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May 23rd, 2024

The crossing

Why thousands of middle-class Chinese migrants are risking it all to walk to the U.S.

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The Big Story

Why so many middle-class Chinese migrants take risky, illegal route to U.S.

Economic malaise, debt and despair push families to trek through jungle to Mexico border

Chinese migrants' encounters with U.S. border authorities were 10 times higher in 2023 than in pre-pandemic years. The economic slowdown back home coupled with human rights concerns is prompting many to seek new lives in America.
The 13.2% wage rise among smaller businesses in Miyazaki prefecture between 2018 and 2023 was the fastest in Japan.
Datawatch

Japan's small regional companies vie to raise pay amid labor shortage

Wages rise faster in mostly rural prefectures than in urban centers

The comments of Kim Yo Jong and other key figures in the North Korean leadership show that there is an underlying interest in resuming high-level contact with Japan. 
Opinion

New Japanese demands could be key to getting North Korea to talk

PM Kishida may be able to get his summit by pushing issue of 'Paradise on Earth'

U.S. President Joe Biden, center, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at an IPEF event in Tokyo in 2022.
Opinion

Asia-Pacific free trade pacts have been a big success for the U.S.

Singapore agreement shows benefits in terms of strategic competition with China

Lawrence Wong is sworn in as Singapore's fourth prime minister at the Istana, the president's official residence, on May 15.
The Nikkei View

Singapore's new PM Lawrence Wong is up against fierce headwinds

Major challenge will be guiding city-state through conflict-ridden world

In China, the buzz over AI models was expected to spur a significant increase in demand for AI computing and related services, but the most recent quarterly earnings did not paint the expected rosy picture. (Photo by Reuters)
Business Spotlight

China's cloud service providers are still waiting for AI to make it rain

Alibaba, Baidu and ByteDance battle for customers as a price war weighs on revenue

Depositors across Bangladesh are yanking savings out of the country's crisis-hit banks, despite official assurances that deposits are safe. (Nikkei montage / Source photos by Reuters and AFP/Jiji)
Finance

Bangladesh banks in liquidity crisis, hit by forced merger plan

Institutions saddled with bad loans and fraud claims, leading authorities to downsize sector

A Toyota dealership in Petaling Jaya, near Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia's car sales reached nearly 800,000 in 2023. (Photo by Norman Goh)
Automobiles

Malaysia overtakes Thailand as ASEAN's second-biggest auto market

Sales tax exemptions boost demand for national cars Perodua and Proton

A GE aircraft engine used in the Boeing Dreamliner 787-9. (Photo by Takaki Kashiwabara) 
Companies

GE borrows from Toyota's playbook for post-breakup revival

Newly formed GE Aerospace adopts lean manufacturing to grow value

The IMF has told Pakistan it must stop subsidizing money-losing entities, such as Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), as a condition for loans to help prop up its faltering economy. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Getty Images)
Asia Insight

Pakistan moves to sell national airline in test case for privatization drive

Dozens of state enterprises on auction block as IMF calls for end of subsidies

Dubai's real estate market has attracted a lot of investment from overseas and achieved high growth. 
Terrorism

Terrorist groups suspected of funneling money to Dubai properties

'Dubai Unlocked' project finds individuals with alleged links to Hezbollah, Houthis among owners

A video that was uploaded to Bilibili appears to show footage taken from a drone flying over the Izumo at Yokosuka naval base. (Screenshot of a Bilibili video)
Defense

Drone footage of Japan destroyer Izumo reveals security hole

Video posted on Chinese site, but drone detection is difficult, experts say

Chaithawat Tulathon at the Move Forward Party headquarters in Bangkok on May 14, when he spoke to Nikkei Asia. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca)
Interview

Thailand's Move Forward leader says amnesty for political prisoners a priority

Biggest opposition party has an alternative ready in case a court orders its dissolution

Located in a converted former residence in the Jakarta neighborhood of Menteng, Common Grounds is a quiet, homey oasis for coffee lovers. (Courtesy of Common Grounds) 
Life

Coffee's 'third wave' gathers pace in Jakarta

Shifting tastes among young Indonesians help brew specialty cafe culture

Radio Ceylon's oldest transmitter is pictured in this classic studio setup. The station, now called the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corp., was launched by British colonial authorities in Colombo in December 1925. (All photos courtesy of the author)
Tea Leaves

How Radio Ceylon became an Asian institution

Sri Lankan station played a major role in building links with India