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December 21st, 2023

Inside PDD, China's controversial new e-commerce titan

The human cost behind the rapid rise of Pinduoduo and Temu

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The Big Story

Inside PDD, China's e-commerce titan behind Temu and Pinduoduo

Efforts to surpass Alibaba at home and chase Amazon abroad come with human cost

As PDD Holdings' Temu moved into more than 40 countries in 2023, reportedly spending more than $2 billion on marketing, employees say the work culture took a toll on their personal lives and health. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
Japan's gender pay gap of more than 20% is nearly double the average of developed countries, according to the OECD.
Datawatch

Japan's 'greedy work' practices blamed for gender pay gap

Freed from child-rearing, more men work long hours to seek higher pay, promotion

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the ASEAN-Japan Summit in Jakarta: Tokyo demonstrates persistent diplomacy with countries caught in the U.S.-China competition. (Pool via Reuters)
Opinion

Japan's close ties with Southeast Asia hold lessons for U.S.

Tokyo has patiently built goodwill with quiet, generous approach

An office of the Cyberspace Administration of China: Beijing's AI regulations are more about social control and the projection of power than consumer protection.
Opinion

China's tightening grip on AI puts other nations at risk

Technology put at CCP's service likely to be used to further its agenda

The buyout of Toshiba could be a positive step, since consolidating ownership makes bold reforms easier. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters and FactSet)
Business Spotlight

As Toshiba exits market, Japan's governance reforms remain unfinished

Shareholder activism has only halfway reshaped Japan Inc., experts say

Battery storage farms, like this one in the Canadian province of Alberta, are becoming more common to support the spread of renewable energy.
Energy

Singapore renewable developer to build major battery farm in Japan

Gurin Energy sees demand as Japan faces grid capacity limits amid green shift

Apple is the leader in the global tablet computer market thanks to its popular iPad lineup. 
Supply Chain

Apple to switch to OLED displays for iPads and MacBooks

Display industry in for disruption as investment pours into newer technology

The Hindu Kush Himalaya region, which stretches 3,500 kilometers and includes Earth's highest mountain range, is warming by 0.3 C per decade -- faster than the global average, according to the U.N.'s science body for climate change. (Illustration by Yoshiko Kawano)
Asia Insight

COP28 spotlights key climate battle: Saving Himalayan ice

From Afghanistan to China, vanishing glaciers risk floods and drought for billions

Advertisements in Saint Petersburg promote military service contracts in the Russian Armed Forces.
Ukraine war

Nepal mourns mercenaries who died for Russia, faces tough questions

Trafficking of soldiers highlights Himalayan nation's high youth unemployment

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, pictured in Tokyo on Dec. 17, argues that some countries that promote democracy and human rights are engaging in "hypocrisy" when it comes to Gaza. (Photo by Yuki Kohara) 
Interview

Malaysia's Anwar slams 'hypocrisy' over Gaza crisis

Prime minister reiterates call for humanitarian cease-fire in Israel-Hamas war

Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach says the U.S. Air Force is stepping up construction at the Tinian North airfield, on the Pacific island of Tinian. (U.S. Air Force)
Interview

U.S. to reclaim WWII airfield in Pacific, clearing jungle by summer

Air force general hopes for more trilateral exercises with Japan, South Korea

Items on display at "Genghis Khan: How the Mongols Changed the World," being held from Oct. 14, 2023, to May 5, 2024, at the Nantes History Museum in France. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Erdennechuluun Purevjav & Nemekhbayar Nadpurev Collection, Mongolia; Chinggis Khaan National Museum, Ulaanbaatar; David Gallard/LVAN)
Arts

China's Mongolian culture wars backfire in France

How Beijing tried to suppress an exhibit on Genghis Khan's legacy

The ubiquitous presence of trees at Hindu temples reflects the religion's reverence for nature. (All photos by Meenakshi J)
Tea Leaves

Faith meets conservation in India's sacred spaces

Thousands of ancient cultural treasures now serve as biodiversity hot spots