China Executive Insights
Government takes first step in industry revival plan to double capacity by 2035 New cranes and hull block facilities are part of Imabari Shipbuilding's capital spending plans. (Imabari Shipbuilding) TOKYO --The Japanese government has announced 213.1 billion yen ($1.37 billion) in aid over a decade to Imabari Shipbuilding and others in a first round of support for capital spending in the shipbuilding industry.
Demand from insurance agents rising as regional market grows, CEO of US unit says MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings is seeking growth drivers outside Japan. (Photo by Nikkei) TOKYO -- MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings is considering expanding into the European reinsurance brokerage business, John Fitzgerald, CEO of U.S. unit MS Transverse, told Nikkei, as the Japanese insurer eyes overseas markets as a growth driver.
System will analyze data in space before sending it to command posts on Earth The AI system will be able to predict targets' movements, helping to enhance missile accuracy. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Nikkei and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) TOKYO -- Japan's Ministry of Defense will develop satellites equipped with artificial intelligence capable of analyzing surveillance data in space, Nikkei has learned, aiming to strengthen the country's capacity to disrupt attacks by using long-range missiles through speeding up decision-making.
Rising debt costs, unspecified defense items risk fueling tension over spending Budget requests by Japanese government agencies for fiscal 2027 reached a record high. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Nikkei) TOKYO -- Japan's record-breaking budget requests for fiscal 2027 include 12.17 trillion yen ($78 billion) under an uncapped framework for growth investment in areas such as AI and space, adding to concerns about swelling spending fueled by defense and debt servicing costs.
Space-based network rolls out as soon as this year, will support video calls Rakuten Group CEO Hiroshi Mikitani, left, shakes hands with AST SpaceMobile CEO Abel Avellan during an event in 2024. (Photo by Mai Ishitsubo) TOKYO -- Japan's Rakuten Group plans to launch a direct-to-mobile satellite communications service as early as this year through a partnership with U.S. company AST SpaceMobile, competing directly with SpaceX's Starlink system.
Plans call for quadrupling spending through 2035, with eye on arenas and theme parks JTB President Tomo Aomi said the travel agency will pursue further acquisitions as necessary toward expanding its global business. (Photo by Hazumu Urushiyama) TOKYO -- Leading Japanese travel agency JTB plans to invest 600 billion yen ($3.83 billion) through 2035, looking to expand its global business as domestic travel faces limited growth potential.
Illegal brokers arrange for transplants overseas as patients cope with 10-year wait times A doctor works at a organ transplant theater in Germany. © Reuters TOKYO -- With the number of domestic organ transplants meeting only a fraction of demand, some in Japan are turning to intermediaries who illegally broker operations overseas.
Weak yen, US troop costs and ICC sanctions pose challenges for Tokyo Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi looks to reshuffle her cabinet as early as mid-September. (Photo by Ken Suzuki) TOKYO -- As Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reshuffles her cabinet as early as mid-September, she will try to install people who can most effectively communicate with the U.S. in key posts to prepare for added pressure from Washington on both the economic and security fronts.
Projects in Nikkei survey would put country in global upper ranks with US, China NTT targets 2 gigawatts of data center capacity by fiscal 2033. (Photo by Kosuke Shimizu) TOKYO -- Plans for artificial intelligence data centers in Japan would more than quadruple the country's capacity in eight years, a Nikkei survey shows, putting it among the top players behind the U.S. and China and bringing it closer to AI sovereignty.
The onigiri counter in Katagiri grocery in New York City: Rice balls made for Americans are typically bigger than those found in Japan. (Photo by Hiroki Endo) Companies pitch Americans and Europeans on Japanese rice balls as a go-to snack TOKYO -- Koji Kanematsu came to San Francisco to sell Japanese video games to Americans. But his stomach kept distracting him.
With PM seen favoring doves, Takata, Tamura push for action in their remaining months The terms of Hajime Takata, left, and Naoki Tamura, both considered to be hawks, will end in July 2027. (Source photos by Nikkei) TOKYO -- Two hawks on the Bank of Japan's monetary policy board are calling more strongly for the central bank to accelerate its interest rate increases, pushing it to do more to rein in inflation before their terms end next July.
Massive offering is largest by a Japanese company, tied with NTT Finance' issuance SoftBank Group Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son speaks in Tokyo on Aug. 14. (Photo by Hikaru Yagi) TOKYO -- SoftBank Group's 1 trillion yen ($6.4 billion) bonds targeting retail investors will carry a coupon rate of 4.75%, the highest level for the investment group's straight bonds in 17 years.
Officials say the blast originated from the defence ministry’s fireworks stockpile at a facility in the western city of Viacha At least 10 people were killed and 62 injured on Friday after an explosion at a military barracks in the western Bolivian city of Viacha, local authorities said. The blast took place at around 2.30pm at a military facility used to store pyrotechnic material. While the cause has yet to be established, officials said the blast originated from the defence ministry’s fireworks stockpile. Viacha health director Rita Nebraska told local television that between 10 and 15 people were believed to have died in the incident. She added that 14 of the wounded were transferred to hospitals in La Paz, including a girl with third-degree burns. Police said dozens of homes in the surrounding area were damaged, largely by windows shattered in the blast. Earlier on Friday, Defence Minister Ernesto Justiniano wrote on social media that 52 of those injured were civilians, while the remainder were military personnel. Video footage shared on social media showed a column of thick black smoke billowing from the barracks, which is in the city centre.
Amid five years of devastating conflict, young fighters embrace traditional bloodsport as both self-defence and refuge “I can’t live without fighting,” said 19-year-old Su Luck, who enters the ring under the paradoxical pseudonym “Peace Prize”. “I have never once considered giving up this passion,” she said. Lethwei is traditional Burmese boxing, distinct from Thai kickboxing because head blows are permitted and fighters compete bareknuckle, fists protected only with wraps of thin gauze. It is known as the “Art of Nine Limbs” because each contender’s two fists, elbows, knees, feet and head are considered viable weapons to take down opponents.
Hong Kong has evolved into a global centre for the booming Pokemon card trading market, with rare collectibles traded via tokenised funds Not so long ago, Pokemon cards were little more than schoolyard treasures in Hong Kong. But the trading cards are now evolving into a sophisticated new asset class, driven by millennial nostalgia and the forces of global capital. Pokemon card valuations have skyrocketed around the world in recent years, with influencer Logan Paul making headlines in 2021 by spending over US$5 million to acquire a Pikachu Illustrator card. It has since been resold for nearly US$16.5 million. Collectors, speculators and even institutions in Hong Kong are increasingly investing in this risky new asset class, as appetite for alternative investments grows in the city’s financial sector. “The demand is coming from a real and growing collector base, not just short-term speculation,” said Albert Cheng, business director for Hong Kong, Taiwan and North Asia at Azimut Group. “We’re also seeing a generational shift where younger investors are putting money into assets they actually relate to and enjoy, like Pokemon cards.”
From stealth warship tech to a 500,000-strong talent exchange, Tokyo and New Delhi are pairing Japanese precision with Indian scale At its head was Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, whose four-day tour from August 24 to 27 not only laid the groundwork for next year’s 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties but also worked to solidify an economic partnership now expanding into shipbuilding and defence. “We believe in the principle of continuous improvement and we are looking at Japan being our partner in this journey as we progress from a US$4 trillion economy today to a US$30 trillion economy by 2047,” Goyal told a joint gathering on August 24 that included representatives of Keidanren, a Japanese business federation representing more than 1,500 companies.
Founder of Hong Lim Curry Puff notes that this unique order showcases city state’s rich flavours to an international audience A Chinese man dressed in a food delivery uniform has sparked widespread curiosity online after he was seen in Singapore buying curry puffs for a customer in China to fulfil a “cross-border food order.” On August 31, Chloe, a Chinese woman living in Singapore, shared a video depicting the man in a Meituan uniform waiting at Hong Lim Curry Puff, a snack shop located in PLQ Mall, about a 17-minute drive from Changi Airport. Chloe informed the SCMP that she approached the man when she noticed he appeared to be having difficulty communicating with the shop staff. To her surprise, he was wearing a Meituan uniform and explained he was fulfilling a “cross-border order.” The man revealed that a Chinese business owner who had enjoyed the shop’s curry puffs during a previous visit to Singapore was eager to have them again and placed an order through Meituan.
