Economy — 2,060 insights
South Korea’s Hanwha loses major Canadian submarine deal
Economy

South Korea’s Hanwha loses major Canadian submarine deal

German shipbuilder TKMS chosen as preferred bidder to supply up to 12 vessels Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announces that Canada has picked Germany’s TKMS to build 12 submarines for its navy, at HMC Dockyard in Halifax, Nova Scotia on July 6. © Reuters SEOUL -- South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean has lost out on a major submarine deal with Canada following a closely fought yearlong battle with German rival ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) over supplying a fleet of up to 12 of the vessels to the Royal Canadian Navy.

July 7, 2026
Indian security analysts alarmed by Bangladesh-China port deal
Economy

Indian security analysts alarmed by Bangladesh-China port deal

Beijing's involvement in Mongla Port project raises security concerns in New Delhi Bangladesh recently offered an economic zone project -- one earmarked for development by India a decade ago -- to a big Chinese engineering company. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by AP) NEW DELHI -- Bangladesh's recent signing of a key pact with China to develop an economic zone near strategic Mongla Port -- close to the northern end of India's east coast -- has raised concern among Indian security analysts who fear it could enable Beijing to monitor Indian naval and army movements.

July 7, 2026
Samsung profit soars 19 times but shares slump 8% on oversupply worries
Economy

Samsung profit soars 19 times but shares slump 8% on oversupply worries

South Korean chipmaker plans to build more fabs to meet rising demand on AI boom Samsung Electronics continues to ride the AI boom to massive profit increases. © Reuters SEOUL -- Samsung Electronics' operating profit soared more than 19 times to 89.4 trillion won ($58.4 billion) in the second quarter from a year ago as a memory chip shortage continues due to rising demand for artificial intelligence computing.

July 7, 2026
Can China and US find common ground on AI governance in Geneva?
Economy

Can China and US find common ground on AI governance in Geneva?

Meeting follows Trump executive order aimed at outcompeting China in the technology Representatives from China and the U.S. are searching for areas of agreement on how to govern artificial intelligence at an international conference this week in the Swiss city of Geneva. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by screenshot from UN's website) PALO ALTO, California/HONG KONG -- Delegations from China and the U.S. are meeting in Geneva this week to try to find common ground on AI governance, despite the two sides' starkly different approaches to domestic regulation of the increasingly powerful technology.

July 7, 2026
China’s sea patrols and lawfare tighten ‘all fronts’ squeeze on Taiwan
Economy

China’s sea patrols and lawfare tighten ‘all fronts’ squeeze on Taiwan

Observers warn of narrowing strategic space for Lai and Taipei's friends Chinese President Xi Jinping's government is launching repeated maritime operations around Taiwan, including to the east, while stepping up other forms of pressure on Lai Ching-te's elected administration in Taipei. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Getty Images, Reuters and Sae Kamae) TAICHUNG, Taiwan -- Evolving forms of Chinese diplomatic, political, legal and maritime pressure are hitting Taiwan all at once, officials and diplomats say, constricting Taipei's strategic options.

July 6, 2026
Young Japanese sacrifice today to invest for tomorrow
Economy

Young Japanese sacrifice today to invest for tomorrow

FOMO and inflation drive new generation to cut spending, pile into NISA accounts As of the end of June 2025, investors in their 40s or younger accounted for approximately 49% of total NISA purchases. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by Yutaka Miyaguchi) TOKYO -- Young Japanese are cutting back on everything from burgers to holidays to pour more money into tax-free investment accounts, driven by fears of missing out on stock market gains as well as growing anxiety about their financial future.

July 6, 2026
China’s leading chatbots to ditch AI personas as Beijing tightens rules
Economy

China’s leading chatbots to ditch AI personas as Beijing tightens rules

Alibaba, ByteDance, Tencent, NetEase among those pulling such personalized features Tencent, Alibaba and ByteDance are all moving to align with China's new rules on AI personas. (Source photos by Getty Images) HONG KONG -- Chinese tech giants including Alibaba, ByteDance and Tencent have all announced plans to disable AI persona features as Beijing tightens its regulatory framework on the rapidly advancing AI industry.

July 6, 2026
China’s Q2 growth set to slow on weak domestic demand: Nikkei survey
Economy

China’s Q2 growth set to slow on weak domestic demand: Nikkei survey

Economists flag property slump and energy shocks weighing on activity amid Mideast conflict People walk along a shopping street in Shanghai on July 1. China's economic growth is expected to slow to 4.6% in the second quarter, down from 5% in the January-March period, according to a survey. © Reuters HONG KONG -- China's growth likely slowed in the April-June quarter amid uncertainty in the Middle East and weak domestic demand, according to the latest survey of economists.

July 6, 2026
Australia and Fiji sign defense pact to counter China influence
Economy

Australia and Fiji sign defense pact to counter China influence

Agreement comes on the day Beijing conducts missile test in Pacific Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, left, and Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka pose after signing agreements at State House in Suva on July 6. © A AP/Reuters SYDNEY -- Australia and Fiji signed a new defense pact Monday, as Canberra seeks to boost its influence in the Pacific and prevent China from gaining a further security foothold in the region.

July 6, 2026
Bangladesh power cuts deepen as government struggles to pay bills
Economy

Bangladesh power cuts deepen as government struggles to pay bills

Outages during heat wave weighing on rural areas and garment factories The past two weeks have seen daily intentional power cuts in Bangladesh of between about 600 megawatts and 3,350 MW -- a much higher upper level than earlier this year. © Reuters DHAKA -- Late central government payments to power producers in Bangladesh are combining with technical issues to cause major power outages in the South Asian country amid a period of extreme heat driven by climate change.

July 6, 2026
Chinese submarine launches missile into Pacific, spooking neighbors
Economy

Chinese submarine launches missile into Pacific, spooking neighbors

Beijing goes ahead with 'routine' test despite concerns of Japan, Australia, New Zealand A Chinese Type 094A Jin-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine sails in the South China Sea during a military display in April 2018. © Reuters TOKYO -- A Chinese nuclear submarine on Monday launched a missile into the Pacific Ocean, despite concerns expressed by its neighbors.

July 6, 2026
The UAE and Japan have an enduring partnership, built to last
Economy

The UAE and Japan have an enduring partnership, built to last

From oil and LNG to lower-carbon fuels, six decades of trust enter new phase An LNG tanker is seen at Tokyo Gas' Negishi LNG base on April 7. © AP Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber is the UAE's Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, managing director and Group CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), executive chairman of XRG and chairman of Masdar.

July 6, 2026