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December 24th, 2020

THE HYDROGEN FUTURE

Japan bet big and early on a revolutionary fuel. Will it pay off?

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Coronavirus

WHO and China gear up for coronavirus probe: Five things to know

Team expected to hunt for COVID origins in Wuhan under pressure for answers

A worker disinfects a hospital once designated for coronavirus patients in Wuhan, China, in this file photo from March 2020.
A giant screen broadcasts a news of Xi Jinping's speech at a virtual G-20 summit on Nov. 22: to imagine that China will rule the world is at best wishful thinking.
Opinion

Does China really want to rule the world?

The truth is that no power has ever achieved global supremacy

Vials of AstraZeneca's Covishield inside a lab at Serum Institute of India in Pune, pictured on Nov. 30: the COVID-19 vaccine is of particular value in developing nations.
Opinion

Indian-made COVID vaccines will save the world

China and US no match when it comes to manufacturing capacity and safety

Jiang Fan, president of Alibaba's Taobao and Tmall platforms, speaks at an event marking Alibaba's Singles Day global shopping festival in Hangzhou, China, on Nov. 12.
Japan boasts the largest network of hydrogen filling stations in the world -- a symbol of the government's faith in the future of hydrogen, and its efforts to win the race to commercialize it.
The Big Story

Be water: Japan's big, lonely bet on hydrogen

The revolutionary fuel is costly -- and key to slowing climate change. Will it pay off?

Many investors have flocked to buy Daiichi Sankyo shares following the successful launch of its Enhertu cancer treatment that mainly targets breast cancer and is widely expected to become a global blockbuster. (Nikkei montage)
Business Spotlight

Daiichi Sankyo: Drugmaker roars back to health with cancer success

After Ranbaxy debacle, Japanese company charts new path with focus on R&D

Samsung seeks to win chip manufacturing orders from big U.S. tech companies. (Photo courtesy of Samsung)
Technology

Samsung expands Texas chip plant in investment race with TSMC

South Korean company angles for top spot amid US-China tech war

Ezra Vogel's latest work, “China and Japan: Facing History,” attempted to tackle the roots of the complicated bilateral relationship through revisiting over 1,000 years of history. (Photo by Maho Obata)
Obituaries

Ezra Vogel, top American scholar on Asia, dies at 90

Harvard professor authored 'Japan as Number One' and 'Deng Xiaoping'

General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong, right, and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, left, are preparing for the Communist Party of Vietnam's next congress. The meeting will decide the leadership lineup and goals for the next five years.
Asia Insight

Vietnam's Communists brace for next 5 years after big 2020

Party has COVID, Big Tech and dissent under control; can it keep economy humming?

The impact of natural disasters, increasing economic reliance on China and the rising consumer clout of Generation Z are all backed up by data. (Source photos by Reuters) 
The World Ahead

Data show global power shift, youth emergence and warming threat

Economic reliance on China rises, Gen Z gains clout and disaster damage surges

Crude is languishing near $40 a barrel in 2020, less than half the price six years ago.
The World Ahead

Global energy poised for a once-in-a-century transformation

Uncertainties abound in industry used to perpetual growth as peak oil looms

Shifting to a power system centered on renewable energy is estimated to require investment totaling $1.6 trillion -- four times current levels -- until 2030.
The World Ahead

Decarbonizing technologies to dictate country competitiveness

Renewable energy system estimated to require $1.6tn of investment by 2030

Skilled professionals who were already established in the labor market when the Covid-19 crisis hit will by 2025 be enjoying the fruits of "hybrid" work.
The World Ahead

The outlook for work in 2025: better for some, worse for others

Bright spots include less corporate gender imbalance, remote work normalization

The coronavirus pandemic has unexpectedly become a driving force behind the collapse of traditional Japanese-style employment. (Photo by Nikkei)
The World Ahead

Pandemic prompts Japan Inc. to rethink traditional hiring systems

Companies under pressure to ditch lifelong employment amid COVID-19

Chinese President Xi Jinping has been laying out his plans and vision of a China-centric world since earlier this year.
The World Ahead

Biden faces a China with world in its grip under an ambitious Xi

Beijing's belligerent stance is a headache for democracies

A joint Nikkei, Financial Times and Nikkei Asia survey of global readers found that Asians and the young have high hopes for technical innovation in the environmental and financial sectors. (Source photos by Reuters and Getty Images) 
The World Ahead

Survey: Asians and the young have high hopes for tech innovation

Nikkei, the FT and Nikkei Asia ask 5,000 global readers to peer into the future

This art deco mansion in Shanghai was designed by Laszlo Ede Hudec, who also designed the city's landmark Park Hotel.
Life

Art deco's lasting legacy in Asia

Jazz Age brought iconic design style to Shanghai, Mumbai, Tokyo

Monks connect mourners with a white thread that is attached to the front fender of a pickup truck hearse. (Photos by Dominic Faulder) 
Tea Leaves

In praise of Thai funerals

Inclusivity of the event is particularly valuable to those grieving