Nikkei Asian Review
As America retreats, Asia is the last hope for free trade
Fukunari Kimura, a professor at Keio University and an expert in Asian trade, indicated in a Nikkei interview that the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a proposed free trade agreement, should be a stronghold of free trade, since the Trans-Pacific Partnership has suffered a setback with ...
Thailand's expanding state 'threatens future growth'
Expansion of creaking rail system may put economy on the wrong track, critics say. Thailand is banking on its state-owned enterprises to spearhead economic growth in 2017 through massive investments in infrastructure. The push has brought one of the kingdom’s biggest and oldest SOEs, the State ...
Thein Sein recalls Myanmar's reform process
Former president says daunting challenges remain in Myanmar’s democratic transition. “I never dreamt of becoming president,” said Thein Sein, who stepped down as Myanmar president last year after a historic five-year term. Speaking at a regional forum in central Japan, he added that “the situation ...
Vietnam's declining birthrate spells end of two-child policy
Move may make little difference as rising expenses hinder bigger families. The Vietnamese government is reversing its decadeslong policy in a bid to counter the country’s aging population. Earlier this month the country’s health ministry began showing a negative view toward its de facto two-child ...
Indonesia eases ban on mineral exports
Indonesia’s Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry on January 12 announced sweeping changes to mining regulations that allow exports of nickel ore and bauxite for another five years under certain conditions. The announcement illustrates the challenges facing the resource-rich country, which instituted a ban on mineral ore ...
Honda idles Thai auto capacity amid weak sales
Honda Motor will halt one of its three automobile assembly lines in Thailand by the end of March, a move that amounts to a capacity reduction in a market short on growth. One of the two lines at the Japanese automaker’s plant in Ayutthaya Province, ...
Japan's Sumitomo adding rental factory space in Southeast Asia
Trading house Sumitomo Corp will expand its factory rental business in Southeast Asia serving small manufacturers from Japan, offering them the chance to launch overseas production without the hefty financial commitment of building their own plants. The factory space comes ready for use, equipped with electricity, ...
Zojirushi turns to Southeast Asia to bolster flagging growth
Japanese appliance maker aims to rely less on tourist shopping sprees. Zojirushi’s earnings have plateaued as buying by foreign tourists has ebbed, forcing the Japanese kitchen appliance manufacturer to seek customers in new markets, particularly Southeast Asia. The company said Monday that group sales edged ...
Japan's Taiyo Life to open Myanmar software company
Japan’s Taiyo Life Insurance will jointly establish an insurance software company in Myanmar as early as February, partnering with local business in an effort to secure its position here before the market opens to foreign investment. The enterprise will launch with roughly 1.2 billion kyat ...
BASF plant to produce construction chemicals in Myanmar
Germany’s BASF is building a plant in Myanmar to produce chemicals for the booming domestic construction industry, and to fill a need for more advanced materials. “As Myanmar’s construction industry grows more sophisticated in its scope, which includes high-rise buildings, roadways and bridges, the requirement ...
