eChina.news

Economy

Malaysia’s AirAsia shares tumble 21% as funding fears mount

Budget carrier seeks $1bn in debt financing amid fuel cost pressures Shares in Malaysia's budget AirAsia Group have plunged dramatically this week amid "heightened uncertainty" over its funding position and execution risks. © Reuters KUALA LUMPUR -- Shares in Malaysia's AirAsia Group plunged 21% on Thursday as concerns over the budget airline's finances intensified amid fuel price pressures stemming from the Middle East tensions.

September 17, 2026

Economy

Nissan to invest $228m in Sunderland UK plant to make Kicks hybrid SUV

Japan automaker will use site to compete against new rivals in Europe The Kicks hybrid crossover has sold over 1.8 million units worldwide. (Nissan Motor) LONDON -- Nissan Motor will produce the new Kicks hybrid sport utility vehicle at the company's U.K. plant with an investment of 170 million pounds ($228 million), the Japanese automaker said Wednesday.

September 17, 2026

Economy

Nippon Steel builds on U.S. Steel takeover with new European plant in Slovakia

Japanese group takes another crack at market it has struggled to penetrate Nippon Steel acquired this Slovakia steelworks through its acquisition of U.S. Steel. (U.S. Steel) TOKYO -- Nippon Steel will invest 900 million euros ($1.04 billion) in a new electric arc furnace in Slovakia, the Japanese company said Wednesday, as it looks to add another pillar to its global production network.

September 17, 2026

Economy

Panasonic to hike production of in-flight entertainment systems

Japanese group plans 6-fold capacity boost as demand grows for air travel Panasonic Avionics makes in-flight entertainment systems. (Panasonic) OSAKA -- Panasonic Holdings will heavily ramp up production of in-flight entertainment systems, lifting output capacity for a core product line about sixfold.

September 17, 2026

Economy

Japan’s Resonac, Nitto Denko to invest in US fund for AI hardware

Chip material makers join TSMC, ASML in investment on production bottlenecks Matter Venture Partners funds have invested in companies that have found synergies with Japanese companies, including Path Robotics' work on industrial welding robots with Yaskawa Electric. (Path Robotics) TOKYO -- Chip materials manufacturers Resonac Holdings and Nitto Denko are among the Japanese companies that have agreed to invest in a U.S.-based fund focused on makers of chips and other artificial intelligence-related hardware to find partners for collaboration on AI.

September 17, 2026

Economy

Copper nears price range of nickel on AI, EV demand

Changing supply and demand dynamics herald 'previously unimaginable' convergence Though copper is a relatively abundant base metal, prices have been rising because of growing demand from new industries. © Reuters TOKYO -- International copper prices are hovering near record highs while prices have been soft for nickel, a critical and rare metal, raising the possibility of a "previously unimaginable" convergence as the spread of artificial intelligence and other industry changes drive copper demand.

September 17, 2026

Economy

SoftBank’s record $6.4bn bond sale tests limits of Japan’s debt market

Company's share of corporate retail bonds nears 50% with new issuance SoftBank Group Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son speaks in Tokyo in June. The company is offering retail bonds with a coupon rate higher than other recent issuances. (Photo by Kazuho Fujiwara) TOKYO -- SoftBank Group's record 1 trillion yen ($6.45 billion) retail bond offering Thursday will push the investment group's share of Japan's outstanding corporate retail bonds to nearly 50%.

September 17, 2026

Economy

Japan prefecture offers free bullet train rides to overseas tourists

Kagoshima pilot program seeks to boost local economy by welcoming visitors The free rides will apply to one-way journeys from Hakata Station in Fukuoka prefecture to one of the three stations in Kagoshima. (Photo obtain by Nikkei) KAGOSHIMA, Japan -- Kagoshima prefecture will soon provide international tourists with free rides on a shinkansen bullet train as part of a pilot program to bring more people to its relatively seldom visited sites.

September 17, 2026

Economy

Yokohama Rubber targets BYD, other China automakers with lower-cost tire plant

Japanese manufacturer used locally made machinery for faster, cheaper production A passenger vehicle tire in production at Yokohama Rubber's new Chinese plant in Hangzhou. (Photo by Shizuka Tanabe) HANGZHOU, China -- Yokohama Rubber has stepped on the accelerator in its effort to secure a bigger role in Chinese automakers' supply chains as Japanese car sales in China decline.

September 17, 2026

Economy

Analysis: Trump factor limits diplomatic outcome of Xi’s outreach to Modi

Tensions between Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping linger, with Xi wanting to leverage a strong partnership with New Delhi against the U.S., and Modi wary of just that. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by Reuters) New Delhi fears annoying Washington if it is seen cozying up to Beijing 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.

September 17, 2026

Economy

1 in 4 listed Chinese companies post losses as AI, rest of economy diverge

Real estate groups, carmakers can't escape domestic demand slump Chinese chipmaker CXMT benefited from an AI tailwind to swing to a net profit in the first half of the year. © AP HONG KONG -- A quarter of China-listed companies logged net losses in the first half of this year despite overall net profit growth of around 20% in the group, with chipmakers surging on artificial intelligence-related demand while other sectors slumped.

September 17, 2026

Economy

Bain-backed group raises offer for Japan’s Kakaku.com, challenging EQT

US private equity firm teams with LY in bid for restaurant site operator EQT has already started its tender offer for Kakaku.com (Photo by Ryuta Minamihata) TOKYO -- The operator of the Line messaging app and web portal Yahoo Japan, along with U.S. private equity firm Bain Capital, said on Wednesday that they will raise the price of their proposed tender offer for Japan's Kakaku.com, which runs the popular restaurant booking site Tabelog.

September 17, 2026