Tucked away in laundromats and arcades, machines offer easy access to crypto, but coming regulations will protect consumers, experts say Inside a tiny self-service laundromat in Quarry Bay in the east of Hong Kong Island, next to a wall of washing machines, stands a waist-high cryptocurrency terminal with signs reading “Elon Musk recommends Dogecoin” and “Buy bitcoin in one minute”. In order to obtain Dogecoin through the ATM, customers feed Hong Kong dollar notes into a slot and scan a QR code. The equivalent amount in cryptocurrency is then credited into their digital wallet. Such machines have proliferated across the city in recent years as interest in cryptocurrencies has risen. Many are installed at 24-hour unstaffed shops such as laundromats and claw-machine arcades. As of 2024, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) found about 200 virtual asset retailers in the city, which included such ATMs. According to Coin ATM Radar, a global geographical tracker, there are currently 234 crypto ATMs in Hong Kong – concentrated in Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui, Wan Chai and Quarry Bay – offering a dozen different types of cryptocurrencies.
Helen Fung’s home felt empty. After her husband died last October, she found herself rattling around a house in Singapore with only a domestic helper she could not get along with for company. She turned down her children’s invitations to move to England, put off by London’s grey winters, and instead checked herself into an assisted living facility. On a recent Monday afternoon in St Bernadette Lifestyle Village at Trevose Crescent, tucked away in the leafy residential estate of Bukit Timah, Fung...
The company says it takes copyright infringement ‘very seriously’ and is currently reviewing the matter Tetris said on Friday that it did not give permission for the White House to use the game’s iconic imagery for a controversial online arcade that the Trump administration released on Thursday. “The Tetris Company was not involved in the creation of Build the Wall and did not authorise or license the Tetris brand or intellectual property for the game,” Tetris said in a statement. “We are currently reviewing the matter,” the statement continued. A block-stacking game called Build the Wall included instructions to “protect the border from the coming horde.” The arcade-style games and promotional content used by the Trump administration contain images that resemble games created by Tetris and other major game developers including Sega, Microsoft-owned Xbox and the Flappy Bird Foundation. “At Tetris, we believe in the power of connection and bringing people together, not dividing them,” Tetris said in a social media post. “P.P.S. We take copyright infringement very seriously,” the post continued.
One by one, Tesla Model Y Ls roll out of the company’s end-of-line inspection bays, gleaming in black, white and gold. They are a mix of left-hand and right-hand drive – one of many signs the electric vehicles (EVs) produced here are destined for ports around the world. The company touts a total assembly time of less than 40 seconds at its sprawling Gigafactory in Lingang, a coastal area on the far southeastern edge of Shanghai. From there, Tesla says, a finished car can reach the port and be...
The US’ new tech strategy shows Washington is adopting the core lesson of China’s rise: tech leadership is a national security imperative Countries do not redraw the board while they are winning. Washington has adopted the tactics of a fighter with reach who declines to trade blows in the clinch: keep it long, concede the inside, win where your arms are. That is rational enough, and also what fighters do once they have felt their opponent’s power. The strategy document reaches furthest into American life through alignment. Agencies are steered towards milestone contracts with competing vendors, told to place federal money where it complements private capital rather than crowding it out, and to expedite clearances so expertise moves between laboratory, firm and department at commercial speed. The universities enter the same architecture through vetting.
Jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict on whether the former nurse was criminally responsible for the deaths of her three kids A judge declared a mistrial in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial on Friday after jurors said they could not reach a unanimous verdict on whether she was criminally responsible for killing her three young children. The mistrial, on the seventh day of deliberations, leaves the case unresolved and allows prosecutors to take the 36-year-old former labour and delivery nurse to trial again. Neither Clancy, her family nor the jury showed any emotion as the judge announced the mistrial. The deliberations took a dramatic turn late in the week when Judge William Sullivan said he was going to declare a mistrial on Friday before suddenly changing course and giving her defence lawyer a chance to appeal to the top court in Massachusetts. The emergency appeal was quickly denied. The trial has generated intense interest for more than a month, deeply dividing the public and drawing attention to issues around maternal mental health after childbirth.
The US was the only vote against the resolution for a shift to the Equal Earth cartographic projection over the traditional Mercator map The United Nations General Assembly voted on Friday to back a resolution spearheaded by several African countries to adopt a map that makes their continent bigger while shrinking North America and Europe. Aimed at “a more accurate representation” of continental landmasses, the resolution was supported by 164 countries while the US voted against it and six other states abstained. The new map – known as the Equal Earth cartographic projection – “is a relevant option for improving the accuracy of the cartographic representation of the world”, the resolution said. It urges member states to adopt the new map in place of the traditional Mercator projection, which was designed for maritime navigation by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569. Foreign Minister Robert Dussey of Togo, which drove the resolution, said maps “guide education, nourish the imagination, and influence collective perceptions”. “They are therefore never neutral, when they present a distorted image of our planet, they risk perpetuating inaccurate representation that are passed down through generation.”
The message suggests the US president is running out of patience with the central bank just months after Warsh took over from Powell President Donald Trump intensified pressure on the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates, threatening to cut off trade with certain economies with which the US has a deficit if the central bank does not act. Trump issued his demands on Friday in a lengthy social media post after a stronger-than-expected August jobs report, which could bolster the case for Fed officials to raise rates at their next policy meeting starting September 15. In his post, the president exhorted his hand-picked Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh, whom he called “great”, and board members to “get smart” and “BE PATRIOTS for a change”. “LOWER THE RATE OR I’LL STOP TRADING WITH COUNTRIES WITH WHICH WE HAVE A DEFICIT,” Trump posted. “High interest rates put the U.S.A. at a very unfair disadvantage, and I won’t allow that to happen!” Trump said the US Supreme Court, which struck down his previous tariff regime, had acknowledged his authority to do that. But if he moves forward with trade embargoes, it would almost certainly trigger a legal challenge. It was unclear how such an action would help lower US borrowing costs.
Rights groups have criticised the plan, arguing that European nations cannot guarantee the rights of migrants would be respected The announcement, made after a one-day meeting in Copenhagen, is the latest development in an effort by EU states to send people whose asylum requests have been rejected to third countries outside the bloc. “We are moving forward towards what is actually a fundamental transformation of the common European migration and asylum system,” said Morten Bodskov, Denmark’s minister of immigration and integration. Human rights groups have criticised plans to deport migrants to centres or prisons in third countries, arguing that European nations cannot guarantee their rights will be respected there. Bodskov rejected the idea that “return hubs” were a euphemism for detention and deportation centres and said the International Organization for Migration and the UN Refugee Agency would monitor the centres.
Its opposition to the commercialisation of Arctic transit comes amid rising anxiety over Beijing and Moscow’s closer polar collaboration Despite being the main destination for goods along the route and accounting for most of the world’s shipping giants, Europe opposes the commercialisation of Arctic transits, wary of fragile polar ecosystems and navigational risks amid rising anxiety over Russia and China’s closer polar collaboration. Europe’s concerns are reflected in an updated EU Arctic policy that is expected to be issued later this year.
The latest labour data may increase the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will raise its key short-term interest rate at its next meeting Hiring far exceeded the 65,000 forecasters had expected, according to a poll by FactSet. Labour Department revisions also looked good, adding 55,000 to June and July payrolls. Employers created 21,000 jobs in July; the Labour Department had originally reported that they would cut 23,000. Restaurants and bars added 59,000 jobs last month, construction companies 22,000 and manufacturers 16,000. And the US labour force – the number of people working or looking for work – jumped by 683,000 last month after falling in June and July. Yet many households are struggling with the high cost of living, and wage gains are not helping much. Average hourly wages rose 3.1 per cent last month from a year earlier, the weakest year-over-year increase since May 2021.
Country's role as export hub to US makes immediate supply chain shift difficult U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of a 50% tariff on all vehicles produced in Canada is likely to affect the operations of Japanese automakers Honda and Toyota. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Kazuhiro Noguchi, Shintaro Ino, Kei Higuchi and Reuters) TOKYO -- Manufacturing operations in Canada by Japanese automakers Toyota Motor and Honda Motor, are under threat after U.S. President Donald Trump announced last week the imposition of a 50% tariff on all cars, trucks and automotive parts produced in the neighboring country from January next year.
Customers take aim at 'slow' process, but government says is on track Six months in, Pakistan's much-touted 5G launch has disappointed many mobile users. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by Reuters) ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan's much-touted 5G rollout six months ago is yet to deliver visible improvements for mobile phone users across the nation, with telecom operators, including those owned by companies in Dubai and China, citing high electricity costs as a key hurdle to faster network expansion.
Slow growth and weak consumer demand stokes Chinese government bond rally As investors worry about U.S. Treasurys, some are moving into low-yielding Chinese government bonds, which are looking more attractive partly due to the strengthening of China's currency. © Reuters HONG KONG -- The yield difference between Chinese government bonds and U.S. Treasurys has widened to historic levels, cementing a divergence between two of the world's largest bond markets.
