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September 26th, 2019

Hard water

No end in sight as Hong Kong’s protesters dig in

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The Big Story

Running out of options, Hong Kong protesters dig in

Police crackdowns have failed, and protesters have no trust in dialogue with an intransigent administration

Aggressive policing, an unmoved government and plummeting trust levels have opened up an unbridgeable gap between Hong Kong's authorities and its people. (Source images by Nicola Longobardi)
Riot police disperse protesters in Hong Kong's Yuen Long district on Sept. 21. 
A chef drops a spoonful of Ajinomoto's namesake flavor enhancer into a pan in Bangkok. For decades, MSG has been dogged by suspicions that it is harmful to health. (Photo by Rie Ishii)
Company in focus

Ajinomoto takes on Nestle -- and MSG's unsavory reputation

Japan foodmaker drums up social media buzz to crack global top 10

A Shouqi Limousine & Chauffeur driver and car. The startup has received funding from private investors, including internet giant Baidu and electric vehicle start-up Nio. (Photo by Shunsuke Tabeta)
Startups

Chinese state-owned startup challenges Didi's ride-hailing dominance

State contacts, high-end service and regulatory compliance drives Shouyue's profitability

Google and Baidu dominate the global market for online search, but upstart companies and new technologies are sharpening competition and giving users more choices.
China tech

Baidu and Google dominance in search rattled by new players

Turned-off by targeted results, Asian users turn to ByteDance and DuckDuckGo

Workers at a Toyota plant in Thailand assemble pickup trucks.
Automobiles

Thailand production slump threatens Japanese automakers

Output declines for 4 straight months through August as regional market sputters

A Samsung Electronics plant in Bac Ninh Province, northern Vietnam
Interview

Vietnam's CMC strives for IoT with Samsung's commitment

CEO of Ho Chi Minh City-listed IT company ambitious to go global within five years

WeWork operator We Company postponed its initial public offering after slashing its market value.
Startups

WeWork shock has investors wary of Southeast Asia startup bubble

Nosebleed valuations and huge cash burns taint image of high-flying unicorns

As part of a five-year deal, TCS would take over some of the assets of GM's technical center in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru.
Companies

India's Tata Consultancy wins GM outsourcing deal

Global economic slowdown could turn the tide against software exporters

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Nikkei Markets

SingPost's US units seek bankruptcy protection as sale bid fails

Postal operator has already written down entire value of US investments

The Prince Court Medical Center is located in Kuala Lumpur's Golden Triangle business district. 
Business deals

IHH buys luxury Kuala Lumpur hospital for $244m

Deal with wealth fund Kazanah seen boosting medical tourism business

Asian arms importers are leveraging their contracts to soak up technology and build up their own defense industries. (© Nikkei photo illustration)
Asia Insight

India-Russia pact marks turning point in Asian arms race

South and Southeast Asia use buying power to win tech transfers

A U.S. customs officer inspects a package at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. The Trump administration accuses China of not doing enough to stop the smuggling of fentanyl into the U.S.
Trade war

Fentanyl trafficking plus a trade row makes for vicious cocktail

Trump accuses China of fueling US opioid epidemic, clouding prospects for a deal

The Nepalese government hopes to export surplus hydroelectricity to India to bring in badly needed foreign exchange, but some projects have been canceled or scaled back.
International relations

Nepal power export plans in doubt as India reviews options

$500m hydropower project cut sharply due to a dimming profit outlook

 The Jakarta offices of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Indonesia's anti-graft agency.
Politics

Indonesia law change sparks fears Jokowi is going soft on corruption

Activists say the revision will weaken the powers of nation's anti-graft body

A woman covers her face with a scarf in front of the Malaysian prime minister's office, which is shrouded in haze, in Putrajaya on Sept. 17.
Environment

Haze-plagued Malaysia to press companies over Indonesia fires

Mahathir weighs new law and looks to shame culprits with satellite pictures

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Datawatch

Investors edge away from risky leveraged loans in echo of 2008

As economy cools, securitized debt loses its sheen

China is pumping money into the economy to prop up growth.
Economy

China joins India and Indonesia in Asian 'pump priming'

Asian economies step on the gas amid slowing growth and trade disputes

A jobseeker checks out positions at a job fair in Seoul last year.
Economy

South Korea pledges help for small firms as population slide looms

Many SMEs say they cannot attract workers as talent goes to chaebols

People pay their respects on the 43rd anniversary of Mao Zedong's death on Sept. 9. The hallmarks of Maoism have been resurrected.
Opinion

People's Republic of China's 70th anniversary demands honest reflection

Xi Jinping must face up to Maoism's failures and avoid repeating them

In an open sector like pharmaceuticals, Chinese SOEs like Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding have to survive in an intensely competitive market.
Opinion

Chinese SOEs are focused on business, not politics

Veteran director of government-owned companies says they aren't so different

While Trump sends tweets on his Asian-assembled smartphone, his introduction of new tariffs means the products that were assembled across global supply chains are going to cost more.
Opinion

Trump's tariffs revive damaging prewar world of trade barriers

Contagion through Asian nations would hurt global economy

A Russian tank fires during a military exercise near Novosibirsk, Russia, on Sept. 19.
The Nikkei View

China and Russia's military tie-up deserves closer scrutiny

Joint military exercises indicate alarming shift in alignment

Paing Soe San, 24, models a Burmese traditional male longyi. He says he is proud to identify as a trans man. (Courtesy of VK Photography Burma)
Life

Myanmar's 'tomboys' stride out of the shadows

In a once-closed society, pioneers embrace their gender identities

Jia Pingwa is a popular and critically acclaimed Chinese author, but are his days of literary freedom numbered? (Courtesy of Nicky Harman)
Tea Leaves

Censorship and apathy strip China's branches bare

Jia Pingwa's 'Broken Wings' delivers a harsh take on rural realities