Ben Fouracre, a global investigations specialist, is Japan managing director and APAC leader for J.S. Held, Tokyo. Jody Ono is specially appointed professor at Hitotsubashi ICS, Hitotsubashi University Business School and an outside director at Mabuchi Motor.
Gaffe or warning? Biden remarks on Taiwan keep the world guessing
WASHINGTON/SYDNEY -- From suggesting that America would defend Taiwan from a Chinese invasion to implying that the island is already independent, U.S. President Joe Biden has made verbal blunder after verbal blunder in recent months. Or has he?
Japan's foreign minister raises Taiwan in 1st call with Chinese counterpart
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's new Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi spoke by phone Thursday with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, telling him that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are important and conveying concern about the repeated intrusions of ships sent by Beijing into Japanese waters near the Senkaku Islands.
The conversation with Wang, who is also a state councilor, was the first since Hayashi became Japan's top diplomat on Nov. 10. During the call that lasted about 40 minutes, Hayashi also voiced "
Chinese tutoring companies struggle to reinvent themselves
HONG KONG -- A few short months ago, international investors ascribed a valuation of over $30 billion to New Oriental Education & Technology, one of the giants of China's for-profit tutoring sector, excited over the prospects for the growing and lucrative market.
China's Baidu to dispatch robotaxis in 100 cities by 2030
GUANGZHOU -- Chinese tech group Baidu looks to expand its driverless taxi service to 100 cities by the end of the decade, turning the fleet into the company's second-biggest profit generator after online ad revenue.
Southeast Asia's coffee buzz brews opportunity for Suntory, Nestle
TOKYO/BANGKOK-- Some of the world's biggest beverage groups smell fresh growth opportunities in Southeast Asia, where health-conscious consumers are passing over customary sweet teas for low- or no-sugar coffees.
Kajima to pay $48m in compensation for troubled Algeria project
TOKYO -- A lengthy dispute over a doomed Algerian construction project ended Thursday with Japanese contractor Kajima ordered to pay over 5.5 billion yen ($48 million) in restitution to three parties.
Japan to raise defense spending by $6.1bn this year
TOKYO -- The Japanese government plans to seek more than 700 billion yen ($6.1 billion) in additional funding for defense in the fiscal 2021 supplementary budget, Nikkei has learned.
Coronavirus latest: Cathay Pacific fires 3 pilots infected on layover
Nikkei Asia is tracking the spread of the coronavirus that was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.
Cumulative global cases have reached 255,988,317 according to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. The worldwide death toll has hit 5,131,002.
For more information about the spread of COVID-19 and vaccination progress around the world, please see our interactive charts and maps.
Japan's Kubota to buy Indian farm equipment maker Escorts
OSAKA -- Top Japanese farm equipment maker Kubota announced Thursday that it will purchase major Indian farm equipment maker Escorts for around 140 billion yen ($1.2 billion), turning the company into a subsidiary.