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April 4th, 2024

China's tech trap

How Beijing's leading tech companies ensnare workers in a maze of noncompete clauses

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The Big Story

China's tech workers trapped in jobs by noncompete contracts

From Tencent to Pinduoduo, companies use surveillance and lawsuits to retain staff as competition ramps up

Legal experts say a growing number of China's leading tech companies are using noncompete agreements to retain even junior talent as the U.S.-China tech war heats up. (Illustration by Yoshiko Kawano)
Geoffrey Hinton, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, speaks with the Nikkei at his home near the university campus in Toronto. (Photo by Katsuyoshi Tanaka)
Technology

'Godfather of AI' speaks on threat of tech surpassing humanity

Geoffrey Hinton believes AI is already having experiences akin to humans'

An Indian fighter plane flies over a mountain range in Ladakh in 2020: The Chinese army would be hard put to get the better of India's armed forces in a Himalayan war.
Opinion

China's Indian land grab has become a strategic disaster

Xi Jinping faces dilemma in resolving crisis without losing face

Chinese tourists at Sensoji Temple in Tokyo: Urban Chinese love traveling to Japan. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Opinion

Hong Kong's loss can be Tokyo's gain if it plays its cards right

Japan holds advantages over Singapore in drawing interest from wealthy Chinese

TikTok is fighting for its future in the U.S. as the lawmakers target the short video platform. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
Business Spotlight

TikTok sell-or-ban bill heads to Senate: What's next?

A total ban in the U.S. would prove difficult while Beijing could block a sale

Officers prepare an EV charging unit in Bali, Indonesia, in 2022. The rising costs for metals and minerals due to soaring demand for EVs have put Southeast Asia in a greenflation bind. (Antara Foto via Reuters)
Energy

Greenflation causes Indonesia and Vietnam to backtrack on renewables

In Malaysia, a weak currency squeezes financing for decarbonation efforts

Australia is looking to play a bigger role in the rare earths supply chain, but it is up against a dominant China. 
Commodities

Australia doubles down on rare earths despite Chinese dominance

Ambitious strategy to boost role in critical minerals confronts market challenges

The No. 8146 bus carries dozens of cleaners and security guards from a working-class area of northern Seoul to the glitzy Gangnam district. Politicians' pledges are not striking a chord with many of these workers ahead of pivotal elections next week.
Asia Insight

South Korea's working class unmoved by election campaign 'lip service'

One early morning bus route provides a journey through inequality in Seoul

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel entered his third year as envoy Monday. (Photo by Yuki Kohara) 
Politics

Is Rahm Emanuel the 'Japan hand' Democrats have been searching for?

Tokyo has long been more comfortable with Republicans, especially on China

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet's new government has denied connections to a detained tycoon. (Photo by Hiroki Endo)
Crime

Cambodia moves to 'drain the swamp' with arrest of tycoons

Accused swindler Leng Channa is third 'lord' to face legal action in recent months

An old-style movie signboard graces the platform of Ome Station. Such playful nods to the Showa era (1926-89) can be seen throughout this town just inside the fringes of western Tokyo. (All photos by Stephen Mansfield)
Life

Three Tokyo destinations where the past is delightfully present

Yanaka, Sugamo and Ome districts may not be hip but brim with nostalgia-laden charm

Schoolgirls in Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province, in northwestern Sumatra. The province is making efforts to bring in tourists after long being off travelers' radar. (Photo by Marco Ferrarese)
Tea Leaves

How tourism can soften hard-line Aceh

Indonesia's most buttoned-up province opens up, somewhat, to visitors