Economy

Representatives of members of Trans-Pacific Partnership after the signing agreement ceremony in Santiago, Chile, on Mar. 8, 2018.
Two people were killed when a shophouse on the banks of the Badung River in Denpasar, the capital of Bali province, collapsed during flash floods in September. The deadly floods were a wake-up call for Bali to manage its overtourism and uncontrolled development problems, experts say. (Photo by Ismi Damayanti)
Society

Bali deadly floods highlight Indonesian island's overtourism struggles

Authorities fall short in tackling uncontrolled development amid record visitor numbers

3 November 2025
People are seen wearing black in Bangkok on Oct. 30, as Thailand has entered a mourning period for the late Queen Mother Sirikit. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Economy

Thailand proceeds with festivals, events despite royal mourning

Economists say government move good for economy in peak tourist season

2 November 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump swept through Asia, with the region left to ponder the impact. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by AP and Reuters)
Trump tariffs

Trump's 5-day Asian trade tour: 5 things to know

President's emphasis on 'deals' yields results but leaves some wary

31 October 2025
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Photos

Through the Lens: Trump's Asia-Pacific tour

A selection of photos from across Asia

31 October 2025
ASEAN leaders welcome East Timor's accession to the group in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 26, some 14 years after the nation of 1.4 million people submitted its application, aiming to use membership to open up trading opportunities.
Policy Asia

Dream or mirage? East Timor starts life in ASEAN as trade clouds gather

Infrastructure, law, jobs concerns remain; diversification urged as oil fund drains

31 October 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump gestures to Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during a meeting on the sidelines of ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 26.
Trump tariffs

Trump's Malaysia, Cambodia deals link tariff cuts to political loyalty

US pushes Southeast Asian partners to follow Entity List, shipbuilding measures

30 October 2025
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and his wife, Pich Chanmony, light candles in front of a Buddha statue during the inauguration ceremony for Phnom Penh's Techo International Airport, in Kandal province, on Oct. 20.
Economy

Cambodia's new airport eclipsed by scam centers and war

Tourist arrivals to the kingdom are falling despite the gateway's opening

29 October 2025
A new Chinatown in the Huai Khwang district in Bangkok. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
Opinion

Thailand's 'new Chinatowns' bring in the wrong type of investment

Bangkok must find a balance between the lure of foreign capital and the protection of national interests

29 October 2025
A woman looks through a magnifying glass to check for errors on a printer circuit board at a factory in Vietnam's Bac Ninh province in May 2018. Electronics is a fast-expanding sector in the Southeast Asian country's economy.
Economy

Vietnam maintains 'strong demand' as production base despite Trump tariffs

Industrial property developers see sturdy growth with Chinese and US investments

28 October 2025
Chinese Premier Li Qiang, far left, and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, far right, witness the signing of the upgraded ASEAN-China Free Trade Area in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 28.
International relations

China deepens ties with ASEAN ahead of Xi-Trump talks

Beijing signs enhanced trade deal with bloc at Kuala Lumpur summit

28 October 2025
A view of a port in Bangkok. Thailand's exports grew much faster than expected in September, providing relief to an economy that has been underperforming its peers this year.
Economy

Thai September exports jump 19% as pressure from US tariffs eases

Robust momentum seen pushing 2025 export growth above 10%

27 October 2025
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaks at the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 26.
Trade

ASEAN Summit talks spotlight economic integration amid trade worries

Bloc upgrades intraregional rules while 15-country RCEP looks to add new members

27 October 2025
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to journalists in Kuala Lumpur after talks with China on Oct. 26. (Photo by Norman Goh)
Trade war

US and China have 'framework' for Trump-Xi talks, Bessent says

Treasury secretary sees one-year delay in rare earth export controls

27 October 2025
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, top right, delivers a virtual speech to the ASEAN-India Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 26.
International relations

Malaysia's Anwar says 'real progress' made in ASEAN-India trade deal review

With Modi attending summit virtually, experts see year-end deadline as likely to be missed

27 October 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump, center, and ASEAN leaders pose for a photo during the ASEAN-U.S. Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 26. 
International relations

Trump to ASEAN leaders: US to remain strong partner for 'many generations'

US president also agrees to rare earth deal with Malaysia amid China export curbs

26 October 2025
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng arrives for trade talks with the U.S. in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 25.
Trade war