Apple and suppliers working to ramp up output while meeting strict quality standards Apple is preparing to release its first-ever foldable iPhone. © Reuters TAIPEI -- Initial production of Apple's long-awaited foldable iPhone is currently limited to only a "few hundred" units a day, mainly due to the company's extremely high quality control standards, sources have told Nikkei Asia.
Haier, Hisense see market share soar for washing machines, refrigerators Haier's booth at IFA 2026 features appliances equipped with artificial intelligence. (Photo by Kosuke Toshi) BERLIN -- Chinese appliance makers like Haier Group are taking Europe by storm, leveraging local acquisitions to grab a 20% share of the washing machine and refrigerator markets as European regulators rush to tap the brakes on their expansion.
New guidelines say companies not obliged to negotiate profit-sharing with workers Members of the Samsung Electronics labor union arrive for a protest against compensation levels in front of the company's semiconductor plant in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on April 23. © Reuters SEOUL -- South Korea's tech boom is minting record profits, but new rules could make it harder for workers to claim a share.
Akito Tanaka shares his weekly reflections and recommendations Shein founder Sky Xu, center with a flower pin, appears on stage for a photo session after the listing ceremony at the Hong Kong Exchange on Sept. 1. © Reuters Hello from Tokyo. China-founded fashion retailer Shein debuted on the Hong Kong stock market on Tuesday. The company's business model -- which analyzes social media and other big data to spot emerging fashion trends, rapidly mobilizes Chinese suppliers to produce new items, and sells them online at rock-bottom prices almost immediately -- made it a poster child for the rise of "superfast fashion." Yet despite being a trendsetter in the industry, Shein does not appear to be on-trend with the growth narrative investors want. The company's shares slipped lower than its initial public offering price. Its market capitalization stood at $24.6 billion on Tuesday, far below its private-market peak valuation of about $100 billion in 2022. According to a Nikkei Asia analysis, Shein's performance has slowed as regulatory changes affecting low-value imports into the U.S. and Europe have increased costs in its key Western markets. Competition has also intensified with Chinese-owned online retail rival Temu.
Market sees Japan pension fund's rare August meeting as likelihood of increased yen asset buying The sharp appreciation in the yen might indicate signs of a reversed carry trade. (Photo by Takashi Miyazaki) TOKYO/NEW YORK -- The yen traded around 156.3 on Friday afternoon, staying higher than the previous day's 157 yen, amid speculation that the Bank of Japan could increase the pace of interest rate hikes faster than previously anticipated.
Elbridge Colby touts alliance, but path from promise to payoff is fraught U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby attends a forum in Manila on Aug. 10. © Reuters Richard Heydarian is an Asia-based geopolitics expert and author of "The Indo-Pacific: Trump, China and the New Struggle for Global Mastery."
French-Saudi announcement puzzles copyright holder of legendary anime Fostering French-Saudi business relations, President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the Elysee Palace in Paris in August. © Reuters TOKYO -- Toei Animation, a Japanese anime company, has refuted recent media reports that a themed amusement park construction inspired by Dragon Ball, a popular Japanese manga and anime, has been agreed upon in France.
Benchmark reshuffle removes Archon, Konica Minolta and Kanadevia Nikkei 225 adjustment triggers changes to climate-linked index. Nikkei announced Friday that it will revise the constituents of the Nikkei 225 as part of its regular review, adding JX Advanced Metals, Kokusai Electric and Capcom while removing Archion, Konica Minolta and Kanadevia, effective Oct. 1. The inclusion of JX Advanced Metals and Kokusai Electric is based on market liquidity, while Capcom's addition is intended to improve sectoral balance. In line with the Nikkei 225 review, Archion and Konica Minolta will also be removed from the Nikkei 225 Climate Change 1.5°C Target Index (EU PAB) on Oct. 1. Konica Minolta will also be dropped from the Nikkei 225 Global Exposure 50 Index on the same date.
Carrier adds routes to South Korea's Busan, Japan's Fukuoka, China's Kunming Malaysia Airlines planes sit on the tarmac at Kuala Lumpur International Airport: The carrier is stepping up its service to cities in East Asia. © Reuters KUALA LUMPUR -- State-owned Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), which operates Malaysia Airlines, is expanding routes to South Korea, Japan and China as the rise in demand earlier this year created by disruptions at major Gulf aviation hubs has faded.
Auction listings and prices soar for decades-old leisure and fishing craft Used boats from Japan can be seen at an auction site an hour south of Bangkok. (Photo by Shota Manda) BANGKOK -- Used small boats that are no longer wanted in Japan are finding a second life in Thailand, where traders with an eye for hidden value have been putting them up for auction in growing numbers in recent years.
Japanese trading house aims to capture demand for low-cost handsets amid rising prices Itochu spent about $13.4 million to fully acquire We Sell Cellular, raising its stake from 79.5%. (Photo by Hazumu Urushiyama) TOKYO -- Japanese trading house Itochu has turned majority-owned unit We Sell Cellular (WSC), a U.S. distributor of used mobile phones, into a wholly owned subsidiary to tap into the growing demand for inexpensive devices as prices soar.
Seoul weighs options after Trump curtails joint drills, blasting lack of Iran cooperation A senior official from South Korea's presidential office said the government is considering various options in the Strait of Hormuz. (Photo by Yosuke Onchi) SEOUL -- South Korea is considering military contributions in the Strait of Hormuz amid the U.S.-Iran conflict, including sending a ship, a senior official in the presidential office told reporters Friday, adding that nothing has been decided.
Watchdog says it has ordered Heal Fertility to comply with law and code of practice to prevent recurrence of similar incidents A mix-up of embryo biopsy specimens may have been caused by “intentional unlawful conduct” at a private fertility clinic, which breached the code of practice for reproductive technology by lacking sufficient protective measures, a Hong Kong regulator has found. The Council on Human Reproductive Technology said on Friday that, following an investigation into the incident, it had ordered service provider Heal Fertility to comply with the Human Reproductive Technology Ordinance and the code to prevent any recurrence of similar incidents. “The council confirmed that no embryos were mixed up or wrongly implanted into the human body in the incident,” it said. It concluded that “intentional unlawful conduct by an individual” was the main cause of the embryo biopsy specimen mix-up at Heal Fertility’s clinic in Central. The council said it would continue to provide professional support to police in an ongoing criminal investigation into the case.
Researchers developed a material that they say opens up a ‘novel approach’ to recover the nuclear fuel from the world’s oceans The team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Qingdao did this using a material they developed called PhosCage – a sponge-like molecular structure filled with phosphate groups that act as chemical traps. They then turned PhosCage into millimetre-sized beads that are easier to deploy and retrieve in the open ocean. The beads captured 22.55mg per gram and continued to work through seven cycles of reuse. “This work opens up a novel approach to extracting uranium from seawater and lays the groundwork for adsorbents that can capture more uranium and eventually be used on a large scale,” the team from the CAS’ Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology said in the statement.
The move comes as governments the world over are tightening oversight of data centres even as tech investments in such facilities surge The projects were halted to give officials time to develop new industry regulations, expected to be announced in a month, Danucha Pichayanan, secretary general of the National Economic and Social Development Council, said at a press briefing on Friday. Danucha spoke after the first meeting of the country’s data centre supervision commission, led by Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas. “Today’s decision doesn’t mean Thailand is closing the door to data-centre investment because the industry is critical to the country’s competitiveness,” Ekniti said. “We simply want clear and consistent standards in place to ensure the industry can grow sustainably.” Thailand would establish uniform oversight of data centres in operation as well as those being developed, Danucha said. Governments the world over are tightening oversight of data centres as the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence has led to a surge in such facilities.
With wheels and four legs, aid for visually impaired people represents push to expand AI and robotics into more applications A Chinese defence industry research facility has unveiled what it calls the world’s first wheeled and legged robot guide dog for visually impaired people, in an example of the sector’s push into a growing range of civilian applications. Hangzhou-based Zhiyuan Research Institute, affiliated with China North Industries Group, the country’s largest defence contractor, launched the robot, dubbed Xiaoyuan, on Friday at the China Care and Rehabilitation Expo in Beijing. Equipped with wheels for smooth movement on flat ground and four legs for climbing stairs, the robot was designed to help visually impaired people navigate independently, according to the institute. The wheeled design allowed the robot to move quietly, an important feature for those who rely on their hearing to perceive their surroundings, the institute said. Meanwhile, it could also identify overhead obstacles such as low-hanging branches, which could be difficult to detect with traditional mobility aids such as canes.
