4 h. ago Japan weighs tightening rules on visa popular among Chinese nationals

Japan is considering increasing the minimum investment threshold for its business manager visa in a bid to make it harder for foreigners to obtain residence status and launch commercial operations in the country, as the scheme becomes increasingly popular with Chinese nationals. The visa, which offers relatively accessible entry for foreign entrepreneurs, permits stays of up to five years for those who either invest 5 million yen (US$34,711) or hire two full-time employees while maintaining an...

Politics

5 h. ago To achieve its AI ambition, Hong Kong must start investing in schools

With rapid advances in technological development transforming industries and permeating every facet of our lives, there are mounting calls for schools to embrace artificial intelligence in the curriculum. While the focus on AI can seem overwhelming, the role of schools in this new AI-driven world demands attention. Where there is a focus on AI in schools, it is likely to be about effective and ethical ways to use AI. This is important, especially the focus on ethical issues, but there is perhaps...

Politics

7 h. ago US venture capital firm to unload stakes in 40 Chinese tech start

Shares of a few dozen China-based start-ups may be up for grabs as their investor, US venture-capital firm Eight Roads, plans to exit its Chinese technology holdings. The move, reported by Bloomberg on Tuesday, comes as geopolitical tensions and a sluggish Chinese economy prompt some global investors to retreat. Domestic and government-backed funds and financing products would increasingly drive start-up funding in the world’s second-largest economy, analysts said. Fidelity Ventures-backed Eight...

Politics

10 h. ago Trump crackdown on international students affects far more schools than Harvard

US President Donald Trump’s proclamation last week that he would bar Harvard University from enrolling new international students put the spotlight back on an unprecedented stand-off between the White House and America’s pre-eminent university. Trump’s move came less than a week after a federal court injunction blocked the US Department of Homeland Security’s termination of Harvard’s ability to host international students. It was also just hours after the administration threatened Columbia...

Politics

12 h. ago US Treasury chief slams ‘unreliable’ China at House hearing on Trump trade policy

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent slammed Beijing on Wednesday for its aggressive export policies, urged it to be a more dependable partner and depicted China’s disjointed economic structure as hurting not only the US but the entire globe. “China currently has the most unbalanced economy in the history of the world,” Bessent, a former hedge fund manager, told the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. “They cannot be allowed to export their way back to prosperity, not only for working...

Politics

16 h. ago Stocks little changed Wednesday as inflation stays cool, rate

Stocks little changed Wednesday as inflation stays cool, rate-cut bets rise  USA Today

Politics

19 h. ago Japan eyes 80% cut in 298,000 death toll for potential Nankai monster quake

Japan is seeking to reduce by 80 per cent in the next decade its estimated 298,000 death toll from a potential megaquake in the Nankai Trough. Authorities also intend to halve the maximum number of buildings expected to be completely destroyed in such a disaster from the current projection of 2.35 million. The targets align with a 2104 basic blueprint but will also take into account the latest damage estimates released in March, according to the Kyodo news agency. A revised plan for emergency...

Events

20 h. ago China’s military says Japan ‘breaching pacifist constitution’ with missile tests

China’s military has accused Japan of undermining regional security after it tested new long-range anti-ship and hypersonic missiles. A commentary published by the military mouthpiece People’s Liberation Army Daily on Wednesday said that the extended range of missiles would be “a real deterrent to multiple surrounding areas”. It also argued that the increased ability to strike long-range targets was “breaking the restrictions of the pacifist constitution that the Japanese Self-Defence Forces...

Events

23 h. ago BRIEF: Jinmao secures three investors to fund Beijing land purchase

BRIEF: Jinmao secures three investors to fund Beijing land purchase  Bamboo Works

Economics

23 h. ago Victor Gao claims all land north of Ganga for China. People say he’s a ‘diplomatic fighter’

Victor Gao claims all land north of Ganga for China. People say he’s a ‘diplomatic fighter’  ThePrint

Politics

23 h. ago China and Japan must beat mutual hostility while also handling tariffs: envoy

China and Japan must work hard to improve public opinion towards each other, Japan’s top envoy in Beijing said, as the Asian neighbours move to stabilise ties amid shared concerns about tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. “The most difficult aspect of current Japan-China relations is the sentiment between the two peoples and, very unfortunately, there are still some negative perceptions that linger in Japan regarding China, and vice versa in the Chinese society regarding Japan,” said...

