China Executive Insights
Tech Latest: Tune in to Nikkei Asia's podcast for the freshest updates on the tech sector Welcome to the Tech Latest podcast. Every Tuesday, our tech experts Katey Creel and Shotaro Tani deliver the hottest trends and news from the sector. In this episode, Katey speaks with Taipei correspondent Cheng Ting-Fang about Taiwan's most ambitious space mission yet and the island's plans to build a homegrown space industry.
Ruling party shows rare vulnerability as it bows to youths' criticism Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a new political force to contend with, Gen Z. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters) NEW DELHI -- The resignation of India's education minister following weeks of youth-led protests over the alleged leaks of exam questions marks a rare instance in which a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet had to step down in the face of public demands.
Austrian company expands Malaysia operations as AI demand outpaces substrate capacity Michael Mertin, chief executive of Austrian substrate supplier AT&S, says AI chips have increased the complexity of vendor-supplier relations. "You have to cooperate, you have to think, you have to have a joint roadmap." (Source photos by Norman Goh and AT&S Facebook page) PENANG, Malaysia -- The global artificial intelligence boom is creating a new bottleneck in semiconductor manufacturing as demand for advanced chip packaging services and substrates outstrips supply, according to Austrian supplier AT&S.
LNG terminal fault adds to energy woes, leads to production cuts of up to 40% An outage at Excelerate Energy's Moheshkhali Floating LNG terminal has deprived Bangladesh's national grid of about 17 million cubic meters of gas a day. Petrobangla says the outage was caused by a spark in a control panel at the terminal. © AP DHAKA -- The shutdown of one of Bangladesh's two floating liquefied natural gas import terminals has disrupted factory operations across the country, reducing gas supplies and forcing manufacturers to cut production.
Border crossings surge as residents chase bargains, 'superior' service Chinese border officers stand at Lo Wu Control Point in 2023. Traveler numbers have surged in recent years at this spot and the five other major land checkpoints between Hong Kong and mainland China. © Reuters HONG KONG -- Hong Kong resident Eva Chan has in recent months found a new favorite dating spot: Shenzhen, the neighboring city just across the border in mainland China.
Whitehaven CEO says uncertainty over costs makes budgeting difficult Australia is considering building a fuel refinery in Karratha, Western Australia, amid ongoing supply concerns caused by the U.S.-Iran war. © AP CANBERRA -- Australian authorities will study building the country's first new fuel refinery since the 1960s as volatile diesel prices triggered by the Iran war continue to cause headaches for the country's mining industry.
Chinese EV manufacturer aims to make splash with competitively priced model BYD executives launch the all-electric Racco kei minicar in Tokyo on July 28. Standing at left is Liu Xueliang, BYD vice president and president of BYD Japan. At right is Atsuki Tofukuji, president of BYD Auto Japan. (Photo by Marie Yoshimura) TOKYO -- Chinese automaker BYD started selling an electric kei minicar in Japan on Tuesday, underscoring how the country's unique vehicle segment long dominated by domestic automakers is beginning to face competition from overseas rivals.
Lenders are carrying $9.4tn more in deposits than they have out in loans A shopping mall in Beijing. Falling home prices have generated a persistent negative wealth effect that continues to weigh on Chinese consumers. BEIJING -- Cash is piling up in China's banking system as businesses and households cut back on borrowing amid mounting economic uncertainty fueled by escalating tensions in the Middle East and a yearslong property downturn.
TSMC, Sony and Fujifilm evacuate plants after magnitude-7.1 temblor An Aeon mall in Japan's Kumamoto prefecture was damaged in an earthquake on July 28, with authorities saying many people could be trapped inside. © Kyodo TOKYO -- Around 20 to 30 people are feared trapped inside a mall in Japan's southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto after a magnitude-7.1 earthquake triggered an explosion and caused part of the building to collapse on Tuesday afternoon. The explosion occurred at Aeon Mall Kumamoto in the town of Kashima after customers were evacuated, major Japanese retailer Aeon reported. Police sources said employees were among those who may still be inside the complex. Aeon said it was investigating the cause of the explosion and the extent of the damage. The earthquake struck around 4:27 p.m. at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported. It registered the maximum intensity of 7 on Japan's seismic scale in the city of Uki and the town of Hikawa. Shaking of such intensity can tilt or topple buildings with low seismic resistance. Strong aftershocks continued for hours afterward, with four quakes measuring lower 5 or above recorded by 8 p.m.
Pop Mart readies NYC flagship store while Luckin moves into former Starbucks shops Labubu seller Pop Mart, Luckin Coffee and ice cream chain Mixue are among the Chinese brands making forays into New York. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters) NEW YORK -- Chinese brands are gaining traction with thrifty young consumers in the U.S. as inflation creates a tailwind for businesses competing on price, even in areas once led by Japanese companies like sushi and character merchandise.
Commerce ministry seeks to rebrand 'China Shock 2.0' as innovation opportunity Cars are lined up for export at Shanghai's port on July 14. (China Daily via Reuters) SHANGHAI -- China on Tuesday issued a lengthy rebuttal to claims that it is enabling industrial overcapacity, as the U.S. and Europe ready new tariffs and other trade curbs on Chinese imports.
A partnership of equals needs joint planning, production and deterrence Valiant Shield is a large-scale military exercise led by the U.S. in the Western Pacific that includes allies including Japan. (Screenshot from U.S. Navy's Facebook page) David Santoro is president and CEO of the Hawaii-based Pacific Forum, which runs the annual Honolulu Defense Forum, an event that facilitates dialogue between public and private-sector actors to bolster U.S. and allied deterrence in an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific.