Kolas Yotaka is the former spokesperson for Taiwan's presidential office, an author, independent consultant and former legislator. She is the author of the recently published "The Gift: On Taiwanese Identity" and hosts a weekly podcast on security, foreign affairs and democratic resilience.
Honda shifts power back to car engineers to reignite innovation
TOKYO -- Honda Motor's several thousand engineers handling automotive development will become employees of an R&D unit from Wednesday, as the automaker resurrects its storied engineering subsidiary in a bid to revive its innovative spirit and fight back against the rise of Chinese rivals.
Mitsubishi to adopt JPMorgan blockchain service for fund transfers
TOKYO -- Mitsubishi Corp. plans to soon start using JPMorgan Chase blockchain technology to send money worldwide, taking advantage of a service that allows for instant fund transfers.
Southeast Asia companies shed over $200bn in market value on Iran war
BANGKOK/HANOI -- The market value of companies across Southeast Asia has declined by at least $216.9 billion since the Iran conflict began in late February, as the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz sours investor sentiment.
South Korea to import 27,000 tons of Russian naphtha amid shortage
SEOUL -- South Korea will import 27,000 metric tons of naphtha from Russia, Seoul said Monday, in response to Iran's de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupting supplies from the Middle East.
Japan machine tool makers expand US footprint to tap manufacturing demand
NAGOYA, Japan -- Japanese machine tool makers are expanding operations in the U.S., stepping up production and broadening services to capture expected demand from the Trump administration's push to revive American manufacturing.
Japan taps MUFG Bank to unlock lending for making global hit films
TOKYO -- Japan and MUFG Bank seek to encourage lending as an option to fund major movies by creating a common standard for financial institutions to evaluate a production's value, supporting the country's industry against hit-making competitors.
US unseats China as top importer of South Korean cosmetics
NEW YORK -- South Korean cosmetics, or K-beauty, are gaining popularity in the U.S. on growing interest driven by social media, leading America to replace China as the category's biggest export market.
China looks to restart US energy imports as Iran tensions rattle markets
BEIJING/WASHINGTON -- China appears set to resume purchases of U.S. crude oil and liquefied natural gas as Beijing steps up efforts to diversify its energy supply chain amid energy market turmoil caused by Iran's de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Country Garden posts 1st profit since 2022 on restructuring gain
HONG KONG -- Chinese property developer Country Garden reported its first annual net profit since 2022, as the completion of a restructuring plan delivered a one-off gain despite few signs of an underlying recovery in its business.