Politics

23 h. ago Japan’s Osaka Expo water shows suspended as Legionella levels top safety limit

Legionella bacteria 50 times above safe levels have been detected at Japan’s Expo 2025 in Osaka, the latest in a string of problems plaguing the event since its opening in mid-April. On Monday, the expo organisers announced that the popular daily fountain shows and a shallow pool area had been temporarily cancelled for deep cleaning due to bacterial contamination. The aquatic show at the Water Plaza has been suspended since June 4, when Legionella bacteria of up to 20 times the legal limit were...

Politics

23 h. ago How Indonesian fintech firm is bridging funding gaps for women entrepreneurs

Across Indonesia’s vast archipelago, millions of women running small businesses in rural areas remain locked out of traditional banking – a gap increasingly filled by fintech firms offering microloans as economic pressures mount. One of the most prominent players in this space is Amartha, a Jakarta-based lending platform that connects borrowers in remote communities with financial institutions. Founded in 2010, it now counts about 3 million active borrowers – 99 per cent of them women operating...

Economics

25 h. ago Beijing primary school showcases holistic education to intl journos

Beijing primary school showcases holistic education to intl journos  Amader Barta

Politics

26 h. ago Top US envoy in Hong Kong may be headed for senior role in Beijing embassy

The top US diplomat in Hong Kong is likely to be heading north to take up a leading role in the United States’ Beijing embassy, the South China Morning Post has learned. Gregory May, who arrived to serve as the US consul general for Hong Kong and Macau in September 2022, is tipped to be a top candidate for a ministerial role in the US embassy in Beijing, according to sources. It is a critical time in the relationship as Beijing and Washington engage in a series of high-stakes talks to manage...

Politics

27 h. ago Haitian eyes US$1.22 billion Hong Kong IPO, one of the year’s largest

Foshan Haitian Flavouring and Food Company, the largest listed condiment producer in mainland China, is seeking to raise up to HK$9.56 billion (US$1.22 billion) in Hong Kong, marking one of the city’s largest initial public offerings (IPOs) this year and giving a boost to its status as a world-leading fundraising hub. The company is offering 263.2 million H shares at a maximum price of HK$36.30 each, with the final offer price to be determined on or before June 17, Haitian said in a statement to...

Economics

29 h. ago Man in Japan arrested over suspected attempt to repeat 1987 attack on reporters

Police in Japan have arrested a man over a parcel containing threats sent to a news outlet in a suspected copycat attempt of the most serious attack on the media in the country’s modern history. Kazuhiro Muto, 38, was arrested at his home in the city of Fuji, Shizuoka prefecture, on June 3, a month after a parcel allegedly from him was delivered to an office of the Asahi Shimbun in Nishinomiya, the newspaper reported. The parcel arrived just after the anniversary of the May 3, 1987 attack in the...

Events

30 h. ago English lessons in Hong Kong primary schools to cover national security

Hong Kong primary schools will need to strengthen patriotic and national security education under a revised curriculum guide for the English-language subject. The previous edition of the guide suggested English teachers let pupils explore value-laden matters including human rights and equal opportunities but they have been replaced by issues such as respect for others, animal rights and environmental protection. The Education Bureau on Tuesday released the “English Language Education Key...

Events

30 h. ago Japanese debate over US immigration raid protests and influx of foreigners

US President Donald Trump’s deployment of thousands of military personnel to Los Angeles in response to protesters rallying against his administration’s immigration raids has split public opinion in Japan, where debates have escalated in recent years over an influx of foreigners into the country. The protests in Los Angeles – now in their third day – have prompted Trump to order around 4,000 National Guard personnel and 700 Marines to the city. Clashes between both sides have led to rubber...

Events

30 h. ago In Japan, LA protests are dividing people as much as in the US. Here’s why

US President Donald Trump’s deployment of thousands of military personnel to Los Angeles in response to protesters rallying against his administration’s immigration raids has split public opinion in Japan, where debates have escalated in recent years over an influx of foreigners into the country. The protests in Los Angeles – now in their third day – have prompted Trump to order around 4,000 National Guard personnel and 700 Marines to the city. Clashes between both sides have led to rubber...

Events