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August 8th, 2019

School’s out

Chinese students become pawns in America’s trade war

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The Big Story

Chinese students and US universities become pawns in the trade war

America clamps down on visas while China urges students to stay away

Chinese students have helped to transform U.S. universities into a $39 billion export industry. Now, both Washington and Beijing are threatening to use them as bargaining chips in their escalating trade war. (Avalon/Jiji)
Collaboration has long been the norm in scientific research, but U.S. espionage fears are beginning to lay down borders in global academia. 
The Big Story

US spying fears spread to academia as tech rivalry with China sharpens

Scientists warn of racial profiling and threats to academic freedom

Thai online fast-fashion retailer Pomelo has immediate plans for 150 pickup points in Bangkok and another 100 in Singapore. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Startups in Asia

Fast-fashion newcomer Pomelo picks up speed in Southeast Asia

Online retailer builds real-world presence to become the 'next Zara'

Offshore gaming is one of the Philippines' fastest growing sectors, employing around 350,000 people. (Photo by Cliff Venzon)
Media & Entertainment

Duterte hits the jackpot as China fuels online gambling boom

Sunrise industry expected to rake in over $8bn in revenue this year

The Switch Lite will launch in September for $200, about 30% cheaper than the original Switch.
Media & Entertainment

Nintendo hopes to dazzle gamers in China and US with Switch Lite

Game giant faces intense competition as Apple and Google enter the market

"Gunpla," as fans of Gundam plastic models call them, are growing in popularity overseas.
Companies

Bandai Namco to expand production of 'Gundam' plastic models

Growing popularity in Asia prompts Japanese company to boost capacity by 40%

Supermarkets, department stores, and now convenience stores: China's online shopping giant Alibaba is expanding its offline retail portfolio. (Top photo by Naoki Matsuda, bottom by Reuters) 
Companies

Alibaba eyes customer data with new convenience stores in China

Online retail group aims to gather new info through brick-and-mortar stores

India has the third-largest network of ATMs, but growth has "slowed considerably."
Business trends

Cashless payment booms in China and India spell end of the ATM

Growth of fintech pressures banks to revise their business models or perish

Hackers who breached Seven-Eleven's mobile payment accounts are suspected of using lists of usernames and passwords leaked from a website or illegally obtained on the internet.
Technology

Seven-Eleven Japan pay app was easy mark for hackers

7pay opted for convenience over security -- and paid dearly

Stream article image
Finance

DBS remains confident despite slowing economy, competition

Investment in technology to help as digital banks enter

Indian Oil's net income for the three months through June came to a better-than-expected 36 billion rupees.
TSMC will increase hiring as it seeks an edge in the race to develop chips to power AI and 5G networks. (Photo courtesy of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.)
Companies

TSMC to add 3,000 engineers in next-gen chip war with Samsung

Taiwanese chipmaker hurries to offer products tailored for AI and 5G networks

Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are both keen to bring the Olympics to their countries. (© Nikkei montage/Source photos by Getty Images)
Asia Insight

Indonesia and India seek Olympic glory with rival bids

Both see 2032 Games as a chance to step out as global powers

Brian Eyler, who has written a book about the Mekong, says 103 dams have been built and 65 more are under construction along the river, threatening its flow during droughts.
Economy

Dams threaten way of life in Mekong countries

Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia blame China and Laos for drought conditions

Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu, right, was recently nominated as the opposition Kuomintang's candidate in next year's presidential election. He will face off against President Tsai Ing-wen.
Comment

'Top Gun' sequel puts shifting US-China-Taiwan ties in spotlight

Taipei's flag vanishes from Tom Cruise's jacket, highlighting new power dynamic

The Port of Bangkok: Any drop in Chinese electronics exports will hit Thai suppliers of circuit boards and other components, a trade official said.
Trade war

New Trump tariff hits Asian exporters dependent on US consumers

Thai electronics industry faces drop in trade, but food and textiles to benefit

Japanese trade point man Toshimitsu Motegi with U.S. counterpart Robert Lighthizer at a June meeting in Washington. Motegi says his meetings with Lighthizer have made good progress.
Trade war

'Mountaintop' now visible in US-Japan trade talks: Tokyo envoy

Top negotiators plan another meeting by end of August

Indian paramilitary soldiers stand guard in Jammu, India on Aug. 5. An indefinite security lockdown was in place in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir on Monday.
Politics

India to strip Kashmir of autonomy as unrest deepens

Move follows heavy troop buildup and house arrest of local politicians

Myanmar's military, known as the Tatmadaw, has an array of business interests, from construction and pharmaceuticals to tourism and banking.
International relations

UN team recommends sanctions on Myanmar military businesses

Foreign companies urged to 'sever ties' to avoid enabling Rohingya abuses

Uttama Savanayana, Thailand's new minister of finance, speaks to the Nikkei Asian Review in Tokyo on July 31. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Interview

Thailand eyes new stimulus to ease trade war shock

Finance minister vows structural reform and has 'open mind' on Facebook's Libra

Mainlanders, opposing the protests, do not understand that the freedoms Hong Kongers are fighting for are ones they have already lost.
Opinion

Mainland Chinese lack sympathy for Hong Kong protesters

Emerging from its shadow, mainlanders feel city has become selfish and unruly

Modi should make full transparency a top priority.
Opinion

India's GDP growth figures are hard to trust

Narendra Modi needs to ensure the country's statistics are accurate

If the U.S. blacklisted Chinese companies, billions of dollars of stocks would have to be dumped.
Opinion

Wall Street will be the next US-China battleground

Squeezing of capital connections could bring elite pressure to bear on Xi

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, left, meets her Japanese counterpart Taro Kono in Bangkok on Aug. 1.
The Nikkei View

Japan and South Korea must prevent trade feud from spreading

North Korea's missile tests highlight importance of Tokyo-Seoul partnership

Wallace (last name withheld) wrote a note supporting Hong Kongers and criticizing the police for their lack of response during triad attacks: “I’ve lived in Hong Kong for 51 years,” he said. “I’ve never heard of police stations shutting their gates!”
Hong Kong protests

Hong Kong's Lennon Walls offer bright, defiant protests

Citizens write messages of resistance on Post-it notes against Beijing's tightening grip

A depiction of anti-Chinese violence in 19th-century America 
Tea Leaves

In New York's Chinatown, don't mention politics

Manhattan museum shows how Trump rhetoric echoes 'yellow peril' era