Global refined-product exports were down 25 per cent year on year in August, with losses concentrated in Russia and the Persian Gulf, analysts say This summer, David Chen, a Chinese national living in Japan, got an unexpected lesson in global industrial supply chains – delivered through a bag of potato chips. When popular Japanese snack brand Calbee replaced its signature colourful packaging with monochrome designs, Chen initially assumed it was a marketing gimmick. “Then news reports explained the switch stemmed from a naphtha supply crunch. I even looked up the word,” Chen said. Naphtha, a flammable liquid processed from crude oil, might not be a household name, yet it serves as a foundational input in polyester fibres, packaging and industrial solvents. The squeeze has prompted Japanese media to coin a new term: “naphtha bankruptcies”, reflecting mounting anxiety among some companies over securing vital oil-derived inputs. A June survey by corporate research firm Tokyo Shoko Research underscored the widespread impact, finding that about 80 per cent of more than 7,000 responding firms had difficulty procuring oil-derived products. However, behind Japan’s localised squeeze lies a wider strain on global supply.
Washington aims not only to counter growing Chinese influence but to reestablish hegemonic control in the region Washington’s response under President Donald Trump has not been subtle. Rather than competing economically, the administration has reverted to traditional gunboat diplomacy under the so-called Donroe Doctrine. Washington has been employing outright imperialist methods that undermine international law and the sovereign interests of America’s neighbours in the region. Washington doesn’t even bother to hide the true intention behind the violent regime change. The Pentagon is expected to take a direct stake in the parent of North American Blue Energy Partners, the private oil producer hand-picked by Washington for the deal.
Hong Kong is expected to raise the final issuance to the upper limit of HK$55 billion, as applications from elderly investors have surged Investors submitted 478,000 bids for HK$119.8 billion (US$15.28 billion) worth of bonds during the offering period, which ended at 2pm on Friday, according to a government spokesman. In light of the strong demand, the government is expected to raise the final issuance to the upper limit of HK$55 billion, from the original HK$50 billion, according to the spokesman. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority will announce the final allotment results on September 11, with the bonds set to be issued on September 15. About 60 per cent of traders expected the Fed to implement a 0.25 percentage point rate increase as of Thursday, while 40 per cent expected no rate change, according to data from CME FedWatch, which is based on Fed funds futures contracts.
Agentic AIs now use five times as many tokens as humans, giving lower-priced models from Chinese firms a competitive edge, analysts say The global artificial intelligence boom recently crossed a landmark threshold: autonomous agents now consume more than five times as much data as human users, triggering a surge in processing costs that is giving lower-priced Chinese models a competitive edge, according to analysts. Unlike traditional chatbots that simply respond to human prompts, these agents operate independently to execute multi-step workflows, such as writing software, conducting research or managing business operations. A single assignment can trigger a cascade of automated model calls as an agent plans its task, searches databases, invokes software tools and audits its own results. This shift has dramatically altered the economics of AI deployment. Agentic requests consumed about 15 times more tokens – the basic units of data processed by an AI model – than standard human queries, according to data from model aggregator OpenRouter compiled by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.
Chinese weapons are gaining favour as the West African country cuts ties with Western suppliers, analyst says In footage released by the Burkinabe president’s office on Tuesday, multiple missiles were fired from a mobile launch vehicle. A matching search radar vehicle also appeared in the video. It did not say when the tests were carried out but this is the first time the landlocked country has shown the short-to-medium range missile system. Song Zhongping, a Chinese military commentator and former People’s Liberation Army instructor, said that in the past countries such as Burkina Faso had relied heavily on France and the United States. “However, they now want to break free from this dependence on Western powers, adopting an independent foreign policy while choosing self-armament,” Song said.
Military links have brought waves of Americans to Thailand since the 1940s, with the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln the latest to visit The Amazon deliveries stopped reaching the USS Abraham Lincoln in February as it entered the conflict zone with Iran. A few weeks later – much to the chagrin of the sailors on board – even that most American of meals, the hamburger, was compromised by supply shortages when burger buns ran out. “I lost a lot of weight on board,” said one young sailor, who was not authorised to speak to the media. “But I’m putting it back on here. We’re just eating and drinking as much as we can.” The Lincoln, whose fighter jet squadrons have launched strikes on Iran, has spent a record time at sea, with complaints over food shortages and even the crew’s mental health reaching American media. The length of its deployment without shore leave has stirred fierce debate over the White House’s treatment of its service personnel during the war on Iran. It is a conflict, fought alongside Israel, that was meant to take a few days or weeks but is now in its seventh month as Tehran fights to a stalemate.
American ice cream chain says flagship store to open in Causeway Bay in November, followed by three other outlets across city American ice cream chain Dairy Queen will open four Hong Kong outlets in the fourth quarter of this year, as part of an ambitious expansion plan amid a wave of food and retail shop closures across the city. Dairy Queen, an 85-year-old brand, said on Friday that it would launch its flagship store at One Causeway Bay shopping centre on Hong Kong Island in November, followed by three other outlets in Kowloon, the New Territories and the outlying islands before the end of the year. “Following Causeway Bay, the Kwun Tong store in Kowloon is already under hoarding,” the company said. “A total of four stores are set to open this quarter, strategically covering Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the New Territories and the outlying islands.” The Kwun Tong store is located in The Angle shopping centre. The coming stores mark the brand’s return to Hong Kong after a short-lived opening in Causeway Bay in 1979. The company said it had a fresh store concept tailored for Hong Kong, featuring five product lines, including milkshakes, parfaits and uniquely designed ice cream cakes.
Yang Zhibin and Samuel Paparo meet to keep communication lines open between the two armed forces China and the US have ended a two-year break in command-level contact with a meeting in Canada between the top PLA officer overseeing the Taiwan Strait and his US Pacific counterpart. The conference was co-hosted by the Canadian Armed Forces and the US Pacific Command and took place from Monday to Wednesday. A total of 32 senior military representatives from 29 countries attended. This is the second theatre-level contact since China scaled back military ties with the US in August 2022. Engagement resumed after the Chinese and US presidents agreed in San Francisco in 2023 to restart communications between the People’s Liberation Army and the Pentagon.
Seoul protests about an official reference to ‘two states’ in Korea, while Beijing complains about an art exhibition’s ‘Taiwan Pavilion’ China and South Korea have exchanged formal protests over the highly sensitive Taiwan question and Korean unity. “Because the Chinese side’s post-meeting statement included the expression ‘two states’ and this differs from what we think, we raised a serious objection,” Wi said. South Korea does not recognise North Korea as a separate sovereign state, instead viewing the Korean peninsula as a single territory awaiting reunification.
The Labour Party has asked police to investigate after a report said Reform might have arranged for a foreign donor to pay for opinion polls Reform denied any wrongdoing and said it had been the victim of a hoax perpetrated by climate activists. The investigation, broadcast by Channel 4 just as Reform’s annual conference opened to the public, said two senior figures in Reform had arranged for a US company to pay more than £30,000 (US$40,586) for three opinion polls commissioned by the party. Such an arrangement could breach British laws on political funding, which ban foreign donations. Posing as wealthy donors from the United States with British connections, the undercover team from an investigative group called Verbatim said it spent a year speaking to top officials in Reform about possible donations, culminating in a lunch with Farage.
Victorian-style property, open since 2005, will feature Disney movie-themed rooms in makeover, with no reopening date set Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel will temporarily close from October 12 for a comprehensive renovation and upgrade, with no completion date announced, as the resort shifts focus to seasonal culinary offerings and immersive storytelling. Hong Kong Disneyland announced on Friday that the Victorian-style property, open since 2005, will be revamped with Disney movie-themed rooms, while retaining the hotel’s classic charm. “As the world’s only Disney resort backed by mountains and facing the sea, this place perfectly blends Disney magic with natural scenery, bringing guests a unique holiday experience,” said Anita Lai Pui-shan, vice-president of communications and public affairs. “The renovated hotel will retain its classic charm while integrating immersive story experiences, innovative design and better service, further consolidating Hong Kong Disneyland’s leading position in regional tourism.” The closure leaves the resort’s two other properties to absorb demand. Disney Explorers Lodge offers 750 rooms while Disney’s Hollywood Hotel has 600 rooms.
