May 9th, 2024

Europe's EV dilemma

As carbon-zero targets loom, carmakers face up to China's green tech dominance

View all editions

The Big Story

Europe faces up to China's EV dominance as carbon-zero targets loom

As Xi travels through EU this week, automakers weigh whether to fight or team up with cheaper Chinese rivals

The car freighter BYD Explorer No. 1 brings 3,000 cars to Bremerhaven, Germany. Europe needs Chinese EVs if it is to meet its goal of banning combustion engines in 2035.

Many cloud service providers lack clear guidelines on dealing with government requests for information on user accounts.

Datawatch

Vulnerable cloud services cast shadow over national security

Many vendors lack proper policies on privacy protection, survey finds

Busan port, South Korea: The U.S. has overtaken China as the country's largest export market. (Yonhap via AP)

Opinion

China is buying less from its Asian neighbors, too

Yet its exports are still rising, raising pressure on local manufacturers

Karen National Liberation Army troops near Myawaddy on April 15: Myanmar's civil war has strengthened ethnic armed groups.

Opinion

U.S. 'nonlethal' aid for Myanmar's ethnic armies likely to backfire

Increased violence would be costly for all parties

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, right, and European Council President Charles Michel attend a press conference in Kyiv on Nov. 21, 2023.

The Nikkei View

EU should make use of lessons from its 2004 enlargement

Bloc's 20th anniversary is an opportunity to show its resolve for peace and prosperity

Dresden, in eastern Germany, is at the heart of Europe's chip industry. (Photo by Cheng Ting-Fang)

Business Spotlight

Can investment from TSMC, Infineon and others revive Europe's chip dreams?

Skeptics say more government subsidies, skilled workers and end customers are needed

Quality control is prioritized at this Escorts Kubota plant in India's Haryana state. (Photo by Hisashi Iwato)

Companies

Kubota's path to global expansion goes through India

Japanese tractor maker looks to export to Africa with Indian partner Escorts

A KFC outlet in Subang Jaya, Malaysia. This store was already reopened on May 2, but chairs and tables were still stacked up. (Photo by Norman Goh)

Business trends

Malaysia's KFC closes over 100 stores amid consumer boycott

Indonesia's Starbucks operator suffers loss as sentiment against U.S. worsens

DBS reported a record quarterly profit of 2.96 billion Singapore dollars for the January to March quarter.

Finance

Singapore's DBS fights for trust after regulatory sanctions

Lender's CEO sees 'more work to do' on services despite record Q1 net profit

"Not enough time, not enough support": Uzbekistan, a landlocked country slightly bigger than California, is facing the consequences of a history of poor irrigation, with rising salinity slashing the size of usable growing areas.

Asia Insight

Uzbek farmers battle to save cotton, wheat crops from mortal enemy: salt

Growing salinization crisis bites as cotton exports to Bangladesh skid 80% in 5 years

The same province that attracts tourists from around the world to Halong Bay is beginning to attract big manufacturers to its relatively cheap industrial parks.

Business trends

Vietnam's tourism hot spot becomes foreign investment hub

U.S.-China conflict and new infrastructure give rise to northern Quang Ninh province

MDH and Everest are among the biggest packaged spice manufacturers in India.

Food & Beverage

Indian spice makers under heat in Asia for alleged contamination

Australia, New Zealand, U.S. on alert after Hong Kong, Singapore recalled products

The USS Essex amphibious assault ship leaves BAE Systems' Pride of California dry dock in San Diego in September 2023. Shipyards in the U.S. have struggled to maintain their workforces. (U.S. Navy)

Indo-Pacific

U.S. Navy to identify which Indo-Pacific shipyards it can use in wartime

Up to six repair availabilities requested in countries like Japan, South Korea and India

China's real gross domestic product was up 5.3% year-on-year in January to March thanks in part to production increases.

Economy

China manufacturing rebound brings trade frictions with West

Facing soft domestic demand, Chinese companies sell EVs, solar panels overseas

Indigenous artist Emily Wurramara writes and sings in both English and Anindilyakwa. (Photo by Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore)

Arts

Australia's Indigenous artists weave traditions into contemporary music

Once-neglected tongues and instruments are being increasingly embraced

For the past six years, A.M. Emran has been offering heritage dining experiences to the public in his family's colonial-era mansion in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka. (All photos by Faisal Mahmud)

Tea Leaves

Bangladesh eatery takes diners back to future

Dhaka's only heritage dining place shows the city's potential for tourism