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June 13th, 2019

Seed capital

What the rise of ethical investing means for Asia

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The Big Story

After fending off eco-warriors, Asia Inc finds 'ESG' investors hard to ignore

Japanese banks curb lending to coal plants after pressure from powerful investment funds

A cleaner path to profit: Asia's investors, once keen only to tap the region's breakneck growth, have grown more selective with environmental and human rights risks on the rise.
A prolonged dry season along the Jatigede Reservoir, Indonesia. Central banks and financial regulators have begun to assess how climate change can damage asset value and pose a risk to the financial system.
The Big Story

Is the climate too big to fail? Central bankers say yes

Regulators see global warming as financial and economic risk

© Illustration by Michael Tsang 
Startups in Asia

Fintech unicorn rewrites forex rules to snag big bank profits

Australian startup taps machine learning for cross-border payment

A child looks at chips designed for 5G base stations by Huawei on display at the China International Big Data Industry Expo 2019 in Guiyang, in a photo released by Xinhua News Agency.
Huawei crackdown

Huawei cuts orders to key suppliers after US blacklisting

Supply chain strain tests Chinese group's preparations for trade war

Nissan Motor has long resisted Renault's overtures to merge the two automakers.
Business deals

Doomed merger deepens Renault's rift with Nissan

Prospect of partners combining dampens after Paris' interference in Fiat talks

Analysts say competition may be inevitable as the startup pushes into fields where Airbnb and Ctrip already have strong footprints.
Companies

Travel giants Airbnb and Ctrip tap Oyo's emerging-market reach

Room for cooperation now but overlapping ambitions mean competition likely in long run

Wipro Chairman Azim Premji, who built the company up into India's fourth-largest software exporter, announced his retirement on June 6. He is pictured here at the World Economic Forum.
Companies

'India's Bill Gates' to retire from IT group Wipro

Azim Premji, who started out selling cooking oil, will focus on philanthropy

AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes is banking on a successful IPO in the Philippines after failing in Vietnam.
Companies

AirAsia looks to snap losing streak with IPO of Philippine unit

Local tycoon now affiliate's single largest shareholder with 45% stake

JD.com is opening thousands of small shops, each with about 100 sq. meters of floor space,like this one in Dalian in the northeastern province of Liaoning. (Photo taken by Shin Watanabe)
Companies

JD.com turns to 5,000 franchisees to drive growth

China's No. 2 e-tailer takes long odds with big bet on traditional retail

© Illustration by Michael Tsang
Asia Insight

Japan inches toward easing foreign workers' culture shock

Newcomers still face labor, lifestyle and language stumbling blocks

Soybean products in a Chinese supermarket. With the African Swine Fever rapidly spreading throughout China, the country's demand for soybeans has tremendously decreased. 
Trade war

US soybean farmers look for Asian alternatives to China

As trade war and swine fever hit demand, sellers seek to cultivate Myanmar and other emerging markets

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, seen casting his vote in the March general election, now leads what could be called a "pseudo-civilian" government.
Comment

Prayuth's return as prime minister takes Thailand back to 1980s

Military still holds sway in a democracy that has yet to mature

Demonstrators seen occupying the roads outside the legislative council building in Hong Kong on June 10. Legislative council members are set to vote on the extradition bill on June 12. 
Hong Kong protests

Hong Kong's financial hub status rattled by extradition bill

US says measures risk jeopardizing territory's special status

South Korea's exports dropped 9.4% from a year earlier in May, according to official trade statistics.
Nikkei PMI

Manufacturers' sentiment split in East Asia and ASEAN in May PMI

Japan and South Korea brace for further slump as US-China trade war escalates

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaks to the Nikkei Asian Review on May 30, in Tokyo. (Photo by Manami Yamada)
The Future of Asia 2019

Malaysia will use Huawei tech 'as much as possible,' says Mahathir

Prime minister warns US of the rise of technology prowess in the East

Philippine President  Rodrigo Duterte goes off script in his speech at Nikkei's Future of Asia conference in Tokyo on May 31. (Photo by Yuki Nakao)
The Future of Asia 2019

Duterte presses Xi to fast-track South China Sea rules

Philippine leader vents frustration over 'flashpoint' during speech in Tokyo

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen expresses concern about the U.S.-China trade conflict at the Future of Asia conference in Tokyo on May 30. (Photo by Yuki Nakao)
The Future of Asia 2019

Cambodia's Hun Sen quashes fears of Chinese 'debt trap'