Hong Kong corruption watchdog says defendants colluded to make pay claims for staff who were not on shift, defrauding retail giant of HK$3.2 million Five former employees of Hong Kong supermarket chain ParknShop and its contractors have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud by falsifying workers’ attendance records to cheat the retail giant of HK$3.2 million (US$408,000). The defendants – Lau Kin-pong, 44, then a senior supervisor at ParknShop’s eCommercial Distribution Centre, Tai Kin-man, 43, then assistant manager of Earnward Warehouse, and three former warehouse workers employed by Logistics Network Management, Wong Wai-fung, 27, Wong Pak-kan, 28, and Lau Tsz-pan, 28 – all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud at the District Court on Friday. The corruption watchdog said the scheme was carried out at ParknShop’s eCommercial Distribution Centre, where logistics personnel sorted online orders and packed goods for delivery to customers. The workers were supplied by a contractor, Logistics Network Management, but supervised by another company, Earnward Warehouse.
The Hugging Face breach in July highlights the importance of being able to inspect what models are ‘thinking’, say analysts When announcing Astra on Thursday, OpenAI said it was “the world’s most intelligent and aligned model,” with a “significant jump in cyber capabilities”. OpenAI president Greg Brockman said at the end of a press call announcing Astra’s arrival that it likely represents AGI, or artificial general intelligence – AI that matches or outperforms human intelligence. However, OpenAI also said the model’s written reasoning was “harder to monitor” compared with GPT-5.6 Sol, the previous generation released in July. “We have found that GPT-6 Astra is more capable of controlling its own CoT (chain of thought) than GPT-5.6 Sol, and less likely to include incriminating information in its CoT,” OpenAI said, referring to the intermediate reasoning steps an AI generates while solving a task. The shift in visibility stems from a technique known as recurrent depth, or looped transformers, which reuses parts of a neural network. As a result, it processes complex logic inside hidden mathematical loops rather than in step-by-step readable text, The Information reported on Tuesday ahead of the launch.
At least three JL-10s carrying PL-5 missiles were involved in incident at disputed atoll in what could be a more cost-effective tactic The footage showed the Chinese jet’s electronic systems locking onto three Philippine aircraft, identifying their models as a BN-2A Islander utility aircraft, a C-208 single-engine turboprop and a PA-31T twin-engine turboprop. A green crosshair was also shown tracking one of the aircraft. “Philippine aircraft, you have intruded into the territorial airspace of China’s Huangyan Dao. Leave immediately, leave immediately. Otherwise, we will take measures,” a Chinese pilot was heard saying in both Chinese and English over the radio. Scarborough Shoal – a coral atoll which is known as Huangyan Dao in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines – has been a major flashpoint between the two countries in recent years. China has controlled the area since 2012 and released baselines for the territorial sea around it in 2024. The Philippines – which challenges the Chinese claim with occasional ship and aircraft activities in the area – filed its own territorial sea baselines for the shoal with the United Nations in July.
While North Point shop deal falls through, former home of Insomnia bar in Lan Kwai Fong sells for 60 per cent less than its 2015 value A foreclosure sale in Hong Kong’s Lan Kwai Fong area and a cancelled shop transaction in North Point reflect the impact of weak consumer spending on Hong Kong’s retail property market, which will remain under pressure through the end of the year, according to analysts. The Lan Kwai Fong property, home of well-known bar Insomnia until it closed in 2024, recently changed hands for 60 per cent less than its value in a 2015 sale. Meanwhile, the deal for the large street shop on King’s Road in North Point abruptly fell through after two months. The retail property market would continue to struggle through the end of the year because banks were unwilling to lend, while the future outlook depended on whether they were prepared to loosen the credit taps, said Edwin Lee, founder and CEO of Bridgeway Prime Shop Fund Management. “There are still many foreclosed properties on the market, but the biggest issue is that banks are taking a very cautious stance on commercial real estate mortgages,” he said.
The United States and China joined other G20 nations in supporting light-touch regulation for artificial intelligence (AI) this week, creating rare agreement between the tech rivals and a potential foundation for further discussions ahead of an upcoming presidential summit. G20 nations agreed to adopt sector-specific rules for AI and avoid creating new AI regulators at a meeting in North Carolina. The Carolina Principles also call for close cooperation between governments and developers in...
City in race to lure bullion custody as geopolitical risks intensify scrutiny of gold storage, Goldman Sachs report says The city faces competition from Singapore, which is expected to launch central bank gold-vaulting services in October as part of efforts to cement its status as a gold trading hub in Asia. Where central banks chose to store gold came down to three factors, said Iggy Ioppe, a Wall Street veteran with more than two decades of experience across proprietary trading and private capital markets. “Legal certainty, political neutrality and the ability to get the metal out and use it in a crisis without needing anyone’s permission,” he said. “Hong Kong has no capital controls today and free convertibility is foundational policy. [The question] is what a reserve manager believes about them under stress, 10 to 20 years out.” Where central banks stored gold appeared increasingly a growing priority for reserve managers, according to a Goldman Sachs report on August 14.
Sudden Himalayan mudslides and Southeast Asian flooding potentially trigger diplomatic friction and highlight need to boost warning systems Cross-border disasters along China’s frontiers are putting Beijing’s neighbourhood diplomacy to the test as climate shocks grow and expose strategic vulnerabilities. Beyond the Himalayas, a wave of extreme weather also battered China’s southern frontiers, with torrential rain triggering severe flash flooding and landslides on China’s borders with Vietnam and Laos last week. The record floodwater level submerged economic zones and forced the closure of a crucial checkpoint between China and Laos, as well as several key highways and an airport in the developing Southeast Asian country, over the weekend. Liu Zongyi, a senior fellow and director of the Centre for South Asia Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, said dealing with climate-driven disasters would be a “new subject” for China’s foreign policy. Amid the bitter power rivalry with the US, China has in recent years shifted its focus to ties with neighbouring countries, which it sees as crucial to national security and a buffer against pressure from the West.
When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, the encounter was short and carefully choreographed while the message was warm. Modi had earlier said that stable and predictable ties between the two nations matter for a multipolar Asia and world. The larger moment will come on September 12 and 13, when Xi is expected to visit New Delhi for the first time in seven years. He is likely to lead a...
The confidential filing could see the hi-tech provider listed in Hong Kong by year-end Yunxi Technology, officially one of China’s “little giants”, has submitted a confidential initial public offering application to Hong Kong’s stock exchange, according to people familiar with the matter. The Guangzhou-based start-up was valued at 10 billion yuan (US$1.27 billion) in its latest private funding round and was working with Bocom International on the deal, aiming to raise “several hundred million [US] dollars”, said the people, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue. While the listing is targeted to take place by the end of this year, the timing and size remain subject to change, the people said. High-profile backers include Chinese billionaire Jack Ma’s Yunfeng Capital and investment firm HSG Capital. Yunxi did not immediately respond to South China Morning Post’s request for comment. Founded in 2016, Yunxi provides end-to-end digital growth products and tools to help major clients across the consumer goods, retail, real estate and automotive sectors integrate artificial intelligence into their operations.
TrendForce says 20 per cent increase is “moderate”, with memory costs for 256-gigabyte iPhone 18 Pro model up nearly 400 per cent in a year Apple’s next flagship smartphone, the iPhone 18 Pro, could cost as much as US$1,319 for the base configuration as skyrocketing memory costs push smartphone prices to record highs, according to a recent report. Prices for the new iPhone line-up were projected to rise by 10 to 20 per cent, driven by soaring memory costs, market research firm TrendForce said in a report released on Thursday. Compared with the baselines of US$1,099 for the iPhone 17 Pro and US$1,199 for its Pro Max variant, consumers would be facing a substantial price increase. However, TrendForce said the increase represented a “moderate pricing approach” by Apple, given that memory costs for the 256-gigabyte iPhone 18 Pro model were estimated to be nearly 400 per cent higher than at this time last year. Apple would absorb part of the soaring component prices to maintain market share, amid a weak global macroeconomic environment and more cautious consumer spending, TrendForce said.
The detentions come amid a broader push by Beijing to curb illicit financial schemes and cross-border fraud networks Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Singapore Police Force revealed the arrests in a joint statement on Friday, noting that Chinese authorities were still investigating the cases. Sim Ann, Singapore’s second minister for foreign affairs, said consular officers from the country’s embassy in Beijing and its consulate in Guangzhou had visited all 52 detainees to check on their well-being, help with administrative matters and relay messages between the detainees and their families. Sim, who is also the second minister for home affairs, has met relatives of most of the detainees to offer support during what she called an “understandably difficult time”. While officials did not give details of the operations involved, multilevel marketing scams have repeatedly been targeted in police crackdowns in Guangxi. These include the long-running “1040 Sunshine” scheme, which dupes people into paying 69,800 yuan (US$10,390) on the false promise of a 10.4 million yuan return. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported on police crackdowns targeting the scam as early as 2014.