US and China start high-stakes trade talks in Malaysia

Rush to defuse rare-earth, other tensions comes days before likely Trump-Xi meeting

25 October 2025
Just days after her election as Japan's first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, seen here at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Oct. 21, is expected to leverage her political affiliation with her late predecessor, Shinzo Abe, to build a relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, who is visiting Japan next week. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi)
Policy Asia

Japan's Takaichi awaits Trump with economic security in spotlight

New PM to make her diplomatic debut with ASEAN trip; Abe 'lineage' seen strengthening US links

24 October 2025
East Timor, Southeast Asia's youngest nation and one of its poorest, relies heavily on an oil fund to support the economy. The country's leaders tell Nikkei Asia of plans to develop other sectors. (Photo by Dimas Ardian)
Economy

East Timor faces uphill task to cut oil dependence and create jobs

PM cites plan to set up National Development Bank to support new priority sectors

23 October 2025
Prices in Indonesia rose by 2.65% in September, up from 2.31% in August but within the central bank's target range of 1.5% to 3.5%.
Markets

Bank Indonesia keeps its policy rate unchanged for first time in 4 months

Decision comes amid growing concerns over the central bank's independence

22 October 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an event at the White House on Oct. 16. (Reuters)
International relations

Trump's ASEAN Summit attendance raises stakes for trade, security talks

5 key data points that explain significance of Oct. 26-28 event in Kuala Lumpur

22 October 2025
Major Thai banks reported higher net profit in the July-September quarter, but lending business slowed. (Source photos by Ken Kobayashi, Yuki Kohara and Takaki Kashiwabara)
Finance

Thai banks' interest income falls faster in Q3 on weak economy

Profits rise at 4 biggest lenders, but loan business remains under pressure

21 October 2025
The Old Quarter in Hanoi on Sept. 1. U.S. tariffs are impacting key sectors of the Vietnamese export economy such as clothes, shoes and phones.
Economy

Vietnam to increase income tax relief to boost economy

US tariffs and communist nation's mission to lay off 20% of state workforce threaten spending

21 October 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with the CEO of G42 Peng Xiao, center, as he attends a business forum at Qasr Al Watan during the final stop of his Gulf visit, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on May 16. 
Technology

AI company from UAE plans $2bn data center in Ho Chi Minh City

Local IT company FPT and investor Viet Thai to help G42 build 70 MW of facilities

20 October 2025
Prabowo Subianto greets supporters after being sworn-in as Indonesia's eighth president in Jakarta on Oct. 20, 2024. A year on, he faces a plethora of domestic and external tests. (Photo by Yuki Kohara) 
Politics

Indonesia's Prabowo reins free as he marks one year in office: 5 key points

Analysts say president's myriad populist programs threaten fiscal discipline, macro guardrails

20 October 2025
People pose with the ASEAN logo in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 8. The main summit begins on Oct. 26.
Your Week in Asia

ASEAN Summit, China's Fourth Plenum, Japan's PM vote

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

19 October 2025
For Tatsuo Yasunaga, chairman of the Japan Foreign Trade Council and chair of Mitsui & Co., it's important for Asia to show where it can contribute to what the U.S. president wants -- the revitalization of the American economy.  (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Yuki Kohara)
Big in Asia

Japan's trading houses to Asia: We'll help you grow in era of Trump turmoil

Chairman of industry group touts diversified business model as partnership solution

18 October 2025
Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto announces economic stimulus measures during a press conference in Jakarta on Oct. 17. (Indonesia's Presidential Secretariat)
Economy

Indonesia injects $1.8bn into cash aid to spur Q4 growth

Additional package to benefit 35 million households, minister says

17 October 2025
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto speaks at the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Sept. 23. He will mark his first year as president on Oct. 20 and has plans to generate capital inflows from sales of carbon offsets to foreign buyers.
Climate Change

Indonesia allows resumption of international carbon trade after four years

Presidential decree aims to attract foreign investment for climate initiatives

15 October 2025
A Korean Air jetliner takes off as the chartered plane that would bring back workers detained in the U.S. sits at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the U.S. state of Georgia on Sept. 10. 
Transportation

Korean Air explores Vietnam flights as Ho Chi Minh City readies new airport

Chips and phones drive cargo demand as carrier recovers from Trump tariffs

14 October 2025