China Executive Insights
String of interventions launched with Japanese currency near historic lows The yen surged in waves on Friday, strengthening to a level not seen since mid-May. (Photo by Masayuki Terazawa) TOKYO -- Japanese and U.S. authorities are working closely to stem the yen's weakness against the dollar, carrying out a series of interventions and signaling their coordinated effort to the market.
Bangkok's response to the Cambodia conflict highlights a broader shift across Southeast Asia Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, center, shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump, right, as Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet looks on during a Thailand-Cambodia peace accord ceremony in Malaysia in October 2025. Renewed fighting months later allowed China to assume a larger mediation role. © Reuters TOKYO -- The ASEAN Regional Forum, which brings together 27 countries and territories, caps a week of ASEAN-led foreign ministers' meetings held every July. The meetings remain Asia's largest and longest-running forum for multilateral dialogue.
Amid higher travel costs from Iran conflict, tourists make short-haul trips to Disneyland, mountain in Vietnam Visitors watch a Pixar-themed parade during a media preview at Hong Kong Disneyland in June. The theme park was travel platform Agoda's most-booked attraction in Asia in the first half of 2026. © AP HO CHI MINH CITY -- From Hong Kong Disneyland to a mountain cable-car ride in northern Vietnam, travelers across Asia are increasingly building vacations around attractions closer to home as geopolitical uncertainty and higher travel costs encourage regional trips.
Goa, Kerala and Tamil Nadu offer very different tastes of the same sea Kerala seafood delicacy “meen pollichathu.” Across India’s coastline, local ingredients and traditions reveal a culinary diversity that extends far beyond the catch-all label of “curry.” (Courtesy of Kumaresan Lingapathan) BENGALURU -- A seafood dish in Goa, a fish stew in Kerala and a mustard-based preparation in Bengal may all be described simply as "curry." The word feels familiar, but it often hides more than it reveals.
Driver assistance, anti-theft tech among options for older vehicles Toyota dealerships sell an estimated 350,000 used cars a year, with the goal of reaching 550,000 vehicles in 2030. (Photo by Masaki Ishihara) NAGOYA, Japan -- Toyota Motor has begun to provide used-car buyers the option to retrofit vehicles with advanced safety features, seeking to boost sales at group dealerships and generate an additional revenue stream.
Lawmakers from PM's party fret over funding and future need to raise tax again Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's decision to announce her tax cut plan before seeking party consensus has rankled some party members. (Photo by Ken Suzuki) TOKYO -- Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party postponed on Friday the approval of a plan to lower the consumption tax on food to 1%, as party members push back on Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's unilateral drive to implement the change amid funding and other concerns.
GMR-built facility can handle an initial 6m passengers a year Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tours Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport in the city of Vizag, in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. (Photo from Narendra Modi's X post) NEW DELHI -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated India's newest international airport, in the coastal city of Vizag, in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
Projects include tech innovation in nuclear fusion and quantum computing The U.S. Department of Energy's Dario Gil, under secretary for science, spoke with Nikkei about collaborative efforts under the Genesis Mission. (Photo by Dai Kuwamura) WASHINGTON -- The U.S. government welcomes involvement by leading Japanese technology companies in projects under its Genesis Mission, including development of nuclear fusion and supercomputers, said Dario Gil, under secretary for science at the U.S. Department of Energy.
70% of companies in industry report difficulty finding enough personnel Japan's government has approved a plan to build up to five nuclear reactors by the 2040s. (Photo by Nikkei) TOKYO -- Japan is moving ahead with a plan to replace decades-old nuclear reactors, but a critical shortage of workers threatens to hold up the effort to bolster the country's energy independence.
Amazon CEO says cloud arm could become trillion-dollar business Shares of Amazon and Microsoft shot up after the companies showed that they could link their AI investments to earnings. (Source photos by Reuters) PALO ALTO, California -- AI and other investments by four American technology giants exceeded the cash generated from their core operations by nearly $100 billion in the second quarter alone as growing concerns about overinvestment lead to a gap between companies that can show how artificial intelligence contributes to earnings and those that cannot.
Micron, SK Hynix, Samsung line up big capacity investments as Kioxia plays catch-up Kioxia is among the memory suppliers investing in more capacity to meet AI-related demand. (Photo by Yohei Fukai) TOKYO -- Memory manufacturers are reaping the benefits of the flood of artificial intelligence spending by U.S. tech giants, bringing an influx of cash that is being plowed into investment to gain an edge in the race to meet demand.
Foreign co-investors would have made government approval difficult to obtain Makino machining equipment is used in the manufacture of defense equipment. (Source photos by Nikkei) TOKYO -- Japanese machine tool maker Makino Milling Machine has turned down a takeover proposal from a Tokyo-based private equity firm, deeming government approval unlikely with the involvement of foreign co-investors.