Nikkei Asia

Laos accelerates shift to EVs, fueled by hydropower Laos is stepping up efforts to promote electric vehicles, leveraging its abundant hydroelectric power, as oil shortages caused by the war in Iran raise energy security concerns. Read more here

Alibaba, ByteDance trim gaming and retail to invest in AI Top Chinese technology companies are restructuring their video game and retail operations as they shift their focus and resources to getting ahead in the artificial intelligence race. Read more here

China tightens border crossings after Meta's play for AI startup Manus China's government has bolstered entry and exit controls to prevent leaks of data, artificial intelligence, and other advanced technologies with rules slated to take effect on Sept. 15, aiming to shore up economic security. Read more here

Smartphone king Xiaomi's profits drop 43% on memory crunch, weak demand Xiaomi saw its net quarterly income nearly halved, as China's biggest smartphone maker endured a double blow from rising component costs and flagging demand. Read more here

Tokyo office vacancy rate at 1.5%, lowest among big global cities The office vacancy rate in Tokyo fell to 1.5% in the first quarter of the year, the lowest among major global cities, as companies increasingly bring employees back to work alongside their colleagues. Read more here

China tributes to Zhu Rongji and Jiang Zemin cast light on past and future China on Tuesday bid farewell to former Premier Zhu Rongji, who died last week at 97, flying flags at half-staff ahead of his cremation in Beijing. The funeral came the day after President Xi Jinping and the country's top officials paid tribute to another late leader, former President Jiang Zemin, who died in 2022 but would have turned 100 on Monday. Read more here

SoftBank plans $6.3bn retail bond issue, largest by Japanese company SoftBank Group is planning to issue around 1 trillion yen ($6.26 billion) of corporate bonds aimed at retail investors in Japan, Nikkei learned Tuesday. The bond sale is expected to be the largest-ever retail issue by a Japanese company. Read more here

Vietnam taps Samsung hub and Ha Long Bay province as growth zones Vietnam is seeking to turn two of its biggest FDI destinations, Bac Ninh and Quang Ninh, into central government-run cities, a move it hopes will accelerate the growth of the Samsung manufacturing hub and the home of Ha Long Bay. Read more here

Copper is new king for Australia's BHP as profit jumps 30% Australian resource giant BHP posted a 30% jump in underlying annual profit on Tuesday, as the world's largest miner's pivot to copper paid off with the price of the red metal surging. Read more here

Exclusive: Google plans to stop making Pixel products in China in 2027 Google has told suppliers it plans to have all of its Pixel smartphones, watches and wireless earbuds produced outside of China starting next year amid ongoing Washington-Beijing tensions, Nikkei Asia has learned. Read more here

Takaichi's food tax cut will leave Japan budget relying on inflation The consumption tax cut on food that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has "long hoped for" may fulfill a campaign pledge for her Liberal Democratic Party. But many economists see it as a poor inflation response that will force the government to walk a fiscal tightrope. Read more here

Chip boom pushes Vietnam, Philippines closer to 'high-income' status The growth of the semiconductor industry in Southeast Asia has reconfigured economic development in the region, putting Vietnam and the Philippines on course toward the sought-after status of "high-income countries." Read more here

Delta Electronics' Thai subsidiary thrives despite recent share slump It is 7 p.m. and workers are streaming through the gates of Delta Electronics' (Thailand) plant in the Bangpoo Industrial Estate, in Thailand's Samut Prakan province, just outside Bangkok. Hawkers sell snacks to the overwhelmingly female crowd. Read more here

Trump opens door to talks with North Korea's Kim with downsized drills U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered a reduction in this month's joint military exercises with South Korea, apparently aiming to draw North Korean leader Kim Jong Un into talks. Read more here

Xi's decisions on military, party leadership in focus after annual conclave China's annual Beidaihe meeting of Chinese Communist Party leaders and retired elders appears to have concluded, with attention focused on the next leadership lineup to be chosen at the party congress roughly one year from now. Read more here

Indonesia extends credit card network in challenge to Visa and Mastercard Bank Indonesia on Monday extended a domestic credit card payment system to individuals in partnership with major local lenders to support consumer loans, further challenging the dominance of Visa and Mastercard in Southeast Asia's largest economy. Read more here

Japan's Ippudo aims for Indonesian noodle network with halal help The operator of the popular Japanese ramen chain Ippudo says it wants to establish a nationwide network of stores in Indonesia, tapping the market of the world's largest Muslim country with the help of halal-certified restaurants. Read more here

China's economic growth challenges mount as consumption slips China's consumer spending and investment data showed few signs that the economy is shaking off its weaknesses, widening the nation's economic divergence even as a boom in artificial intelligence-related exports has been providing a lift. Read more here

Geely's Q2 profit grows 36% as exports increasingly power sales Geely Automobile Holdings' profit grew 36% on the year in the second quarter, as the company ramped up exports to offset weak domestic demand. Read more here

South Korea says joint drills are on despite Trump objections South Korea has given a guarded response to President Donald Trump's decision to scale back joint military exercises, a move analysts are interpreting as putting more pressure on the Lee Jae Myung government to offer further trade concessions. Read more here