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August 22nd, 2019

Playing chicken with pork

Latest tariff hikes put US and China on a collision course

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The Big Story

A beef over pork: How farm goods give Beijing an edge in the trade war

China's abrupt ban on US agriculture hits Trump's voting heartland

A jump in pork prices is revealing China's unexpected economic resilience -- and the exposed underbelly of American farming. (Illustration by Eric Chow)
The headquarters of the People's Bank of China in Beijing: On Aug. 5, the central bank allowed the currency to weaken below the 7-yuan-to-the-dollar threshold maintained for more than a decade.
The Big Story

Trump finally labels China a currency manipulator

A currency war between the US and China would compound Asia’s growth problems

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoyed a landslide electoral victory in May, but building economic gloom is already casting a shadow over his government's second term. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura)
The Big Story

Modi seeks reforms to India's stuttering economy

Landslide victory gives reelected prime minister a second chance at 'Modinomics'

Modalku focuses on financing for smaller businesses, like Sri Cahyaningsih's pet food shop in Jakarta. She had struggled to secure loans until she found the startup online. (Photo by Dimas Ardian)
Startups in Asia

Indonesian P2P lender hatched at Harvard rises in booming market

Modalku and regulators learn from China as loans swell past $3bn

SenseTime's advanced image recognition technology appeals to businesses and Beijing alike.
Startups in Asia

Face recognition trailblazer SenseTime rushes to be next Google

China's most valuable AI startup risks backlash amid tech cold war

A consumer points to the Google Play app logo on a Huawei smartphone. Staying on the Commerce Department's Entity List could make it difficult for Huawei phones to receive software updates from Google. 
Huawei crackdown

Huawei's Android uncertainty lingers despite 90-day reprieve

Washington keeps company on blacklist, urging consumers to 'transition away'

RedDoorz holds its independent hotel owners to common standards such as clean linens for guests, and offers them economies of scale in return. (Photo by Rie Ishii)
Business deals

Singapore's RedDoorz hotel chain raises $70m as Rakuten jumps in

Japanese e-commerce group opens new front in its battle with SoftBank

A logo of Foxconn is seen at its headquarters in Taiwan. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Companies

Foxconn profit falls for 3rd straight quarter as trade war lifts costs

Production diversification squeezes iPhone supplier's earnings

Stream article image
Machinery & Industrial Equipment

Sembcorp keeps faith with marine arm despite turbulence

Latest casualty in Singapore's offshore industry could hurt Keppel Corp

On Friday, Sun shares closed down 1.6% in Mumbai trading, while the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex added 0.9%
Companies

Sun Pharmaceutical first-quarter profit jumps on US order

Net profit beats estimates, while revenue climbs 16%

Illustration by Eric Chow
Asia Insight

China seeks to flip nations in Pacific Great Game with US

Taiwan ties and geography give small islands big significance

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has delayed the consumption tax hike to 10% twice, but now he appears determined to follow through. (© Nikkei montage)
Asia Insight

Japan's sales tax: Looming increase sparks recession fears

Businesses seek workarounds as Abe vows to avoid another downturn

Desalination plants, such as this one in Singapore's western Tuas district, are part of the city-state's effort to raise its self-sufficiency in water.(Photo by Mayuko Tani)
Economy

Singapore pours $7.2bn into underground sewer superhighway

City-state aims to reduce dependence on neighboring Malaysia

Indonesia President Joko Widodo delivers a speech in parliament in Jakarta on Friday.
Politics

Jokowi formally proposes moving Indonesia's capital to Borneo

Government says move from Jakarta to Kalimantan may take just five years

Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi has traveled to all parts of the country since January to shore up political support.
Politics

Myanmar's Suu Kyi furious about corruption ahead of elections

Ruling NLD struggles in rural regions with little to show in reforms

Narendra Modi visits Sri Lanka in June 2019: if connectivity initiatives have to succeed, "we must also build bridges of trust," said Modi.
Opinion

India responds to Belt and Road Initiative with infrastructure push

New Delhi does not want China to dominate its backyard so has started spending

In China, news is propaganda and must serve the Communist Party's needs above all.
Opinion

Silencing bad news won't help China's economy

Market forces can support productive growth only with accurate information

Chinese armed police forces are reportedly conducting anti-riot drills in Shenzhen, near the Hong Kong border.
The Nikkei View

China must refrain from armed crackdown in Hong Kong

Harm to territory's freedoms would rebound against mainland's economy

The iconic Tiger’s Nest Monastery in the Paro Valley is Bhutan’s most famous tourist site. Founded in the eighth century, the Buddhist temple clings to a cliff 900 meters above the valley floor. (Photo by Phuntsho Wangdi)
Life

Bhutan's neighbors 'undermining' elite tourism strategy

Regional tourists are spoiling the fun for global big spenders, operators say

Kendra "Ardneks" Ahimsa launches his Artist Attire series at The Stories creative space in Osaka, surrounded by his art.
Arts

Indonesian artist turns psychedelia revival into business empire

From bands to business districts, the world wants Kendra Ahimsa's trippy designs

A boy kicks a soccer ball on a beach in Colombo.
Tea Leaves

A sporting chance for peace

After Easter bombings, Sri Lanka looks to soccer for a return to normality