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November 22nd, 2018

Japan’s energy dilemma

The birthplace of Kyoto Protocol struggles to wean itself off coal

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The Big Story

Why Japan finds coal hard to quit

Addiction to coal-fired power undermines Tokyo's green credentials

A coal depot at Sakata Kyodo Coal Power Plant in Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture: Coal could make up more than half of Japan's energy mix by 2030. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Aggressive state backing has made China a leader in solar panel manufacturing.
The Big Story

China's renewable energy surges after state backing

Reliance on coal remains huge but is set to decline

Iconsiam, which opened to the public on Nov. 10, is situated on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Company in focus

Bangkok's $1.6bn megamall: Masterstroke or white elephant?

Siam Piwat's Iconsiam joins crowded field facing e-commerce and tourism headwinds

Nissan has been frustrated that much of its profits have been absorbed by Renault in recent years.
Nissan's Ghosn crisis

Nissan and Renault risk power struggle after Ghosn exit

Triple alliance with Mitsubishi loses its bonding force

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives a health card to beneficiaries as he launches Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission at Prabhat Tara Ground in Ranchi, India, on Sept. 23.
Business trends

Modicare puts hospitals at risk, Indian companies warn

Health care providers say capping treatment is illogical

An Apple Store in Beijing takes in customers after this year's new iPhones went on sale. The headwinds against Apple's device are being felt across the supply chain.
Taiwan tech tracker

Taiwan's 10-year iPhone boom shows signs of ending

Big month of sales will not save Apple suppliers from peaking market and trade war

Chinese video-sharing app TikTok, or Douyin, feeds users a stream of 15-second amateur videos of dance or musical performances and more.
Companies

TikTok operator ByteDance passes Uber as No.1 unicorn

Chinese developer behind popular 15-second video app valued at $75bn

Singapore-based ride-hailing service Grab has hired a number of experienced engineers in the face of sharper regional competition.  
Sharing Economy

Grab to bulk up tech team to build competitive muscle

Ride-hailer pushes 'superapp' strategy with veterans from US and India

Singapore Airlines has seen its fortunes decline in recent years due to competition from budget airlines on regional routes.
Mahindra & Mahindra’s passenger vehicle sales volumes grew 9% amidst an industrywide slowdown in automotive sales.
Companies

Mahindra quarterly profit beats estimates on higher India SUV demand

One-time gains from sale of investment also boosted net income

Interior view of the headquarters of Tencent in Shenzhen, in China's Guangdong province.
Companies

Tencent reboots profits as growth picks up beyond games

Earnings beat market expectations, but stricter online ad regulations loom

Illustration by Kyoko Nemoto
Asia Insight

Taiwan caught in US-China diplomatic crossfire

The risk of a miscalculation triggering a confrontation is real

APEC leaders including, from left, China's Xi Jinping, Papua New Guinean host Peter O'Neill, Japan's Shinzo Abe and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence pose in Port Moresby on Nov. 18.
Trade war

US-China trade clash blocks APEC declaration

Forum ends without statement for first time in its history

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a news conference on Nov. 15 in Singapore. Putin raised questions about the details of a 1956 declaration to be used as a basis for peace treaty negotiations with Japan.
International relations

Putin casts shadow on Japan's hopes for island return

Abe to visit Russia in January, seeking to accelerate talks toward peace treaty

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, center, and Indonesia's President Joko Widodo, left, speak with China's Premier Li Keqiang at the RCEP summit in Singapore on Nov. 14. 
International relations

India sought to delay RCEP deal beyond general election

Indonesia accuses Japan of trying to 'force its interests' on members

The Philippine central bank says its monetary tightening is justified in light of rising consumer prices.
Economy

Looming US rate hike spurs Asian central banks to act pre-emptively

Indonesia and Philippines raise rates to stimulate economies

A man protests outside the State Palace in Ulaanbaatar on Wednesday @Byamba-Ochir Byambasuren
Politics

Mongolia shaken by widening loan scandal

Business owners protest over preferential benefits for officials

China Great Wall Asset Management is one of four companies that were established to buy nonperforming debt. (AP/Reuters)
Datawatch

China's bad debt disposal re-emerges -- in charts

Beijing prods asset management companies to buy more nonperforming loans

India's 2016 demonetization -- heavy government intervention in economic activity -- wrought much damage and brought no benefits.
Opinion

Slaying the demons of demonetization

India's ban on high-value bank notes backfired -- there are better ways to fight corruption

Public health insurance should be adjusted to pay out less for common drugs, to help fund costly new treatments.
Opinion

Cutting Japan's growing drugs bill without harming patients

Insurers should switch cash away from cheap everyday medicines to vital new treatments

A customer pays cash, in front of QR codes for Alipay and WeChat Pay, at a pork stall inside a market in Nantong, China.
Opinion

China's plan to end the anonymity of cash

'E-yuan' will enable deeper monitoring of payments and transactions

Leaders pose for a photo at the APEC summit in Port Moresby on Nov. 18.
The Nikkei View

APEC discord reflects a global cooperation system in crisis

US-China standoff makes it harder to deal with financial crises and terrorism

An encounter with local Komodo dragons is just a short boat trip away from the Indonesian island of Flores.
Life

Indonesia's Flores opens to the adventurous

Just east of Bali, the island remains largely unspoiled by tourism

A migrant worker from Myanmar cleans an earthen water-jar with a dragon motif at a factory in Ratchaburi. (Photo by Marwaan Macan-Markar)
Arts

Unique Thai pottery tradition under threat

Rustic style introduced by Chinese migrants endangered as skills die out

Buildings in a hutong alley in Beijing
Tea Leaves

Spirit of Old Beijing down but not out

Tourism mars many of the ancient hutongs, but a few survive almost untouched