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August 27th, 2020

THE END OF TOURISM

An engine of Asian growth stalls

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The Big Story

Travel bug: Why tourism in Asia will never be the same

Bali's empty resorts, Thai luxury quarantine and an industry in crisis

Some countries in Asia have banked on ever-rising tourism. Without it, a growth engine for the region is sputtering. (Nikkei photo illustration/Source photos by Lauren DeCicca and Reuters)
An aerial view of an FGV palm oil plantation. The company drew investment from thousands of the country's small farmers in its 2012 initial public offering.(Photo courtesy of FGV)
Business Spotlight

'F should mean food': Malaysia's FGV looks beyond palm oil

Plantation owner has struggled since stock market debut but CEO wants to diversify

Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma arrives for a meeting with Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha in Bangkok in April 2018. 
Finance

Fate of Jack Ma stake hangs over Ant Group's mega IPO plan

Alibaba founder confirms intent to slash half-ownership 'over time'

A tractor reinforces the banks of the Gantang River near the Qingshitan Reservoir in Lingchuan county, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on July 17, 2020.
Companies

China's flooding slams rare earth, fertilizer and other industries

Economy recovering from coronavirus lockdowns now threatened by deluge

A Nippon Paint van seen in Kelana Jaya, Malaysia: The Japanese company seeks to make further inroads in Asia and the rest of the world under Wuthelam. (Photo by John Ragai)
Business deals

Nippon Paint joins Singapore powerhouse to brush away rivals

Wuthelam's information network seen crucial to successful acquisitions

Asian youth face the prospect of a bleak future as the effects of lost opportunity and social isolation resulting from policies to limit the spread of the novel  coronavirus harken the emergence of a "lockdown generation."
Asia Insight

Lockdown generation: COVID-19 upends Asian students' plans

With university experience on hold, traditional path to success gets a rethink

Chinese soldiers take part in last year's International Army Games on Russia's Baltic Sea coast.
International relations

'War Olympics' bring China and Russia closer as US tensions mount

Drills give untested PLA troops 'valuable' lessons from conflicts like Syria

Amid the intensifying tech standoff between Beijing and Washington, Taiwan is moving away from China and forging closer ties with the U.S. (Source photos by Reuters)
Trade war

Taiwan unveils new rules to tighten Chinese investment screening

Taipei joining with US to prevent companies from circumventing regulations

A truck hauls coal out of Pakistan's Tharparkar region, the world's seventh largest coal deposit. 
International relations

China pivots to old ally Pakistan for coal after Australia spat

Thar field designed for domestic power but might increase Beijing's options

Thailand's young demonstrators use their cell phones to send a message at a rally on Sunday afternoon at Democracy Monument near the administrative heart of Thailand's capital. (Photo by Masayuki Yuda)
Opinion

Why Thai students are prepared to risk everything

After years of injustice, the real causes of repression must be tackled

The Subi Reef, a part of the Spratly Islands, pictured in May 2018: China has intensified its attempts to strengthen its claims to the South China Sea.
Opinion

Southeast Asia stands to gain as US hardens South China Sea stance

Region welcomes US support for UN tribunal ruling rejecting China's maritime claims

Then-Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Yasumasa Nagamine, left, and then-South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo sign the General Security of Military Information Agreement, an intelligence-sharing agreement between the two countries, in Seoul in November 2016. 
The Nikkei View

Extended intelligence pact serves interests of Japan and South Korea

Despite tensions, pooling data on threats is vital to regional security

Designed in 1970 by Matsushita Electric Industrial (as Panasonic was then known), the Toot-a-Loop radio doubled as a bracelet. (Courtesy of Panasonic)
Arts

How 'good design' became commonplace in Japan

Postwar transformation driven by consumer boom and technological innovation

The bestseller shelf at a major bookstore in Tokyo in August. (Photo by Edward M. Gómez)
Tea Leaves

As pandemic drags on, it's self-help time in Japan

Bookstores abound with advice on how to improve one's life, outlook and skills