eChina.news

Economy

Indian film trailer reignites debate over use of pellet guns in Kashmir

Bollywood film teaser says shotgun caused 'limited damage' while critics call it 'horrible' In a trailer for the upcoming Bollywood film "Chauhaan," an Indian army officer, standing before protesters, says, "The fault wasn't ours." He also argues that pellet guns cause "limited damage." (Screenshot from JioStudios' YouTube page) NEW DELHI -- A trailer for an upcoming Bollywood action film has reignited debate over Indian security forces' use of pellet-firing shotguns when responding to protests for the past decade, with the teaser saying they cause "limited damage" despite thousands of people reportedly suffering related wounds in India-administered Kashmir.

July 14, 2026

Economy

Rule of law looks shakier 10 years after South China Sea ruling

China keeps ramping up pressure on Philippines over disputed territory Aerial photos show Fiery Cross Reef in November 2024 and June 2026, as China works to cement its presence in the South China Sea with a port and a 3,000‑meter runway on the Spratly outpost. (Source photos by CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative/Vantor and Planet Labs) MANILA/TOKYO -- A decade after an arbitration court ruled against China's claim to nearly all of the South China Sea, Chinese pressure on the Philippines has only intensified, while U.S. military interventions elsewhere threaten to undermine the rule of law more broadly.

July 13, 2026

Economy

Indian companies look to Chinese LLMs as AI costs bite

DeepSeek and others winning on price but concerns over foreign reliance loom Indian companies are turning to Chinese artificial intelligence models amid cost pressures, raising questions about the South Asian nation's ambitions around AI sovereignty. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters) BENGALURU -- Indian companies are increasingly leaning on Chinese large language models (LLMs) developed by DeepSeek, Alibaba and Moonshot AI to contain their artificial intelligence spends, extending India's reliance on China for cutting-edge technologies despite a long history of standoffs between the neighbors.

July 13, 2026

Economy

China’s property developers face fresh liquidity crunch

Previous debt restructuring fails to ease cash flow pressures A worker stands outside a construction site of China's Aoyuan Group in Hong Kong in November 2021. The country's property developers embarked on a wave of debt restructuring deals after the market slipped into a crisis that year. © Reuters SHANGHAI -- Chinese private property developers that have restructured their debt are facing a fresh liquidity squeeze this year as the property market downturn continues to strain their finances.

July 13, 2026

Economy

Suntory PepsiCo opens biggest Asian factory amid shift from soda

Vietnam's growing thirst for healthier beverages underpins $300m investment US-Japanese joint venture Suntory PepsiCo opened a $300 million factory in southern Vietnam as it bets on rising demand for healthier drinks. The facility includes the company's first fully automated warehouse in Asia. (Lien Hoang) TAY NINH, Vietnam -- Suntory PepsiCo has opened its largest factory in Asia, in southern Vietnam, betting that rising incomes and demand for healthier beverages will continue to fuel growth even as consumption of traditional soft drinks slows.

July 13, 2026

Economy

US emerges as helium winner amid Iran war and China restrictions

Nikkei analysis finds Taiwan, Japan, South Korea turning to America for chipmaking gas The U.S. has emerged as the top supplier of helium to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, where tech companies rely on the gas to churn out chips. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by Kyodo) TAIPEI -- The U.S. has become the top source of helium for Japan, South Korea and Taiwan and could gain even more market share as the Iran war and Chinese export restrictions squeeze global supplies of the key chipmaking gas, a Nikkei Asia analysis of customs data shows.

July 13, 2026

Economy

SK Hynix loses more than 15% after successful Nasdaq debut

KOSPI also tumbles on concerns that memory chip stocks might have peaked The tumble comes a few days after SK Hynix rose about 13% on its first trading day in New York. (Photo courtesy of SK Hynix) SEOUL -- Shares of SK Hynix closed down more than 15% on Monday after the South Korean chipmaker successfully debuted on Nasdaq at the end of last week, as worries emerge that the memory chip industry's uptrend might have peaked.

July 13, 2026

Economy

Johor landslide win boosts Malaysia’s BN, raising pressure on Anwar

Another state election in August seen as next test of federal alliance power balance Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, center, deputy prime minister and chairman of Barisan Nasional, celebrates its landslide victory in the Johor state election on July 11. The state's chief minister, Onn Hafiz Ghazi, is at right. (Photo by Norman Goh) JOHOR BAHRU, Malaysia -- A landslide victory by Barisan Nasional (BN) in Saturday's Johor state election has provided momentum to the junior partner in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's federal coalition, sharpening tensions inside Malaysia's national-ruling alliance.

July 13, 2026

Economy

More foreign workers push Japan’s overseas remittances to record high

Fiscal 2025 figure up 11.5% from year before, with Vietnam receiving nearly 30% of total An Indonesian worker operates farm equipment in Ibaraki prefecture, northeast of Tokyo. Indonesia was the second biggest destination for overseas remittances from Japan in fiscal 2025. (Photo by Yuji Murakami) TOKYO -- Overseas remittances from Japan grew to a record high of 1.004 trillion yen ($6.2 billion) in the fiscal year ended in March, up by 11.5% compared to the previous year, reflecting an increase in foreign workers.

July 13, 2026

Economy

Japan’s Mitsui Fudosan to build $1.4bn rental lab complex in central London

Developer aims to win demand from drug discovery companies by supplying R&D space A rendering of the facility that Mitsui Fudosan plans to construct as a part of the British Library redevelopment. (Mitsui Fudosan) TOKYO -- Japanese real estate developer Mitsui Fudosan will build its first rental laboratory facility in Europe as a major part of the British Library redevelopment project in London, part of an effort to tap into growth in the life sciences sector.

July 13, 2026

Economy

More people in Japan to skip summer travel as rising costs pinch budgets

Summer bonuses reportedly rise but fail to keep up with accommodation costs People crowd a shopping arcade in Naha, the capital of Japan's Okinawa prefecture. (Photo by Akihiro Sano) TOKYO -- Domestic travelers this summer vacation season are expected to decline for the first time in six years, with rising prices and higher hotel costs weighing on demand.

July 13, 2026

Economy

Japan’s smaller businesses exit China on economic, political risks

Overall tally of Japanese firms in country down about 10% from 2012 peak Staffing services provider Quick has left China and is instead spending resources to strengthen its U.S. and European operations, such as its London office shown here. (Quick) OSAKA -- A growing number of small and midsize Japanese companies are leaving China over such risks as prolonged Sino-American tensions, slowing economic growth and the country's espionage law.

July 13, 2026