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Economy

Japan Inc. racks up $130bn in paper property gains, drawing investor pressure

Activist shareholders pressure companies to sell real estate for better asset efficiency Unrealized gains in corporate rental properties in Japan rose 25% in five years. (Photo by Rie Ishii) TOKYO -- The real estate owned by listed Japanese companies has amassed paper gains totaling an estimated 20 trillion yen ($128 billion), prompting activist investors to pressure the businesses to sell off the assets for better capital efficiency.

May 8, 2026

Economy

Daiwa House buys regional US homebuilder, tapping into fast-growing market

United Homes acquisition seen helping Japanese group expand in Southeast OSAKA -- Japanese homebuilder Daiwa House Industry said Thursday that it has completed the acquisition of United Homes Group, an American residential builder based in South Carolina.

May 8, 2026

Economy

BMW, Mercedes struggle to make luxury cars with Chinese characteristics

Tech-oriented homegrown models are eating German automakers' lunch BMW chose Beijing for the world premiere of its refreshed flagship 7 Series in April. (Photo by Tomoko Wakasugi) BERLIN/SHANGHAI -- Sales of German luxury cars are slumping in China as local rivals roll out models with the high-tech features that Chinese buyers want.

May 8, 2026

Economy

The Iran war has exposed global shipping’s weakest links

Massive investment, unprecedented global coordination needed for secure, efficient future A drone view shows cargo ships sailing in Hong Kong on Oct. 17, 2025. © Reuters James David Spellman is principal of Strategic Communications, a consulting firm based in Washington.

May 8, 2026

Economy

Asia propels global carbon-cutting investments to record $2.3tn

China tops world, Japan sees 44% growth despite US headwinds against renewables Solar power generation jumped by 43% during 2025 in China, the leading country for energy transition investments. © Reuters TOKYO -- The Asia-Pacific region provided crucial momentum as global decarbonization investments climbed an estimated 8% to a record $2.3 trillion in 2025, defying U.S. political headwinds against spending on sustainability.

May 8, 2026

Economy

No spring thaw for Japan-China diplomacy 6 months after Taiwan spat

Countries' top officials yet to meet as former communication channels erode Remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi late last year raised tensions with China. (Source photos by Nikkei) TOKYO -- There's a saying that time heals all wounds. But in the six months since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks about Taiwan chilled Tokyo-Beijing relations, the two sides have yet to feel a thaw.

May 8, 2026

Economy

Nissan unit should expand dividends 80-fold, investor says

Strategic Capital to call for 'maximum returns' to reward shareholders Nissan Shatai makes sport utility vehicles for parent Nissan Motor. © Reuters TOKYO -- Strategic Capital will submit a shareholder proposal calling on Nissan Shatai to greatly increase dividend payouts, the Japanese activist investor said Thursday.

May 8, 2026

Economy

VinFast rival Selex launches open EV charging network with Petrolimex

Motorbike startup expands Vietnam battery swapping with state gas-station firm A VinFast charging station in Hanoi. Vietnam's largest EV maker has built a proprietary charging network that is slowing the country's adoption of electric vehicles. (Photo by Yuki Kohara) HO CHI MINH CITY -- VinFast rival Selex launched a joint venture with Vietnamese gas-station giant Petrolimex to build electric vehicle charging and battery-swap stations that do not demand brand loyalty.

May 8, 2026

Economy

Set to host Trump, Xi targets stability under cloud of Iran uncertainty

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping tour the Forbidden City in Beijing in November 2017. The U.S. leader is poised to visit the Chinese capital again next week. © AP China expected to use leverage to preserve trade truce, shape US policy on Taiwan TOKYO/HONG KONG -- When Donald Trump met Xi Jinping for the first time in Florida in 2017, the U.S. president told his Chinese counterpart of missile strikes on Syria over what he called the "most beautiful piece of chocolate cake." Now, their plans to meet next week in Beijing are being overshadowed by another American military engagement in the Middle East.

May 8, 2026

Economy

Philippine GDP growth slows to 2.8% as Iran war batters economy

Economist predicts further slowdown in Q2 as inflation soars Jeepney drivers gather to receive government cash aid in Manila on April 16. Transportation workers are among those hit hardest by soaring fuel prices in the Philippines, which imports 98% of its oil needs. © Reuters MANILA -- The Philippine economy grew 2.8% on an annualized basis in the January-March period, the slowest quarterly growth in five years, due to fallout from the Iran war, the government said Thursday.

May 7, 2026

Economy

Malaysia grapples with securing real-time payments in the AI era

ASEAN collaboration also in the spotlight as cross-border QR transactions surge QR payments in Malaysia surged to about 3.48 billion in 2024, up from 109 million five years earlier, a more than thirtyfold increase. They remain on the rise. © Visa Malaysia KUALA LUMPUR/SINGAPORE -- Malaysia's real-time payments system is entering a phase of greater complexity as artificial intelligence begins to take on a more active role in how money moves, raising concerns that fraud and systemic risks are evolving faster than safeguards.

May 7, 2026

Economy

AI threatens India’s software exporters and the middle class it built

Pathway to success and prosperity under software boom looks uncertain amid tech shift The arrival of artificial intelligence is threatening the core business model of manpower-based billing, as clients now gravitate towards rewarding impact over input. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters) BENGALURU -- In the mid-1990s, dinner table conversations at Rajdeep Palchowdhury's one-bedroom tenement in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata often revolved around his future. Almost every time, his parents concluded that he ought to work in software.

May 7, 2026