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September 24th, 2020

CARETAKER OR CHANGE-MAKER?

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's ambition is a riddle for Japan

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The Big Story

Caretaker or changemaker? Riddle of Japan's ambitious new leader

How feared backroom operator Yoshihide Suga intends to seize his moment

Many lawmakers, particularly those in Japan's ruling coalition, are anticipating an early election. (Photo by Hirofumi Yamamoto)
Asian steel-makers outside of China are being forced to restructure due to what is happening inside China.
Business Spotlight

Coronavirus crisis realigns Asia's steel industry stars

China enhances its dominance as rivals elsewhere respond to falling demand

President Donald Trump listens to a reporter's question on the South Lawn of the White House on Sept. 19, 2020 before departing for a campaign rally in North Carolina.
US-China tensions

Trump allows Oracle and Walmart deal with TikTok

US companies set to own 20% of new entity as plan awaits Beijing approval

Downloads of the WeChat and TikTok apps soared ahead of U.S. bans slated to take effect Sept. 20. (Photo by Yifan Yu)
US-China tensions

US judge blocks Trump WeChat ban

Evidence that the messaging app poses a national security risk is 'modest,' court says

Making it across the line: entries for the ranking must be submitted by November 30 2020 
Announcements

Call for entries: High-Growth Companies Asia-Pacific 2021

Apply for a place in Nikkei Asia/FT ranking, compiled with Statista, by January 31, 2021

Determined to snuff out such dissent, Cambodian authorities have targeted small demonstrations by youth activists, environmental campaigners and family members of imprisoned opposition politicians.
Asia Insight

Hun Sen cracks down on Cambodia's slow boiling pot of dissent

Authorities step up campaign of repression as economy reels from COVID fallout

Student leader Panusaya Sithijirawattankul handed a letter on Sunday morning to a senior police officer at the Privy Council Chambers. It included demands for the ouster of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's military-backd government, constitutional amendments and reform of the monarchy.  
Turbulent Thailand

Thailand protesters claim victory with letter to the king's council

Leader calls for national strike on Oct. 14 before protesters disperse peacefully

Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal insists his state will remain in Malaysia during an interview with the Nikkei Asian Review. (Photo courtesy of the Sabah Chief Minister's Office)
Interview

Sabah chief looks to ASEAN to quash Philippine territorial claim

Shafie Apdal urges Malaysian government to resolve dispute 'once and for all'

A nurse prepares Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 in a post-registration trial in Moscow on Sept. 17.
Coronavirus

China and Russia adopt 'one team' mindset on COVID vaccines vs US

Neighbors deepen cooperation as Washington vows to 'distrust but verify'

Suga unveils the new era name in April 2019, which earned him the nickname "Uncle Reiwa": his career shows a preference for offering concrete policy solutions to day-to-day problems.
Opinion

Suga is fit to lead, but are voters ready to like him?

Japan's next prime minister is a deeply pragmatic, self-made man

A Chinese Coast Guard vessel passes over a Veitnamese ship in the South China Sea in May 2014: Indo-Pacific nations appear increasingly perturbed by China's behavior.
Opinion

US Indo-Pacific strategy is working, mainly thanks to China

Beijing's rising assertiveness has left it increasingly isolated

Yoshihide Suga, then serving as Japan's cabinet secretary, meets with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence in Washington in May 2019.
The Nikkei View

Suga diplomacy needs a vision, with Japan-US alliance at core

Promoting Indo-Pacific strategy and TPP will best advance national interest

Nomad's land: High-altitude living in China's Tibetan Sichuan. (Courtesy of Shivaji Das/Konark Publishers)
Arts

Seeking magic in China's 'other' Shangri-La

Travel writer Shivaji Das provides rare glimpse of Sichuan's remote Tibetan frontier

From Left: U.S. President Donald Trump, new Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Trump rival Joe Biden are all over 70. Chinese President Xi Jinping, meanwhile, is a mere 67. (Source Reuters and Nikkei)
Tea Leaves

In US politics, the old rules get older

Could Asia lead the world into a more youthful new age?