China’s expanding outbound capital and US bonds’ surging yields are in spotlight this week China has been expanding its outbound-investment channels, with a new quota granted and greater overseas allocation by the nation’s pension fund. However, the financial world beyond the mainland is seeing volatility as US bond yields hit 20-month highs. Here are some of the figures that have drawn the most market attention this week. Eighteen money managers, including China Asset Management and GF Fund Management, received US$100 million each, while more than 20 Chinese banks’ wealth-management units received quotas for the first time.
Insights into how the ancient concrete grows denser could help create a low-carbon modern version and explain how the Great Pyramid endured An alternative scientific theory suggests the blocks might have been cast from an early form of concrete, but that idea has long faced a critical question: how could such an artificial material survive for more than 4,500 years, while some modern buildings could suffer wear and damage in merely a few decades? Now, a new study on nearly 2,000-year-old Roman concrete may provide a materials-science clue that breathes new life into the concrete hypothesis. Published in the peer-reviewed academic journal Science Advances in July, the research reveals that ancient Roman concrete not only resists decay but actually grows stronger over centuries through a self-healing process. A team led by Zhu Xiaohong of Beijing University of Technology, with collaborators from the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Michigan, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, analysed concrete taken from a communal latrine at Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli, Italy.
The outstanding balance of stocks bought with borrowed money dropped to US$390.1 billion on Thursday after a brief rebound in August Chinese leveraged traders continue to unwind their bets on stocks, as unease over rising global bond yields and a lingering oil shock add uncertainty to the artificial intelligence trade. The outstanding balance of stocks bought with borrowed money dropped to 2.62 trillion yuan (US$390.1 billion) on Thursday after a brief rebound in August, according to data from China Securities Finance. That was 13 per cent below an all-time high of 3.01 trillion yuan set on June 25. Meanwhile, short positions on stocks rose to 29.2 billion yuan, near a two-year high. The subdued risk appetite aligned with global caution about risk assets after long-duration US Treasury yields rose to multi-year highs and Federal Reserve chairman Kevin Warsh signalled an interest-rate increase unless inflation moderated. Stocks were also capped by Beijing’s reluctance to introduce a broad stimulus package even after key economic data fell short of estimates in July.
He expects announcements on Board of Trade and American agricultural sales when Chinese leader visits Washington later this month “I am optimistic. The Chinese very much want to have a stable relationship. That’s the word they use: stability. We’re in favour of that as well,” Greer said in an interview with Fox News on Thursday. He also said announcements on operationalising the US-China Board of Trade and incentivising US agricultural sales to China would be the likely outcome of the summit between Xi and US President Donald Trump in Washington, which confirms reports by the South China Morning Post. “We expect we’ll also have some deliverables on the Board of Trade that we’ve talked about,” he said. “We’re getting together with our Chinese counterparts,” he added. The creation of the Board of Trade was announced in May following Trump’s visit to Beijing, alongside a new Board of Investment, as mechanisms for managing business ties between the world’s two largest economies.
We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Xi, Trump and Putin may hold trilateral meeting at next Apec forum, Kremlin says A senior Russian aide suggested on Tuesday that Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin could hold a...
Bank flags US risk premium as AI surge falters, undermining ‘Tina’ or ‘there is no alternative’ to dollar assets The ratio of US net international investment position (NIIP) liabilities to the combined assets of all net creditor nations has risen to 80 per cent, according to the Japanese investment bank. US NIIP liabilities reached US$21.9 trillion in 2025, equivalent to 71 per cent of gross domestic product, while the country’s portfolio liabilities have quadrupled to US$37.4 trillion in March 2026 from US$9.2 trillion before the global financial crisis, the bank’s data showed.
Even as China installs new solar and wind power capacity faster than the rest of the world combined, it is setting new benchmarks for the technologies through innovation. This year alone, Chinese companies and researchers have generated the first electricity from high-altitude winds 4,000 metres above Earth, cleared the last hurdle to commercialising a cheaper and more efficient alternative to silicon solar panels, begun trials of the world’s most powerful floating and fixed-bottom offshore wind...
The White House has slashed the number of places issuing visas on the continent at a time when Beijing is looking to open its doors The latest US visa restrictions on citizens of African countries are facing increasing criticism that they are not only punitive but also likely to backfire by driving those nations closer to China. Since August 1, visa services have been suspended in 25 African cities, forcing applicants to travel to other approved locations, sometimes in another country. Travellers from 30 African nations must also post a US$20,000 bond, which is refundable if they depart on time. Overall, Africa was the continent hardest hit by Donald Trump’s travel bans and visa restrictions. The State Department justified the latest policy by saying it was intended to strengthen “national security by promoting more uniform screening, vetting and adjudication standards”.
Lan Xiaohuan is a professor of economics at China Europe International Business School. His book, How China Works: An Introduction to China’s State-led Economic Development, has sold millions of copies in China and has been translated into multiple languages. Here, he discusses the economic realities behind China’s record trade surplus, the case for a stronger social safety net, and how public data infrastructure shapes the artificial intelligence race with the United States. SCMP Plus readers...
Insurance group will spend $370m on Fidelity Life, betting on population growth Daiichi Life's acquisition of a New Zealand insurer is part of efforts to boost the proportion of profit coming from overseas. (Photo by Takashi Miyazaki) TOKYO -- Japan's Daiichi Life Group will acquire New Zealand-based Fidelity Life Assurance under plans announced Thursday, betting on growth as immigration to the Oceanian country continues to boost the population.
Robust exports, rate hikes give South Korean currency a tailwind against dollar The won's strength contrasts with the weak yen, though authorities in both Japan and South Korea are seen as having intervened in July. (Source photos by Nikkei) TOKYO -- The won has strengthened on foreign exchange markets as chipmaker SK Hynix's listing in the U.S. and South Korean efforts to encourage exporters to repatriate funds help tap the brakes on the currency's long-standing structural weakness.
Streaming platform aims for hit exclusive titles to draw more viewers in growing market Amazon held an event in Tokyo on Sept. 3 announcing the strategy for its Prime Video platform in Japan, including upcoming releases. (Photo by Hiroki Sakuragi) TOKYO -- Amazon's Prime Video platform will more than double its investment in producing original content in Japan over the next two years, seeking hits to challenge Netflix's dominance in the country's streaming market.
'Milk runs' that streamline transport of aircraft parts will be expanded nationwide Nippon Express will provide support for the joint delivery network being launched by Subaru and other aircraft suppliers. (Nippon Express) UTSUNOMIYA, Japan -- Subaru and other Japanese aviation parts makers are banding together to make joint deliveries of components from subcontractors in order to reduce costs and workloads for the aircraft assembly supply chain, Nikkei has learned.
Kazuya Hamazaki anticipates earnings boost as supply chains shift focus to resilience Mitsui O.S.K. Lines carriers experienced higher than expected freight rates in July and August. (Mitsui O.S.K. Lines) TOKYO -- Japanese shipping operator Mitsui O.S.K. Lines is experiencing an earnings boost as the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz raises freight rates for ships carrying necessities, Chief Financial Officer Kazuya Hamazaki told Nikkei recently.
Historic advantages of long-term planning, fast decisions offset by governance worries The founder of Nidec stepped down as chairman emeritus earlier this year after governance issues came to light. (Photo by Atsushi Ooka) TOKYO -- Shares of businesses where founding family members have significant management control or major shareholdings have underperformed in recent years, with the advantages associated with such companies, such as speedy decision-making, fading as corporate governance reforms spread.
AI, drone swarms and cyberattacks rewrite warfare; democracies must prepare now A drone flies in a wooded area during a national resistance course for civilians in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine on Aug. 28. © Getty Images Sergiy Korsunsky is the former ambassador of Ukraine to Japan. He is now a senior adviser at Nihon Cyber Defence and distinguished global scholar at Temple University's Japan campus.
Emerging economies move to fill gap from Western majors' exit after military takeover Work had been stalled in Myanmar's Yadana gas field. (PTTEP) YANGON -- Work is getting back underway on developing Myanmar's gas fields after many Western companies pulled out following the country's 2021 military takeover, with energy companies from Thailand and elsewhere preparing to start drilling.
India's residential rooftop solar initiative is seen as key to easing the burden on the country's strained grid. © AP Despite progress, consumer barriers and differing utility incentives limit uptake BENGALURU -- It took three months of research before 25-year-old finance professional Sagar Agarwal took the plunge into rooftop solar, joining an initiative widely recognized as the largest of its kind in the world. But despite being a resident of Lucknow, which in April became the Indian city with the most residential solar installations, he was left frustrated by the friction he encountered -- a situation mirrored across the nation, whose lopsided rooftop solar rollout threatens to impinge on energy goals.
