Japan bolsters human rights safeguards in textiles over Xinjiang
TOKYO -- The Japanese textile industry will work with the government to screen for forced labor and other human rights abuses in the supply chain amid a growing scrutiny of sourcing.
In a report due out Monday, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will call on the textile industry to craft guidelines to root out human rights violations and to strengthen measures to address environmental issues. The industry will be asked to establish a disclosure framework for human rights due diligence.
Heightened awareness of human rights issues, such as the allegations of
China to require review of overseas IPOs by companies with data on 1m users
SHANGHAI -- Chinese companies seeking to list overseas will be subjected to regulatory screening by Beijing authorities if they have 1 million or more users with registered personal information, the country's internet regulator said on Saturday.
The decision marks China's first big move in its crackdown on offshore listing by Chinese firms. China is home to a number of companies with millions of registered online users. The clampdown will likely affect many companies and cast a shadow over the country's tech sector.
On Saturday, the Cyberspace Administration
Taiwan Digital Minister Audrey Tang to attend Olympics opening event
TAIPEI -- Taiwan's Digital Minister Audrey Tang will visit Japan for the July 23 opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics, Taiwanese authorities announced on Saturday.
Tang is the youngest minister in Taiwan's history and is also a renowned programmer and entrepreneur. She gained recognition in Japan after developing a series of useful smartphone apps to combat the spread of infections during the coronavirus outbreak.
The Japanese government has offered support by supplying COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan after the island was hit by a surge in new cases
China to require review of overseas listings by companies with data on 1m users
SHANGHAI -- Chinese companies seeking to list overseas will be subjected to regulatory screening by Beijing authorities if they have over 1 million users with registered personal information, the country's internet regulator said on Saturday.
The decision marks China's first big move in its crackdown on offshore listing by Chinese firms. China is home to a number of companies with millions of registered online users. The clampdown will likely affect many companies and cast a shadow over the country's tech sector.
On Saturday, the Cyberspace Administration of
Diageo takes shot at China growth with Scotch and baijiu
TOKYO -- Diageo, the world's largest spirits producer, is on a mission to satisfy China's thirst for Scotch whisky and baijiu white spirits.
"China is obviously an enormous consumer market," Sam Fischer, head of Diageo's greater China and Asia-Pacific business, stressed in a recent interview with Nikkei Asia. The British company describes the market as having an "enormous emerging middle class with an appetite for consumption."
Baijiu and Scotch are two key products for Diageo in China. While
Pakistan fears Afghan chaos will exacerbate narcotics problem
BERLIN -- Rising violence in Afghanistan could intensify narco-trafficking and exacerbate Pakistan's domestic drug problems, according to one of the country's most senior anti-narcotics officials.
Akbar Durrani, federal secretary of Pakistan's Ministry of Narcotics Control, expressed his concerns during a wide-ranging interview with Nikkei Asia.
Durrani described Afghanistan as one of the major narcotics challenges facing Pakistan. "If there is no political stability in Afghanistan," he said, "it might aggravate the problems which we are experiencing
Takeda chief Christophe Weber talks about his younger days
When Christophe Weber, a French national, was named president and CEO of Japanese drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceutical in 2015, he drew great attention in Japan's business community, which is not known for its diversity. I n a recent interview with Nikkei, Weber talked about how his early career shaped him as a business person.
I was born and raised in France and studied pharmacy at university under the influence of my parents, who are both doctors. After working at an Australian drugmaker, I joined SmithKline Beecham
Google Pay could upend Japan's smartphone payment leaders
TOKYO -- Google's foray into fintech services in Japan threatens to drastically change the smartphone payment market, challenging PayPay and other leading cashless payment companies that are already struggling to win customers after offering big refunds.
As barriers between finance and other sectors lower, leading financial institutions are being forced to rethink their strategies.
U.S. tech giant Google is in final talks to purchase Pring, a Tokyo-based cashless payment and settlement startup owned by Metaps, Mizuho Bank and others.
Metaps is a Tokyo-based
Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou loses court bid to enter new evidence
NEW YORK -- Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou will not be allowed to submit new evidence in the extradition case against her, according to a ruling Friday by the British Columbia Supreme Court in Vancouver.
With the high-profile hearing heading into its final stretch, the Canadian court rejected a request by Meng's legal team to enter internal emails from London-based bank HSBC as evidence in the committal hearing.
The U.S. is seeking the extradition of Meng, who is also the oldest daughter of Huawei
Macao disqualifies pro-democracy groups from legislative election
HONG KONG -- Macao's Electoral Affairs Commission on Friday disqualified all pro-democracy candidates seeking to run in the city's Sept. 12 legislative election.
Tong Hio Fong, the commission's chairman, told reporters at a hastily called news conference the body had found "evidence" to indicate that over 20 candidates were not qualified to participate in the election because they were "not upholding the Basic Law" and "not loyal" to the government of Macao.
The decision in the densely populated