65 h. ago Hong Kong, Shenzhen push secure data corridor to unlock AI and fintech opportunities

Hong Kong and Shenzhen are establishing a white list for data transfers as part of an overarching effort to forge closer cross-border ties, which policymakers and business leaders see as essential to unlocking opportunities in artificial intelligence and fintech in the region. “If you have a white list to facilitate the movement of sensitive data, biological data and samples between Hong Kong and [mainland] China, it would ensure trust between [parties sending and receiving information] because...

Politics

8 d. ago India overtakes Japan in economic size, but prosperity trails far behind

India ushered in the new year with a symbolic triumph as its economy edged past Japan’s to become the world’s fourth largest by nominal gross domestic product. The achievement unleashed a wave of national pride in New Delhi and among business leaders, but behind the celebrations lingers a question: can the world’s fastest-growing economy turn rapid growth into widespread prosperity? Economists warn that GDP figures alone cannot create jobs, lift incomes or bridge yawning inequality in a nation...

Economics

8 d. ago As India overtakes Japan in economic size, prosperity lags far behind

India ushered in the new year with a symbolic triumph as its economy edged past Japan’s to become the world’s fourth largest by nominal gross domestic product. The achievement unleashed a wave of national pride in New Delhi and among business leaders, but behind the celebrations lingers a question: can the world’s fastest-growing economy turn rapid growth into widespread prosperity? Economists warn that GDP figures alone cannot create jobs, lift incomes or bridge yawning inequality in a nation...

Economics

1 week ago As China Trade Deficit Deepens, South Korean Business Leaders Look to Reset Ties

As China Trade Deficit Deepens, South Korean Business Leaders Look to Reset Ties  Yicai Global

Politics

1 week ago New KMT chair hopes to take peace message to Beijing while on Taiwan political tightrope

A plan by the chairwoman of Taiwan’s main opposition party to visit Beijing – where she hopes to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping – early this year carries hopes of improving communication amid high tension between the two sides of the strait. While supporters portray Cheng Li-wun’s trip as a potential opening to ease cross-strait tensions, critics warn it risks signalling political alignment with Beijing at a time of rising military pressure. Cheng, who was elected chairwoman of the Kuomintang...

Politics

2 w. ago China’s diplomatic divide: red carpet for South Korea, cold shoulder for Japanese firms

As a diplomatic row sees Japanese company executives put visits to China on hold, Beijing is preparing to roll out the red carpet for South Korean business leaders accompanying President Lee Jae-myung on a state visit starting Sunday. The contrasting receptions highlight how geopolitics is reshaping corporate ties in East Asia. Analysts expect continued friction between Beijing and Tokyo in 2026 to accelerate Japanese efforts to de-risk from the Chinese market. Conversely, Beijing’s warming...

Politics

2 w. ago Japanese business leaders shelve annual China trip as tensions mount

A group of about 200 prominent Japanese business leaders has reportedly postponed their annual visit to mainland China, the first such deferral in more than a decade, amid tensions between Beijing and Tokyo over Taiwan. The postponement, first reported by Bloomberg and Kyodo, is widely seen by observers as a worrying sign of fraying corporate diplomacy – long regarded as a stabilising channel in the countries’ complicated relationship. It comes amid Beijing’s intensified efforts to rally a...

Politics

2 w. ago 200 prominent Japanese business leaders postpone annual China trip

200 prominent Japanese business leaders postpone annual China trip  South China Morning Post

Politics

2 w. ago China’s Wang Yi takes aim at Japan in call with South Korean foreign minister

With less than a week to go until a presidential summit, China’s top diplomat has used talks with his South Korean counterpart to reassert Beijing’s stand on Taiwan and take aim at Tokyo. In a phone call with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Wednesday, China’s Wang Yi raised the spectre of Japan’s colonial past to get support for his country’s position on Taiwan. Wang accused “certain political forces in Japan” of trying to “reverse the course of history and whitewash [the country’s]...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong restaurants, bars gear up for packed 2026 countdown parties

Hong Kong will ring in the new year with packed restaurants and a bustling nightlife in Central, but the absence of a fireworks display may affect business on the Kowloon side, industry leaders have said. Their comments on Wednesday followed the tourism board’s announcement that the main celebration would be held on Charter Road in Central, after the annual Victoria Harbour fireworks show was cancelled because of the deadly Tai Po fire. Lan Kwai Fong Association director Anthea Cheung said that...

Politics

2 w. ago Trump and Israel’s Netanyahu to discuss next phase of Gaza plan during US visit

US President Donald Trump is expected to push for progress in the stalled ceasefire in Gaza when he meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday for talks that will include Israel’s concerns over Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran. Netanyahu said this month that Trump had invited him for talks, as Washington pushes to establish transitional governance and an international security force for the Palestinian enclave. It will be Netanyahu’s fifth visit to see Trump in the United States...

Politics

3 w. ago Why Honduras’ Presidential Election Matters for China and Taiwan

Why Honduras’ Presidential Election Matters for China and Taiwan  The China-Global South Project

Politics

3 w. ago Beijing ‘firmly opposes’ Japanese lawmakers’ trips to Taiwan as tensions spike

Beijing has lodged a protest with Tokyo over a series of visits to Taiwan by high-ranking officials from Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) amid a sharp downturn in bilateral relations. Koichi Hagiuda, an LDP lawmaker and the party’s executive acting secretary general, is on a three-day trip to Taiwan that will end on Tuesday. Hagiuda on Monday held a meeting with William Lai Ching-te, Taiwan’s leader. In total, about 30 Japanese lawmakers plan to visit the island between the end of...

Events

3 w. ago Business leaders plan to visit China during presidential summit early next year

Business leaders plan to visit China during presidential summit early next year  Korea JoongAng Daily

Politics