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May 30th, 2019

Road to riches

Southeast Asia gains new leverage as China and the US battle for influence

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The Big Story

Southeast Asia gains new leverage as China and US battle for influence

Funding pours in as US allies seek to counter Belt and Road

The China-led Lower Sesan 2 Dam in Cambodia, pictured here under construction in 2016. After four years of work, the controversial hydropower project officially entered operation in 2018.
Dalian Naval Academy cadets march on the 70th anniversary of the PLA Navy in China's northeast province of Liaoning, on Apr. 23.
The Big Story

A Chinese military base in Southeast Asia? Some say it's inevitable

Beyond infrastructure wars, firepower still a measure of regional dominance

Philippine conglomerate Ayala hopes its ventures with China will help it gain access to cutting-edge technology for its complex empire, which spans property and utilities to health care. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
Company in focus

Duterte's China pivot transforms Philippines' oldest conglomerate

Ayala connects with rising tech superpower for digital offensive

The three companies have had a strained alliance since the arrest last year of Carlos Ghosn, former chairman of the three companies. (Nikkei Montage/AP)
Business deals

Fiat Chrysler chief: Renault merger 'embraces' Nissan and Mitsubishi

Elkann says tie-up has potential to build four-way global partnership

Hong-Kong based Prenetics generates reports showing information on people's constitutional makeup, such as tolerance of and reaction to alcohol and caffeine. (Photo courtesy of Prenetics)
Startups

Gene analysis services expand in health-conscious Asia

Hong Kong-based startup Prenetics enters mainland China market

A shopper picks up a can of beer at a shop in Hanoi. Japan’s Showa Denko will invest about $64 million to boost its aluminum beverage can and can lid production capacity in Vietnam.
Business trends

Japanese food and drink container makers bet on Southeast Asia

Showa Denko and others set up new production and sales footholds

Japanese beverage makers hope to turn indigenous wines into a major export.
Business trends

Winemakers double vineyards as 'Japanese wine' takes root

Aging farmers push beverage giants to take matters into their own hands

Having a voice in setting new standards is important for tech companies looking to compete globally. (Photo by Rie Ishii)
Huawei crackdown

Huawei hits back at exclusion by global standards bodies

Chinese tech giant says 'majority' of global cooperation unaffected

Muslim students offer prayers during Ramadan in Indonesia. Smartphone notifications that alert people to break their fast have become popular in the country, which has the world's largest Muslim population.
Startups

Asian Muslim tech startups hope to lure Islam's 1.8bn followers

Investors see the potential as internet majors like Google enter market

Social media and entertainment group Tencent says China's video streaming market is maturing, with ad revenue growth set to decline.
Companies

Tencent warns of slower growth in Chinese video ad sales

As streaming market matures, internet group touts pivot to industrial services

The drugmaker is looking to tighten costs as competition intensifies. (Reuters/AP)
Companies

Cipla posts better-than-expected quarterly profit on US market gains

New drug launches in US boost revenue growth for Indian maker

Revenue of Tata motors for the quarter ended March dipped 3.9% to 856.76 billion rupees from the same quarter a year ago.(Photo by Akira Hayakawa)
Companies

Tata Motors reports deep annual loss owing to China slump

Indian automaker denies plans to sell Jaguar Land Rover amid improvement

© Nikkei illustration
Asia Insight

Japan real estate recovery defies demographic decline

Prices rise in big cities and beyond, but aging and old habits pose risks

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not said where he will get the money to modernize the country's infrastructure. (Nikkei montage/Reuters)
India elections

Modi places $1.4tn infrastructure bet on his second term

Skeptics doubt gamble to create world's third-largest economy will pay off

A pig farm in northern China's Hebei Province: Global pork prices have jumped by up to 40% as China struggles to stamp out African swine fever.
Economy

Swine fever and trade war wreak havoc on China's pork supply

Europe sees demand rise as Chinese buyers cancel order for 3,000 tons of US meat

Pakistan is one of the world’s worst performers when it comes to income tax collection. Less than 1% of its population of more than 210 million pays an income tax.
Economy

Pakistan’s tax amnesty leaves doubt as wealthy keep evasive methods

Low-income workers discover bank accounts opened in their names by the rich

Financiers say the ASX has made it virtually impossible for new Chinese companies to list.
Markets

Australia shows Chinese stocks the door

Pre-emptive enforcement drive purges one third of listings

Former Gen. Prabowo Subianto greets army chiefs during a celebration April 24. Subianto lost last month's presidential election.
Indonesia election

Indonesia election 'fraudulent' says Prabowo in court appeal

Defeated presidential candidate contests results in last-minute filing

The USS John S. McCain conducts a patrol in the South China Sea: For the U.S. Freedom of Navigation operations is the only reasonable policy.
Opinion

Collision course in the South China Sea

US and China must act fast to reduce risks of accidental military clashes

A security robot with Huawei 5G technology: Despite many denials, Huawei has failed to clear the air on security concerns.
Opinion

Huawei's Asian partners right to defy Trump -- for now

Developing states will resist U.S. pressure but China cannot take them for granted

What began with a Sino-Thai free trade agreement led to a succession of joint military drills.
Opinion

West must act firmly to stem rise of 'China model' in Thailand

Election result is a continuation of authoritarianism, not a return to democracy

U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe field questions from reporters at a joint press conference in Tokyo on May 27. (Photo by Masayuki Terazawa)
The Nikkei View

Managed trade is bad for both the US and Japan

The two sides should forge a deal based on TPP standards

The final hole on Ojikajima Island's rare, five-hole course (Photo by Andrew Thomson)
Life

Empty golf links highlight charm and despair of remote rural Japan

Missing putts, missing people and splendid scenery are par for the course

The Woods in Hong Kong specializes in evocative, unique cocktails, like this artistic blend of gin, egg whites, lime curd and lemon cordial. (Courtesy of The Woods)
Life

Singapore shakes and stirs Asia's cocktail craze

Island city tops 'Best 50 Bars' list, along with Hong Kong, Bangkok

Yogendra Puranik, right, speaks with a supporter. (Courtesy of Yogendra Puranik)
Tea Leaves

Foreign-born candidate shows Tokyo, all politics are local

Mumbai native's integration agenda draws support in Tokyo local election