This Month
Diplomatic pressure builds on Hong Kong over Jimmy Lai trial
The British and US governments have called for Mr Lai’s immediate release, saying the trial is politically motivated.
- James Pomfret and Jessie Pang
- Analysis
- Trade wars
‘Third World’: Why locals don’t share investor enthusiasm for Japan
Japan is enjoying an investment and tourism boom, but many ordinary Japanese are struggling to make ends meet.
- Updated
- Michael Smith
Forget year-end bonuses for working hard – this firm rewards joggers
A Chinese paper maker has decided to scrap annual payouts for something healthier – a monthly wad of cash based on how much its employees exercise.
- Shirley Zhao
Landmark national security trial of media mogul opens in Hong Kong
The closely watched case is widely seen as a trial of press freedom and a test for judicial independence in the Asian financial hub.
- Kanis Leung
- Opinion
- World elections
Indonesia’s election bears the signs of weakening democracy
It does not bode well for Indonesia’s democratic future that a new president with an authoritarian pedigree is likely to take office thanks to a judicial fix.
- Edward Aspinall
China asks bloggers to stop badmouthing the economy
The request came as economic data showed China’s recovery after the pandemic remained slow, with weak consumer confidence and a lingering real estate crisis.
- Zen Soo and Elaine Kurtenbach
- Opinion
- World politics
Japan is tired of Prime Minister Kishida, a man who tries too hard
Fumio Kishida’s knack for associating with controversial policies has turned him into one of the most unpopular leaders of the past two decades.
- Gearoid Reidy
- Exclusive
- Retail
7-Eleven sticks with petrol as new owners pump up food offerings
Japanese retail conglomerate Seven & i says there are growth opportunities from merchandising as it expands the convenience store network.
- Michael Smith
China’s leaders send mixed signals on how to fix economy
A key meeting of Xi Jinping and his top policy advisers has left investors confused about how far Beijing is prepared to go to bolster economic growth.
- Michael Smith
- Opinion
- Global economy
China faces the risk of a debt-deflation spiral
If deflation continues to eat into corporate profits, companies will cut wage growth, creating a vicious ‘loop’ of even weaker aggregate demand and deflation.
- Chetan Ahy
Hong Kong voter turnout slumps to record low after Beijing purge
Only 27.5 per cent of the 4.3 million eligible voters cast ballots on Sunday in the local elections, David Lok, chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission said on Monday.
- Kiuyan Wong
US slams China’s ‘reckless’ moves in South China Sea
Chinese and Philippine vessels faced off in multiple clashes in the South China Sea over the weekend as tensions continued to escalate.
- Andreo Calonzo
- Updated
- Inflation
China’s consumer price drop worsens, fuelling deflation fears
China has been struggling with falling prices for much of this year, in contrast to many other parts of the world where central banks are focused on taming inflation.
- Updated
- Michael Smith
China Politburo raises expectations for ambitious 2024 GDP goal
Economic targets for 2024 will be set at the Communist Party’s annual economic work conference, expected to be held later this month.
- Bloomberg News
Why China can’t give up its addiction to coal
The Asian giant in pumping massive amounts of money into renewables, but that hasn’t halted a huge – and seemingly contradictory – fossil fuel investment plan.
- Michael Smith and Hans van Leeuwen
- Opinion
- India
State sanctioned killings are not the image of India we are used to
It is still to the good that India’s image here of cricket, the Commonwealth and bling is fading. But some sides of that change are not an unalloyed blessing.
- John McCarthy
China’s exports grow for first time in six months
Exports grew 0.5 per cent from a year earlier in November, customs data showed, compared with a 6.4 per cent fall in October.
- Joe Cash
EU presses China on industrial overcapacity at Beijing summit
Concern about Chinese manufacturing overcapacity is being fuelled by data showing state banks targeting industries such as electric vehicles.
- Joe Leahy, Henry Foy, Andy Bounds and Andy Lin
Moody’s cuts China credit outlook on rising debt
The ratings agency cut its view of the country’s finances to negative, saying it was concerned about the potential cost of local government bailouts.
- Updated
- Keith Bradsher
- Exclusive
- China relations
China can use TikTok to ‘radically reshape’ global opinion: Garnaut
US Congress is looking to Australian security adviser John Garnaut for advice on how to combat China’s use of misinformation to wield political influence.
- Michael Smith
