BEIJING -- Net inflows of funds into China reached $88.5 billion, their highest in seven years, during the January-March quarter, as a wide interest rate spread drew global bond investors to the world's second-largest economy.

Gross inflows during the quarter came to $590.1 billion, the highest figure in comparable statistics going back to 2010, a Nikkei analysis of State Administration of Foreign Exchange data shows. Gross outflows reached $501.6

NAGOYA, Japan -- An American manufacturing unit of Toyota Auto Body has been hacked, the Toyota Motor subsidiary said Thursday, with sensitive information compromised by what is believed to be a Russian cybergang.

The admission came less than a week after another group member of the Japanese auto giant reported a cyberattack.

Toyota Auto Body confirmed that financial and customer data from Auto Parts Manufacturing Mississippi, which makes parts for the Toyota Corolla, was online. The company declined to say whether it received a demand for ransom but said no payment

TOKYO -- Laos' President Thongloun Sisoulith is set to open the second and final day of Nikkei's Future of Asia conference, as top leaders from across the region share their views of pressing challenges and the post-COVID era.

The event is being held in Tokyo and online . Friday's other scheduled speakers include Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

Experts will also join panel discussions on themes such as "Asia and the new U.S.

NEW DELHI -- India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Thursday said improvement in his country's relations with China hinges on addressing the situation along their border, where peace and tranquillity has been "disturbed by Chinese actions starting last year."

"In terms of what is happening in our discussions with China, there are ongoing discussions, both diplomatic and military-level discussions on the situation in the border areas," he told Nikkei Asia in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of this year's Future

KUALA LUMPUR -- The countries in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, should be careful not to enrage China lest they trigger a heavy global economic backlash, Malaysia's former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad warned in an exclusive interview on Thursday.

He said the Quad members -- the U.S., Japan, Australia and India -- would be better off engaging with Beijing individually rather than joining hands to attempt to control China's rising influence in the Indo-Pacific region and the South China Sea.

TOKYO -- Japan is considering an expansion of the state of emergency to include Okinawa, as the southern island prefecture sees coronavirus infections surge and medical resources strained.

This is the third time the government will expand the state of emergency since it was declared for Tokyo and the Osaka region last month.

The expanded SOE would mean that 10 prefectures will be affected by restrictions.

With the Tokyo Olympics only two months away, the nation is still struggling to contain the virus.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will make the decision Friday

HONG KONG -- Chinese technology group Tencent Holdings vowed to continue investing in new businesses despite greater regulatory scrutiny, while reporting better-than-expected quarterly results thanks to strong growth in its financial technology and business services operations.

For the three months to March 31, the company said group revenue rose 25% from a year earlier to 135.3 billion yuan ($21.0 billion), while net profit surged 65% to 47.8 billion yuan.

Despite Beijing'

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday urged Arctic states to resume high-level military meetings amid growing tension in the region and expressed concern about the deployment of foreign troops in Norway near the Russian border.

As a warming climate is opening up the Arctic for shipping, fishing, drilling and mining, Russia has beefed up its military presence there and the United States is carrying out more naval exercises.

"It is important to extend the positive relations that we have within the Arctic Council to encompass

TOKYO -- Japan will consider cutting off all official development assistance to Myanmar, even for ongoing projects, if the situation there does not improve, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told Nikkei.

"We don't want to do that at all, but we have to state firmly that it will be difficult to continue under these circumstances," Motegi said. "As a country that supported Myanmar's democratization in various ways, and as a friend, we must represent the international community and convey that clearly."

Japan