In March 2024, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) ended its years-long experiment with negative interest rates to try and stem the country’s economic stagflation. This decision came after Rengo, Japan’s largest labor union, negotiated a deal that saw some of the countries’ largest companies – including Honda, Nippon Steel, and ANA Holdings – provide their … Read more
Amid the challenges posed by climate change and the pursuit of global carbon neutrality goals, the electric vehicle (EV) industry is experiencing rapid growth. Chinese EV makers, boasting advanced technology and significant manufacturing capacity, are swiftly expanding their exports, with more than 1 million EVs exported in 2023, marking a 99.1 percent increase from 2022. … Read more
Last week I wrote about how Indonesian tech giant GoTo is inching toward profitability by, among other things, selling 75 percent of its e-commerce operation to TikTok and aggressively cutting costs. GoTo might even post a net profit this year, which would represent quite a turnaround from recent years where losses have gone into the … Read more
Maritime law is fascinating, yet also exceedingly complex. The recent collision of a Singaporean-flagged ship with a bridge in Baltimore demonstrates just some of its complexities, and the case looks likely to be one that will take years to resolve. First, to the background of the incident. While it is still early, and an investigation … Read more
Asian economies are not doing as well as they could and growth in the region is forecast to slow to 4.5 percent this year from 5.1 percent in 2023, the World Bank said in a report released Monday. Debt, trade barriers and policy uncertainties are dulling the region’s economic dynamism and governments need to do … Read more
As China’s power and influence has grown, observers in the West have begun paying increasing attention to Southeast Asia, which has emerged as a key arena of competition between Beijing and its main rivals, including the United States. However, many studies of China’s relations with Southeast Asia tend to prioritize the role of the Chinese … Read more
As geopolitical tensions remain high, U.S. capital has been moving out of China and into Japan. President Joe Biden’s restrictions on certain U.S. investments in China’s biotech, AI, and any sectors that could be deemed as “civil-military fusion” have caused concerns for many global financers investing in the second largest economy since mid-2023. The U.S. … Read more
As reported by China’s Ministry of Commerce, in 2023 total online retail sales amounted to 15.4 trillion yuan ($2.1 trillion), an increase of 11 percent, marking China’s 11th consecutive year as the world’s largest online retail market. Meanwhile, the rapid expansion of e-commerce has facilitated the adoption of various deceptive strategies to target a broader … Read more
China’s infrastructure funding promises to Southeast Asia are falling short by more than $50 billion, according to a new report, with megaprojects undertaken under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) stagnating or failing due to poor planning, the global clean energy transition, and political lurches in recipient countries. The report, released today by Sydney’s Lowy … Read more
Chinese electric vehicle makers are showcasing their latest models, including a flying car, as they take on global rivals at the Bangkok International Motor Show. Companies like BYD, XPeng, and Great Wall Motors are quickly growing their sales in Thailand, challenging longstanding market leaders like Toyota, Isuzu and Ford, as they expand exports across the … Read more