Electricity vendors look to cut exposure to Mideast turmoil by adding capacity Tokyo-based TG Octopus Energy aims to develop 200 small-scale solar projects per year through fiscal 2030. (Source photos by Nikkei, Octopus Energy) TOKYO -- A Japanese power retailer backed by the U.K.'s Octopus Energy plans to develop about 1,000 small-scale solar power plants in the greater Tokyo region, part of an effort to increase its own generation sources and shield itself from market fluctuations linked to tensions in the Middle East.
Humanoid models with precision and durability seen offering value TOKYO -- Japan is finding many new uses for homegrown humanoid robots beyond manufacturing, as domestic developers seek to compete with Chinese rivals by leveraging the precision and durability enhanced through factory production lines and other settings.
17 of 18 members call for notice of tests, as Palau hosts annual forum From left, Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Baron Waqa, Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr., Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Rick Houenipwela and New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Luxon at the press conference Sept. 3. (Photo by Sophie Mak) KOROR, Palau -- Pacific islands leaders collectively expressed concern on Thursday over a Chinese missile test launch in July that had divided the region.
Market sees Japan pension fund's rare August meeting as likelihood of increased yen asset buying The sharp appreciation in the yen might indicate signs of a reversed carry trade. (Photo by Takashi Miyazaki) TOKYO -- The yen traded in the upper 155 range against the dollar on Friday morning, continuing to strengthen from the previous day's 157 yen, amid speculation that the Bank of Japan could increase the pace of interest rate hikes faster than previously anticipated.
Dutch brewer also prioritizes growth in Malaysia, Indonesia and India Beers such as 'Tiger Crystal' and 'Heineken Silver' -- lighter beers with less bitterness -- have been developed in Asia to suit local tastes © Heineken TOKYO -- Dutch beermaker Heineken is stepping up investments in Vietnam with plans for the largest brewery in Asia and expanding beyond its premium Tiger brand into the mainstream beer market.
Britain must eliminate any Chinese spying risks in defense kit, experts say Britain should tighten its procurement process to ensure the country's military hardware and kit contain no Chinese-made parts -- including the uniforms -- experts say. © Reuters LONDON -- Britain must tighten military procurement rules to cut an "unhealthy dependency" on Chinese suppliers and stop focusing on choosing the "cheapest option," experts say.
Vanuatu says it will seek UN General Assembly opinion if Paris does not accept the ICJ’s jurisdiction on the disputed outcrops France is facing pressure to consent to the International Court of Justice taking up a decades-old territorial feud with Vanuatu, after Paris firmly reasserted its sovereignty over two strategically vital Pacific islands. Vanuatu filed an application with the UN’s top court earlier this week seeking recognition of its claim over the uninhabited Matthew and Hunter islands. However, the case cannot proceed without French consent, prompting Vanuatu to warn it would seek a UN General Assembly opinion if Paris blocks its ICJ bid. The ICJ, also known as the World Court, will not immediately accept the case. Under the court’s rules, the case can only proceed if France agrees international judges have jurisdiction over its disputes with other states. “No action will be taken in the proceedings unless and until France consents to the Court’s jurisdiction in the case,” the ICJ said in a press statement on Tuesday.
Chairman says it plans to invest US$1.49 billion in the new battery technology over the next two years Yin Tongyue, the chairman of the state-owned carmaker, which is based in central China’s Anhui province, said on Thursday that it would invest 10 billion yuan (US$1.49 billion) in the new battery technology over the next two years, with 1,200 engineers to be deployed in the hunt for innovative breakthroughs. “Multiple [battery] technology plans are being laid out,” he told the World Power Battery Conference in Yibin, Sichuan province, the National Business Daily reported. “We will not install them in our vehicles unless they prove to be absolutely safe.” But no solid-state batteries have been installed in mass-produced EVs.
Japan’s Mogami-class warship is turning out to be a hot item among global navies. Australia is buying 11, New Zealand is considering putting in an order – and now, even the United States is showing interest. According to a US Naval Institute report published on Tuesday, government and naval planners are looking at three possibilities: Japan’s Mogami-class frigates, South Korea’s Chungnam guided-missile frigate and Turkey’s Istanbul-class warship. This is the first time since World War II that a...
Chaozhou Three-circle (Group) posted surging first-half earnings as AI compute drives demand for MLCCs, alongside peers Fenghua and Viiyong in Guangdong’s “three musketeers” component cluster.
Yuejia Dynamics, a Shenzhen quadruped-robot startup founded in 2025, has deployed inspection robots in Shenzhen Metro and targets annual capacity of 10,000 units by the end of October.
Sugon has launched the N50 Pro, billed as the world’s first 64-thread mobile workstation, powered by an unnamed domestic x86 chip widely expected to be Hygon.
China’s 27th CIOE expo in Shenzhen puts optical interconnects in focus as AI compute pushes 400G, 800G and 1.6T modules plus LPO, NPO and CPO roadmaps.
JD Cloud is pushing a “physical AI” ambition from airport ads to its annual JDD conference, betting on robots, embodied data and home devices as AI moves from screens into the real world.
Reform must address AI-disrupted assessment, expand global learning in the curriculum, and offer alternative pathways beyond the DSE Much has been said about Hong Kong’s vitality as a higher education hub. Yet, a radical rethink of our primary and secondary school system is equally necessary. The need for a blueprint has never been clearer. Our world is increasingly defined by the powerful forces of automation enabled by artificial intelligence (AI), geopolitical tensions and flux, as well as conflicting values and perspectives. Workplaces and communities alike demand talent in possession of relational intelligence, technological literacy and pragmatism, and functional dexterity. The billion-dollar question is whether Hong Kong is equipping its youth with these desired characteristics. Or is a mixture of inertia and risk aversion holding us back from genuinely upskilling our workforce? Much greater emphasis must be placed on verbal communication and the in-depth dialogical cross-examination of ideas.
Photos of the incident quickly went viral, drawing over 100 million views on social media and sparking nationwide fury An impoverished county in southwestern China issued an apology for arranging its primary and junior secondary school teachers on stage to pose for photos alongside prominent characters depicting humiliation due to their students’ low test scores. The images, which went viral on social media, sparked widespread public condemnation. They were captured at an internal meeting organised by the Leibo County Education Bureau in Sichuan province in late August, as reported by Zhengzai News. During an award and punishment session, over 20 primary school teachers were instructed to stand on stage for a group photo, with a large screen behind them displaying the median scores from their students’ most recent exam, which were below 30 out of a total of 100. Two large Chinese characters, chi ru, meaning “humiliation” in English, were prominently displayed in the centre of the screen, directly behind the teachers.
Legendary experiments in ‘cat-turning’ from the 1850s can teach us about will, control and goal-seeking behaviour Cats are wonderful gymnasts. Their ability to land on their feet – even when dropped upside-down – caught the attention of two of the nineteenth century’s greatest mathematical physicists, Sir George Gabriel Stokes and James Clerk Maxwell. The remarkable feats of cats inspired these theorists to perform, in the 1850s, legendary experiments in “cat-turning”, as Maxwell later described: “There is a tradition in Trinity that when I was here I discovered a method of throwing a cat so as not to light on its feet, and that I used to throw cats out of windows,” he wrote. “I had to explain that the proper object of research was to find how quick the cat would turn round, and that the proper method was to let the cat drop on a table or bed from about two inches, and that even then the cat lights on her feet.” These pioneering experiments in cat-turning were limited by the available technology. High-speed photography revolutionised the subject.
White-collar, corporate jobs could be in the firing line as artificial intelligence proves quicker at tasks requiring data-heavy tech skills Her job involved combing through company filings and public records to produce market and competitor studies that sometimes ran to 500 pages. But AI could increasingly collect and organise the information, analyse data and generate charts in a fraction of the time. The pressure soon spread beyond individual jobs. Zhang recently learned that her former boss was also struggling with a declining number of clients, as they increasingly brought research in-house with AI, though her team had warned clients that AI could invent sources and produce convincing but unreliable findings. “They would rather trust AI because our reports were considered too expensive,” Zhang said.
Soon after becoming a mother, Hong Kong resident Sarah Tam enjoyed eight hours of sleep a night and yoga sessions at a post-partum care centre in neighbouring Shenzhen, where carers looked after her newborn around the clock. Tam, a 30-year-old social worker who gave birth in mid-July, spent a month at the facility in mainland China, recovering from delivery with total peace of mind. She said she felt completely at ease leaving her baby in their care, which allowed “mothers to truly focus on...