PM calls on fellow leaders to adopt 'common stance' against protectionism

Stream article image
The Future of Asia 2019

WTO needs 'new breeze' to referee trade and data flows: Abe

Japanese leader eager to set rules for digital economy at G-20 summit

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina speaks at the Future of Asia conference on May 30. (Photo by Yuki Nakao)
The Future of Asia 2019

Bangladesh grows beyond garments to technology, PM Hasina says

Digital technology is 'reducing inequality' and 'creating opportunities'

Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Heng Swee Keat, speaks to the Nikkei Asian Review in Tokyo on May 30. (Photo by Kotaro Igarashi)
The Future of Asia 2019

Singapore needs action to meet diverse aspirations, says deputy PM

Heng Swee Keat says the government has to focus on demographic change

Laotian Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith talks to the Nikkei Asian Review in Tokyo. (Photo by Manami Yamada)    
The Future of Asia 2019

Laos can 'manage' debt to China, PM insists

Thongloun pushes back against warnings over infrastructure burden

China's former Commerce Minister Chen Deming discusses the trade war at the Future of Asia conference in Tokyo on May 31.
The Future of Asia 2019

Pressure on Huawei hurts US, China's ex-commerce chief says

Chen says trade war harms both sides but for Beijing it is 'manageable'

Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull defends his decision to block Huawei at the Future of Asia conference in Tokyo on May 31. (Photo by Yuki Nakao)
The Future of Asia 2019

'Enormous capability' of 5G justifies Huawei caution, Turnbull says

Australia's former PM warns 'intent can change in a heartbeat'

Indonesia's industry minister Airlangga told Nikkei's Future of Asia on May 30 that the country was discussing the creation of a "ASEAN 4.0" with Thailand and Singapore. (Photo by Yuki Nakao)
The Future of Asia 2019

Indonesia plans new measures to lure overseas investment

Minister of Industry says country aims to become ASEAN's manufacturing hub

Vietnam Foreign Minister Phạm says the openness of the country's economy makes it exposed to global trends. (Photo by Karina Nooka)
The Future of Asia 2019

Vietnam will not escape impact of trade war, foreign minister warns

Pham acknowledges short-term gains, but says long-term conflict will take a toll

Minister at The Prime Minister's Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II in Brunei Darusslam, Amin Liew Abdullah speaks during 25 th international conference on The Future of Asia on May 30, in Tokyo. (Photo by Yuki Nakao)
The Future of Asia 2019

Two big trade pacts offer antidote to tension, Brunei minister says

Amin says CPTPP and RCEP are complementary and meet needs of modern business

Gombojav Zandanshatar, chairman of the State Great Hural of Mongolia, speaks to the Nikkei Asian Review in Tokyo on May 30. (Photo by Manami Yamada)
The Future of Asia 2019

Mongolia braces for delay of state coal giant's IPO

Parliament chief says elections could interrupt move to list company this year

Trump presents the President's Cup to wrestler Asanoyama: there would be no limits to how far Japan's leader will go to stroke Trump's vanity. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Opinion

Trump, sumo and the limits of strategic flattery

Abe buys time with adulation of US president but fails to win support for Japan's real interests

What might China look like had the enlightenment movement of the 1980s not been cut short?
Opinion

Tiananmen and the end of Chinese enlightenment

Thirty years on, Beijing's leaders will struggle to suppress liberal ideas if economy runs into trouble

Narendra Modi, left, and Xi Jinping talk at a garden in Wuhan on Apr. 28, 2018: Modi has invited Xi to India on Oct. 11 for another "informal" summit.
Opinion

Election triumph will boost Modi's international clout

Indian prime minister can apply vote-winning soft nationalism to foreign policy challenges

The lack of common digital tax rules could disrupt the business of tech titans such as Apple.
The Nikkei View

G-20 must rise to the challenge of tax rules for the digital age

Inaction on shared standards threatens confusion for multinationals

Kate Thomson and Hironori Katagiri admire Thomson’s marble Aphrodite in Akasaka, Tokyo. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Arts

Sculptors carve out space for their art in Japan

A tour of Tokyo highlights how big public works have -- finally -- become a vital part of the urban landscape

Korakrit Arunanondchai clutches a cuddly toy rabbit, a motif in his latest work. (Courtesy of Bangkok CityCity Gallery)
Arts

Dragons and denim -- Thai artist explores myth through metaphor

Korakrit Arunanondchai's contribution to the Venice Biennale touches the spirit

A Kabuki theater curtain from the late 19th century made by Kyosai Kawanabe in an apparent four-hour, sake-fueled frenzy is displayed at the British Museum's manga exhibition.
Tea Leaves

Manga amongst the Marbles gives cause to reflect

London exhibition marks more than a glorious triumph of 'trash' culture