka, pictured in Macau in 2012, says in a statement "this robust performance also gives us room to increase our investments in digital, if required.”
Companies

ZEE Entertainment second-quarter profit falls 38%

Net income declines after one-time gains boosted year-earlier performance

© Nikkei photo illustration/Source photo of Kim Jong Un by Getty Images
Asia Insight

South Korea's corporate giants tiptoe toward the North

Chaebol sound positive about entering the country but harbor private concerns

The cracked soil at a dried up rice field in the town of Baliuag, Bulacan Province, north of Manila, symbolizes the Philippines' current rice plight.
Economy

Philippine rice shortage drives push for reform as inflation bites

Duterte throws his weight into debate over 'tariffication' of rice imports

New buildings rise out of the landscape in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's commercial capital.
Economy

Vietnam to remove 49% foreign ownership cap on listed companies

Banking and aviation limits also expected to be raised, but not above 50%

Buddhist monks carry the Cambodian and Japanese flags. Japan provided assistance to the Southeast Asian country after its leading opposition party was dissolved.
International relations

Tokyo goes it alone in support of Myanmar and Cambodia

Japan offers economic aid with eye on crucial sea lanes in the region

A collision on a high-speed train in Wenzhou, China, in 2011 killed 40 people.
Business trends

Catalyst or catastrophe? Lessons from Asia's high-speed rail failures

Spurring growth with ambitious projects requires far more than financing

Protesters call on MJ Akbar, Modi's minister of state for external affairs, to step down over multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.
Politics

#MeToo jolts Indian politics as Modi minister stands accused

Akbar denies allegations and suggests conspiracy to sway elections

Bangkok's nightlife is famous for an openness to transgender females, but Thailand's legal system has until now not recognized the rights of same-sex couples. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Politics

Thailand set to legalize same-sex unions

Inclusive bill welcomed by many, but falls short of full rights for LGBT couples

Media representatives hold a letter expressing their concerns outside the government headquarters in Hong Kong on Oct. 8.
Opinion

China's assault on Hong Kong's freedoms threatens city's global role

Journalist's de facto expulsion sends shivers through media, finance and business communities

India's power industry's financial and political mess needs to be unwound.
Opinion

Rewiring Indian electricity

New Delhi must liberalize, end subsidies and curb local political interference

What happened to Japanese innovation?
Opinion

How to revive Japanese innovation

Companies must cut middle management layers that block entrepreneurial ideas

The Japanese and Australian defense and foreign ministers meet the press in Sydney on Oct. 10.
The Nikkei View

Japan needs more 'quasi-allies'

Deeper ties with Australia and Southeast Asia can help keep China and North Korea in check

Fruit and vegetables for sale at Tekka Market in Singapore's Little India (Photo by Simon Roughneen)
Life

Southeast Asia's traditional markets hold their own

Stallholders fight back against air-conditioned malls and online retailing

The first Eslite Spectrum, seen here in Taiwan, was followed by additional shopping centers in Hong Kong and mainland China.
Companies

Taiwan bookseller Eslite flips page as China openings stall

New Tokyo store will mark first entry into non-Chinese-speaking market

At Japanese museums, screens are often displayed behind glasses and lit from overhead.
Tea Leaves

Japan's museums trapped between light and shadow

How a great artistic culture takes the glow out of precious works