A new bill aims to establish a comprehensive safety framework, but experts say measures must target mitigating violence much earlier A bill pushed by lawmaker Bam Aquino will require schools to establish a comprehensive safety framework, including localised safety plans with guidelines on prevention, emergency response and recovery. The bill also includes establishing common standards for safety infrastructure, such as the use of surveillance cameras, mandatory screening and visitor management. Aquino, who chairs the Senate Committee on Basic Education, urged immediate approval of the bill as he invoked the names of students who died in the recent school attacks, warning that no more names must be added to the list. “We cannot accept that this will be part of a normal school life. We cannot wait for the next incident to happen before we act,” Aquino said on August 26.
Wei Lianyong, 51, reportedly died in Northern Mariana Islands on August 23, after he was found unresponsive at a local detention facility “Asian-Americans, Chinese-Americans, should be very concerned about this and very energised to stop what is essentially an attack on the existence of the community,” said Gabriel Chin, professor at the University of California, Davis School of Law. “We should not accept the idea that Chinese immigration is a bad thing because it’s Chinese because that’s inevitably going to affect the position of US citizens of Chinese ancestry.” Wei was arrested on August 21 by the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Public Safety on criminal charges following an alleged assault on a family of five at their home, according to ICE.
‘It’s going to happen,’ creator of Global Financial Centres Index says, as long as city maintains openness and predictability An Asian city will eventually overtake London and New York as the world’s leading financial centre, with Hong Kong well placed to compete for the top spot given its legal predictability and low tax burden, according to the creator of a closely watched ranking of financial hubs. “It’s going to happen because it’s so tight,” said Michael Mainelli, chairman of London-based think tank Z/Yen Group, in an interview with the South China Morning Post on Tuesday, referring to the narrowing gap between Hong Kong and the traditional leaders. In the March edition of the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI) – compiled twice a year by Z/Yen and Shenzhen’s China Development Institute – Hong Kong placed third, trailing London by a single point and New York by two. The next edition is set for release later this month. Mainelli attributed the tightening race to a broader structural shift towards Asia, which now accounts for roughly 40 per cent of global finance. “At some point, there will be an event,” he said, meaning a change at the top of the rankings.
This is the second time the administration has turned to the top court, after the curbs ordered by the president were blocked by a US judge President Donald Trump’s administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to let it enforce a new US Postal Service rule tightening the use of mail-in ballots, moving swiftly after a judge temporarily blocked the regulation ahead of November’s midterm elections. In an emergency request, the Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to lift Boston-based US District Judge Indira Talwani’s order temporarily preventing the USPS from enforcing the new rule, which it adopted following an executive order by the Republican president to restrict mail-in ballots. The USPS regulation would impose new voter-specific data and ballot envelope standards, and potentially refuse the delivery of ballots that do not comply, which critics say could disrupt thousands of legitimate votes as the November 3 vote approaches. Republicans are locked in a tight battle to retain control of Congress in the election. Critics say restricting mail-in ballots would stand to disproportionately benefit Republicans given that Democratic voters traditionally have been more likely to use mail-in ballots.
Former White House staffer calls for espionage and cyber options as Washington prepares for a potential Chinese breakthrough Jacob Stokes, deputy director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Centre for a New American Security (CNAS), said at an online event on Thursday that various US agencies, including the Department of Defense and the National Security Agency, should begin assessing what intelligence they need to justify taking such actions. “Trying to think through the particulars of that will be especially important, in part because it will help policymakers … start to work backwards based on the unique nature of the technology, in the same way that in a past era, policymakers would learn about nuclear weapons and … work backwards from the science to the policy implications,” he said. In a new CNAS report published last week, the former Obama administration national security staffer called for the US government to consider the feasibility of diplomatic, espionage, cyber and kinetic measures to prevent China from achieving AGI first.
Sentenced over US$76 million in bribes, Lenin Moreno and former ambassador Cai Runguo want Ecuador’s top court to spare them prison Former Ecuadorian president Lenin Moreno and a former Chinese ambassador to Quito asked the country’s highest court on Thursday to spare them the five-year sentences handed down last week over a US$76 million bribery scheme. Moreno was convicted of bribery by a three-judge panel of the National Court of Justice over contracts for Ecuador’s largest hydroelectric project secured by a Chinese state contractor. The judges found unanimously that he had used his position as vice-president, held from 2007 to 2013 before he won the presidency in 2017, to help secure financing for the Coca Codo Sinclair plant, built by Sinohydro, a unit of Chinese state group PowerChina. But the former president has not been detained and remains in Ecuador, and if the conviction is upheld, he would serve his term at home rather than in prison, because he is paraplegic. The judges will take up his request on September 7 and, if it is granted, his prison term would be suspended and replaced with conditions such as periodic reporting.
Electric vehicles generally travel abroad as finished, branded products. Chinese robotics could spread differently Unitree is a leading example of the first approach. Its strength in locomotion and motion control has helped push Chinese humanoids forward at remarkable speed, yet founder Wang Xingxing has also been candid about the software challenge ahead. He said last month that a breakthrough allowing robots to handle unfamiliar environments and tasks could come in two or three years in an optimistic case, or it could take as long as a decade.
A note from the foreman suggests that one juror ‘refuses to listen’ to the judge about what constitutes reasonable doubt A single juror in Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial is preventing the jury from reaching a unanimous verdict, her lawyer said in court on Thursday, after deliberations stretched into a sixth day over whether to convict the Massachusetts woman of killing her three young children. Defence lawyer Kevin Reddington made that statement shortly after the jury sent Judge William Sullivan in Plymouth, Massachusetts, a note that prompted him to reinstruct jurors on what would constitute “reasonable doubt”. After the jury was sent back to continue deliberating, Reddington moved to have a holdout juror removed, saying a note from the jury’s foreman indicated “there’s one juror who refuses to listen to the law that you’ve given him or her on reasonable doubt”. “If we come back here in half an hour with a mistrial because of a juror that has just spurned the instructions of this court, it’s a shame,” Reddington told the judge, who declined to remove the juror.
Darknavy gains full administrative control over SpaceX’s user terminal allowing research into the system’s security programmes This gives researchers unprecedented freedom, according to the pot, by reopening a long-missing entry point for in-depth security studies of the Starlink satellite system. As newer satellites are gradually equipped with laser links, some satellites can also communicate directly with one another via laser, reducing reliance on ground stations while improving transmission speeds and expanding global coverage. The terminal acts as both an antenna and a router, making it a critical node for direct communication with the satellites.
QE Barnet hopes to attract best with A-level results, music, sport offerings Queen Elizabeth's School Gurugram Founding Principal Craig Cook, right, with Head of Prep Sonal Chatrath, left. (Screenshot from the school's LinkedIn page) LONDON -- A top British state-funded school has opened fee-paying branches near New Delhi and in Dubai, hoping to draw wealthy families with its impeccable academic record and "superpremium" programs like soccer coaching links to Spain's Real Madrid football club.
Data center demand and China-US trade friction benefit the country Ferries transport vehicles and cargo at Cat Lai Port in Ho Chi Minh City on April 6. While Vietnam's exports boomed in the first eight months of the year, so did imports, nudging the country into a trade deficit. © Getty Images HO CHI MINH CITY -- Vietnam's eight-month trade volume reached a record $770 billion, the statistics office said Thursday, as the country benefited from artificial intelligence-driven demand for data centers and other goods.
High-profile appellants sought to help people injured and arrested in 2019 demonstrations Cardinal Joseph Zen, known as an outspoken advocate for civil liberties and political freedom, attends the sentencing of media mogul Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong in February, with Lai's wife, Teresa. Zen lost an appeal on Sept. 3 in a case over a fund he helped set up to support protesters in 2019. © Reuters TOKYO/HONG KONG -- A Hong Kong court on Thursday upheld the conviction of Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun in a high-profile case over a humanitarian fund he helped establish to support people hurt during citywide pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019.
Belgian producer localizes more production as customers seek supply chain security Solvay CEO Philippe Kehren speaks to Nikkei Asia in Taipei on Sept. 3. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi) TAIPEI -- Belgian chemical maker Solvay is set to more than double production capacity in Taiwan for its high-purity chipmaking chemical by 2026, eyeing the massive growth opportunity from booming demand for artificial intelligence chips, the company's CEO told Nikkei Asia.
WMO forecasts temperatures far above normal for much of the region Pedestrians hold parasols to cope with a heat wave in Tokyo on July 15: Forecasters are predicting the El Nino weather phenomenon will intensify, pushing up temperatures in much of Asia. © Reuters TOKYO -- The current El Nino climate phenomenon is almost 100% likely to persist through February 2027, bringing drought and elevated temperatures to much of Asia, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said with an unprecedented level of confidence on Thursday in its latest update.