BEIJING/TOKYO -- The Chinese government has laid out tools to tamp down skyrocketing coal prices that have choked electric power supplies and hurt the broader economy.

The National Development and Reform Commission, the government's economic planning arm, announced the possibility of an intervention on Tuesday night, after meeting with major coal companies and industry associations to discuss ensuring a sufficient energy supply for the winter and spring.

China's economic growth is slowing in part because of the strain of higher commodity prices. The prospect of authorities taking

TASHKENT -- Afghanistan should push to become a regional trade hub as it fights to pull its economy out of the turmoil sparked by the withdrawal of U.S. forces, a parliamentary leader in neighboring Uzbekistan told Nikkei Asia.

The comment comes as countries in the region sharpen their focus on the future of Afghanistan, worried that instability in the nation could ripple across their borders.

Sodiq Safoyev, first vice chairman of Uzbekistan's Senate, said in an interview that "factors of an economic nature" are a pressing

HONG KONG -- Shares of China Evergrande Group slumped as much as 13.6% as they resumed trading in Hong Kong on Thursday after a three-week halt, as the debt-strapped developer sought unsuccessfully to sell a controlling stake in its property management business.

The collapse of talks to sell the 50.1% stake in Evergrande Property Services to Hopson Development Holdings, revealed in an exchange filing late Wednesday evening, ratchets up the odds that Evergrande will default on an offshore bond later this week.

BEIJING -- China's top internet regulator updated its list of approved media sources, giving the government a greater voice and control over how news is disseminated.

Online information providers are now allowed to republish pieces from 1,358 internet news outlets named by the Cyberspace Administration of China. The roster is quadruple the size from the previous version published in 2016.

However, all of the new additions appear to be from state- or party-affiliated outlets. Meanwhile, more independent voices remain marginalized

WASHINGTON -- Rahm Emanuel, President Joe Biden's pick as the next American ambassador to Japan, said at his confirmation hearing here Wednesday that the next three years of work with Tokyo will have consequences for the American military presence in the Indo-Pacific for decades to come.

"What we build in partnership with Japan over the next three years will determine America's posture for the next 30," he said. "The challenges and opportunities we face underscore the imperative of strengthening our bonds with our closest

TAIPEI -- Top U.S. memory chip maker Micron Technology on Wednesday said it will invest $150 billion in chip manufacturing and research and development over the next decade as governments around the world vie to bring vital semiconductor production on shore.

Micron's biggest-ever expansion plan, which runs through 2030, comes as the U.S., Europe, Japan and China race to boost their domestic chip supply chains amid an unprecedented global chip shortage. The U.S. Senate

TOKYO -- Japan's Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito are within reach of a majority in the upcoming lower house election, the latest poll by Nikkei shows.

But the race remains tight, with the ruling party in a dead heat with its rivals for about 40% of the 289 single-seat constituencies.

The Oct. 31 election will be the first since LDP leader Fumio Kishida was elected Japan's newest prime minister and will follow a 12-day campaign, which

SHANGHAI -- Alibaba Group Holding founder Jack Ma has left China for his first overseas trip in more than a year, after his near-disappearance from the public eye in late 2020.

Ma is visiting Spain on an agricultural "study tour," the Alibaba-owned South China Morning Post reported Tuesday. He traveled to Hong Kong shortly before that to spend time with family, the newspaper said.

The trip suggests that Beijing may be ratcheting down the pressure on one of the main targets of its clampdown

SEOUL -- Debt-laden South Korean automaker SsangYong Motor named a group led by a six-year-old electric vehicle startup as its preferred bidder on Wednesday, as it seeks to make a fresh start under a new owner.

SsangYong said it chose the Edison Motors-led consortium, which includes a South Korean investment fund, based on such factors as the offer price, its members' fundraising strength and future plans. The deal is estimated to be worth about $260 million, according to industry sources