North Korea boosts surprise attack ability with wider range of missiles
SEOUL -- The spate of ballistic missile tests conducted by North Korea in recent weeks demonstrates that the regime is building up capabilities to stage surprise attacks on targets in the region.
The test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile Tuesday followed last month's launch of missiles that can shift their trajectories and what North Korea said was a new hypersonic missile.
The common thread linking these recent firings is North Korea's escalating capability to mount offensives that can overwhelm defenses.
"The simultaneous launch of multiple missiles using varying methods
Strategic ambiguity on Taiwan works: U.S. envoy pick for China
NEW YORK -- U.S. President Joe Biden's nominee for ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, spoke harshly of Beijing at his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday but endorsed Washington's long-standing "One China" policy and so-called strategic ambiguity regarding Taiwan as effective.
Strategic ambiguity has for decades meant that Taipei cannot be sure whether America will come to its defense if China mounts an attack on the island -- but also that Beijing cannot be sure that it won't. This deters China
Mitsubishi Chemical pledges net-zero emissions by 2050
TOKYO -- Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings aims to realize net-zero greenhouse gas emissions groupwide by 2050, partly through renewable energy and eco-friendly production processes, under plans announced Wednesday.
The path to carbon neutrality contains growth opportunities, President Jean-Marc Gilson said in an online forum held by the Japanese company.
The centerpiece of the plans is 100 billion yen ($875 million) in capital investment through 2030. The funds will go toward installing on-site solar
Analysis: Xi Jinping's plan to rule for life is coming together
Katsuji Nakazawa is a Tokyo-based senior staff writer and editorial writer at Nikkei. He spent seven years in China as a correspondent and later as China bureau chief. He was the 2014 recipient of the Vaughn-Ueda International Journalist prize.
TOKYO -- In the span of a few days, two key developments have unfolded in China, both directly connected to the bid by Xi Jinping, the country's president and the party's general secretary, to become leader-for-life.
One
Beijing should let China's economy stand on its own two feet
Joe Zhang is co-chairman of SBI China Capital.
One day in 1986, I went to a bank branch in the Sanlihe area of Beijing to withdraw money to buy a typewriter.
At the time, I was an officer at the People's Bank of China, China's central bank, and was preparing to study in Australia. Unfortunately, the bank manager told me they had run out of money. So, I left, grumbling, only to return the next day to get my
Next 3 years will determine U.S. posture in Japan for 3 decades: Rahm Emanuel
WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Joe Biden's nominee for ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, stressed Tokyo's role as America's closest ally at his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday, stating that his top priority would be to "deepen these ties while we confront our common challenges."
"For more than 60 years, the partnership between the United States and Japan has been the cornerstone of peace and prosperity in a free and open Indo-Pacific," Emanuel told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Tesla breaks earnings record as China boosts production and demand
PALO ALTO, U.S. -- Tesla reported record profits and revenue for the third quarter on Wednesday, defying supply chain challenges that are haunting automakers.
For the three months ended September, Tesla reported $1.62 billion in profit, an all-time high, and more than quadrupled the $331 million in the same period last year. It registered $13.76 billion in revenue, up 57% from a year earlier, which is also a record for the
Divided Asia must face looming Afghan refugee crisis
Andrew North is a journalist who covers Afghanistan and was previously based in Kabul as a correspondent for the BBC.
"Do not come, do not come."
That was the stern injunction from Vice President Kamala Harris this June to people from Central America trying to cross into the United States without documents.
That pretty much sums up the current message from the outside world to Afghans trying to escape their country in the aftermath of the Taliban's takeover.
The only difference is that it is not being said out loud.
Indonesia's GoTo bags $400 million from Abu Dhabi ahead of IPO
JAKARTA -- Indonesia's largest private tech company GoTo has bagged $400 million from Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, the sovereign wealth fund owned by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, ahead of its anticipated initial public offering.
GoTo said in a statement on Wednesday that it has agreed for a wholly-owned subsidiary of ADIA to lead its pre-IPO fundraising with the investment. The transaction "will be the first principal investment by ADIA's Private Equities Department into a technology business in Southeast Asia and its largest
ASEAN's largest banks go big on green real estate
SINGAPORE -- Southeast Asia's largest banks are rushing to finance building projects tied to sustainability, even as the world's most indebted property developer, China Evergrande, sends chills through the country's real estate sector.
The region's biggest names, including Singapore's DBS Group Holdings, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. and United Overseas Bank, as well as Malaysia's Malayan Banking, are jostling to support projects that incorporate environmental, social and governance objectives.
ESG goals are meant to hold companies
