Economy — 2,007 insights
Nikkei Asia Forum kicks off in Bangkok to discuss energy, mobility, AI
Economy

Nikkei Asia Forum kicks off in Bangkok to discuss energy, mobility, AI

Speakers include Thai deputy prime ministers, leaders from Sony, Didi and SGX From left: Sony Group Executive Chairman Kenichiro Yoshida, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas, and Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow. (Source photos by Nikkei) BANGKOK -- A major business forum hosted by Nikkei kicks off in Bangkok on Thursday, with over 20 company and political leaders from the Asia-Pacific set to discuss topics ranging from the energy crisis to mobility and the future of artificial intelligence.

July 16, 2026
Honda to build electric scooter in Vietnam as soon as September
Economy

Honda to build electric scooter in Vietnam as soon as September

Japan motorcycle maker banks on continued electric shift in cities Motorcycles and scooters are essential to daily life in Vietnam. (Photo by Yuji Nitta) HANOI -- Honda Motor plans to begin production of its UC3 electric motorcycle in Vietnam as early as September, General Director Sayaka Arai of local subsidiary Honda Vietnam told Nikkei, as the company expects a continued shift toward electric vehicles in urban areas.

July 16, 2026
Your new online friend may work for Beijing
Economy

Your new online friend may work for Beijing

China's AI tools are making cognitive warfare personal, persistent and cheap A fake video claiming that a demonstration calling for Okinawa's independence took place in Japan went viral after being posted on May 12, 2024. (Screenshot from bbcctv6's X page) Brett J. Goldstein is a professor at Vanderbilt University who specializes in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence and is Director of the Wicked Problems Lab at Vanderbilt's Institute of National Security.

July 16, 2026
Analysis: Xi Jinping tests Trump’s limits with Pacific SLBM firing
Economy

Analysis: Xi Jinping tests Trump’s limits with Pacific SLBM firing

Xi Jinping had an ulterior motive in launching an SLBM over the Pacific Ocean on July 6 -- to see if Donald Trump might acquiesce to a suggestion that Barack Obama long ago snubbed. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters and PLA Navy's WeChat account) Route sent a message to the Philippines while avoiding South Korea fallout Katsuji Nakazawa is a Tokyo-based senior staff and editorial writer at Nikkei. He spent seven years in China as a correspondent, and later as China bureau chief, and was the 2014 recipient of the Vaughn-Ueda International Journalist prize.

July 16, 2026
Taiwan eyes local AI as digital ‘bulwark’ against Chinese influence
Economy

Taiwan eyes local AI as digital ‘bulwark’ against Chinese influence

TAIDE aims to counter global models' tendency to reflect mainland language, views Taiwan's TAIDE is being developed as a homegrown AI model built with local data on top of open source foundations. (Illustration by Nikkei) TAIPEI -- Taiwan is rushing to further develop its local generative artificial intelligence model, aiming to protect its language and culture by countering the mainland Chinese content that other models are trained on.

July 16, 2026
China’s GDP growth rate of 4.3% marks slowest pace in over three years
Economy

China’s GDP growth rate of 4.3% marks slowest pace in over three years

Weak consumption weighs in second quarter; outlook hinges on exports remaining robust A worker assembles a wind turbine generator at an industrial park in Baotou, in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on June 13. The country's industrial production rose 5.4% in the first half of 2026, driven by robotic and semiconductor sectors. © Reuters TOKYO -- China's growth momentum slowed in the second quarter after a strong start to the year, underscoring the fragile state of the economy even though trade tensions with the U.S. and turmoil in the Middle East have so far been less damaging than feared.

July 15, 2026
Japan’s family photo app expands globally, chasing 100 million users
Economy

Japan’s family photo app expands globally, chasing 100 million users

Developer eyes services in local languages as home market faces declining birthrate Japanese photo sharing app FamilyAlbum allows parents to easily share photos of their children with relatives. It also offers photo printing and photo book creation services. (Source photos by Mixi) TOKYO -- FamilyAlbum, a Japanese developed app for sharing photos and videos mainly with family members, has ambitions to aggressively expand its number of users and services in overseas markets after surpassing 30 million of them on a cumulative basis as its home market faces population decline.

July 15, 2026
Bangladesh unifies QR payments to formalize cash-based economy
Economy

Bangladesh unifies QR payments to formalize cash-based economy

Nationwide rollout of Bangla QR expected to boost tax revenue and financial inclusion With Bangla QR, customers of any participating bank or mobile financial service can pay any merchant by scanning one QR code, consolidating an array of incompatible payment systems that had limited moves toward a cashless economy. (Screenshot from Bangladesh Bank's Facebook page) DHAKA -- Bangladesh has rolled out a nationwide interoperable QR payment system in an ambitious push to reduce the country's dependence on cash, formalize a vast informal economy and accelerate financial inclusion.

July 15, 2026
Indian capital promotes EVs to tackle severe air pollution
Economy

Indian capital promotes EVs to tackle severe air pollution

Delhi's smog-shrouded traffic in December, one of the most polluted times of year. © Reuters NEW DELHI -- The Delhi government, which administers India's capital region, is intensifying efforts to combat its alarming air pollution, including a new 150-billion-rupee ($1.57 billion) electric-vehicle push targeting vehicle emissions, a leading polluter.

July 15, 2026
Amazon courts China sellers with US customs-friendly warehouses
Economy

Amazon courts China sellers with US customs-friendly warehouses

New facility near Shanghai port follows Shenzhen center, with another coming soon Amazon's booth at a cross-border commerce exhibition in Hangzhou in early July: The company is expanding its warehousing in China. (Photo by Wataru Suzuki) HANGZHOU, China -- Amazon is building new warehouses near key ports in China to tap demand for compliant trade amid growing scrutiny of imported goods at U.S. customs.

July 15, 2026
KFC faces possible closures after cyberattack on Japan’s Nichirei
Economy

KFC faces possible closures after cyberattack on Japan’s Nichirei

Shares of food distribution company fall 5% as disruption widens The KFC fried chicken chain might have to shorten operating hours at some stores or temporarily close them as it deals with disruptions to ingredient deliveries after a cyberattack on food logistics company Nichirei. (Photo by Yui Sato) TOKYO -- Kentucky Fried Chicken stores in Japan may face temporary closures or shorter operating hours after a cyberattack crippled the distribution network of Nichirei, the nation's largest frozen food maker, disrupting deliveries of key ingredients, including chicken.

July 15, 2026
Australia unveils AI standards to shape roll out of technology
Economy

Australia unveils AI standards to shape roll out of technology

Albanese says country will regulate data center construction and training of models Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese delivers a speech titled "AI in Australia's Interests" at the University of Sydney on July 15. © Reuters BANGKOK -- Australia will implement "world-leading" artificial intelligence standards, building on its pioneering role in establishing a social media ban for children to "shape the future rather than letting the future of AI shape us," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Wednesday.

July 15, 2026