alt

April 18th, 2024

Living with plastic

How Southeast Asia is being buried in imported waste

View all editions

The Big Story

Southeast Asia's plastic tidal wave: Imported trash swamps region

From Indonesia to Myanmar, China's 2018 import ban fed an already critical domestic waste problem

A girl chases a bird atop piles of dirty plastic waste washed up on Labuan Beach in western Java, Indonesia. Experts say much of the trash has been imported via "waste trafficking" from developed countries. (Photo by Dimas Ardian)
Japan looks to create a new legal category for midsize businesses to spur growth in key industries.
Datawatch

Japan lags South Korea and Taiwan in boosting midsize businesses

Rigid classification stands in the way of corporate growth

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, with Russian President Vladimir Putin in September at the Vostochny Cosmodrome. (KCNA via Reuters) 
Opinion

Putin's embrace of Kim Jong Un has its limits

Upcoming trip will underscore deepening ties, but Russia remains cautious

Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto, left, meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Apr. 1: Not raising territorial issues could potentially embolden China. (China Daily via Reuters)
Opinion

Prabowo's China policy dilemma evident in Beijing trip

Next Indonesian leader focused on security but keen for development support

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida listens to U.S. President Joe Biden during a joint press conference at the White House on April 10.
The Nikkei View

Japan-U.S. alliance holds greater responsibility for global stability

Leaders must offer more details to give substance to vision

Oppstar's IPO was a big hit -- it was oversubscribed by 77 times -- but the frenzy also showed how far Malaysia has to go to return to its former tech glory.
Business Spotlight

Malaysian 'Silicon Valley' seeds homegrown chip startups

Former Intel engineers attempt to push Penang to higher end of value chain

A worker fills a sack with rice at a mill on the outskirts of Lahore in Pakistan.
International relations

India-Pakistan battle for basmati rice turns acrimonious

Nuclear-armed neighbors' clash over fragrant strain boils over

Singapore has long been a hub for Japanese companies' regional headquarters. (Photo by Fumika Sato)
Business trends

Singapore loses shine as Southeast Asia base for multinationals

Japanese and European companies weigh setting up elsewhere over costs

Chinese buyers have historically been extremely sensitive to shifts in wheat prices.
Commodities

China shakes wheat market with canceled shipments from U.S., Australia

Buyers seek better prices under Beijing's push to boost food security

China's Generation Z, born between 1995 and 2009, makes up nearly one-fifth of the population and is key for policies aiming to spur spending.
Asia Insight

China's Gen Z turns frugal as economy doubts linger

Youth disillusionment raises alarm over 'degradation of consumption'

From left, U.S. President Joe Biden, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attend a trilateral summit at the White House on April 11. (Source photos by AP and Reuters)
South China Sea

Philippines wins breakthrough at summit with Japan, U.S., experts say

Manila still faces the difficulty of reducing maritime tensions with China

Port Klang is the second-busiest port in Southeast Asia, after only Singapore. (Photo by Norman Goh) 
Supply Chain

Malaysia's largest port to double capacity to chase Singapore

Supply chain diversification adds to logistics competition in Southeast Asia

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the 2023 Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, Japan. (Pool/Kyodo)
Comment

South Korea-Japan thaw could backslide if ruling party turns on Yoon

President risks greater criticism, isolation after legislative election defeat

Thein Soe, 56, is pictured with his new 3D-printed prosthetic arm at his house in Mae Sot, Thailand, on Jan. 25. (All photos by Valeria Mongelli)
Life

Innovative prostheses offer hope on Thai-Myanmar border

3D-printed replacement arms change lives amid raging conflict

Grandmaster Kazufusa Hosho, in full Noh regalia, poses in front of the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, Azerbaijan. (All photos by Isao Nishiyama)
Tea Leaves

Why Japan's Noh theater is cool in Azerbaijan

Groundbreaking performance in Baku gets a Broadway-style ovation