Entries tagged "News"

  • BRI in Africa at Risk | May 1, 2020, 9:19 a.m.

    Plunging oil, copper, and mineral prices could threaten China's $200 billion in investments and loans in Africa, Nikkei reports.

  • U.S. Tech Shaping India's Internet | April 29, 2020, 10:55 a.m.

    How Facebook collaborates and conflicts with India's government on privacy, security, and misinformation will have long-lasting implications for the country's internet, Nikkei reports.

  • Philippines Looks to Infrastructure for Growth | April 28, 2020, 9:56 a.m.

    Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has doubled down on his "Build, Build, Build" infrastructure investment program in hopes of stabilizing growth following the economic turmoil created by the Covid-19 pandemic, Nikkei reports.

  • BRI Debt Concerns Rise in Djibouti | April 27, 2020, 9:48 a.m.

    Djibouti has become a linchpin in China's Belt and Road Initiative, but the U.S. is concerned that the financial toll of Covid-19 may increase Djibouti's risk of falling into a "debt trap" created by high-levels of Chinese lending, Nikkei reports.

  • China Ramps Up Aid to Pacific | April 24, 2020, 9:49 a.m.

    In the islands of the South Pacific, China has amped up aid and diplomacy during the coronavirus pandemic, accelerating to rival Australia and New Zealand as a major aid donor and trade partner in the region, Nikkei reports.

  • CPEC Construction to Resume | April 23, 2020, 11:37 a.m.

    Despite the pandemic, construction along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been ordered to resume, Nikkei reports.

  • Asian Airlines Flock to Cargo | April 22, 2020, 9:19 a.m.

    In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, airlines throughout Asia are shifting from passenger to cargo flights and increasing exports from China, one of world's first economies to begin re-opening, to offset their losses, Nikkei reports.

  • China Expands Digital Markets in India, Europe | April 21, 2020, 11:34 a.m.

    Chinese electronics company Xiaomi is gaining market share in India and Europe and plans to seek up to $1 billion in international bonds and grow its business in 5G, AI, and internet of things (IoT) technology, Nikkei reports.

  • China Invests $28B in Cloud Infrastructure | April 20, 2020, 11:15 a.m.

    Chinese technology giant Alibaba has announced plans to invest $28 billion in cloud infrastructure in response to a growing demand for business software, Nikkei reports.

  • Infrastructure Boosts China's Economy | April 17, 2020, 9:18 a.m.

    China is turning to infrastructure projects to boost its economy in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, including the construction a 400 km maglev railway between Shanghai and Ningbo, Nikkei reports.

  • Japan Diversifies Supply Chains | April 16, 2020, 9:45 a.m.

    In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, several countries are reassessing supply chains dominated by China, including Japan, where Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pushed companies to diversify, Nikkei reports.

  • China Tech Surveillance Raises Concerns | April 15, 2020, 2:20 p.m.

    A proposed partnership between the United Nations and leading Chinese Tech company Tencent has raised some concerns about China's uses and exports of surveillance technology and it's potential impacts on international human rights standards, Nikkei reports.

  • COVID Slows BRI Workers, Materials | April 14, 2020, 1:54 p.m.

    The economic costs of the Covid-19 outbreak may limit the influence of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), as the virus halts the flow of workers and materials for BRI projects outside of China, Nikkei reports.

  • Bangladesh Seeks Multilateral Lending | April 13, 2020, 9:46 a.m.

    Bangladesh is seeking $700 million in emergency financing from the International Monetary Fund in addition to budget support from multilateral banks including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Nikkei reports.

  • Attali: China Important Tech Power | April 9, 2020, 9:42 a.m.

    As the Chinese economy slowly begins to recover from the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, French economist and founding president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Jacques Attali, sees China emerging as an important technological power, Nikkei reports.

  • China Leads Global Patent Filings | April 8, 2020, 9:07 a.m.

    China has overtaken the U.S.' four-decade streak in filings. Computer tech and digital communication fields accounted for the largest share of filings, with Huawei as the leading corporate filer, Nikkei reports.

  • Chinese Tech Profits Rise Amid COVID | April 7, 2020, 9:44 a.m.

    Some Chinese technology companies and their owners have seen their wealth increase significantly amidst the coronavirus outbreak due to increased demand, Nikkei reports.

  • Japanese Airlines Seek $18B | April 6, 2020, 10:18 a.m.

    The Scheduled Airlines Association of Japan has requested $18 billion in aid from the government due to decreased demand as a result of COVID-19, Nikkei reports.

  • Germany Guards Against Foreign M&A | April 3, 2020, 9:13 a.m.

    Germany is preparing to take stakes in or buy out domestic companies in a weakened financial situation due to COVID-19 to prevent opportunistic acquisitions by Chinese firms which could jeopardize Germany's future competitiveness, Nikkei reports.

  • BRI Stays ASEAN-Focused Amid COVID | April 2, 2020, 9:24 a.m.

    China says that the Belt and Road Initiative will not be impacted by COVID-19, and has continued to commit to new infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia. While experts suggest that China's slowing economy will lead the Chinese government to prioritize domestic spending, Southeast Asia is likely to remain a focus for Chinese investment, Nikkei reports.

  • BRI Sees COVID Impacts in C. Asia | April 1, 2020, 11:04 a.m.

    Central Asia, a region at the heart of China's Belt and Road Initiative, has been sharply affected by the economic downturn in China and falling energy prices due to the global spread of the COVID-19 epidemic while country-level responses to the virus have varied widely, Nikkei reports.

  • Huawei Warns Against U.S. Export Controls | March 31, 2020, 9:17 a.m.

    As the U.S. considers tightening export controls on Huawei, the company warned that such action could trigger a similar response against U.S. companies by the Chinese government, Nikkei reports.

  • China Pushes Health Diplomacy along BRI | March 30, 2020, 10:15 a.m.

    The president of Serbia recently greeted a Chinese medical team arriving to assist the fight against COVID-19, underscoring Beijing's diplomatic efforts to give aid and advice to countries participating in its Belt and Road Initiative, Nikkei reports.

  • Coronavirus Slows Supply Chains | March 27, 2020, 9:30 a.m.

    Restrictions and lockdown orders in response to the coronavirus outbreak are forcing manufacturers to stop production, negatively impacting supply chains. Steel manufacturers may temporarily halt blast furnaces for the first time since 2009 and Japanese telecoms expect a delay in 5G rollout due to supply chain issues, Nikkei reports.

  • Chinese Telcos Cautious in 5G Rollout | March 26, 2020, 10:54 a.m.

    China's three largest mobile telecom companies, China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom, are reluctant to expand their investments in building out 5G capability as economic growth stalls, Nikkei reports.

  • Xi Suggests Health Silk Road | March 25, 2020, 9:12 a.m.

    President Xi Jinping recently floated the idea of creating a "health silk road" paralleling the Belt and Road, which could further China's "mask diplomacy" efforts to provide medical supplies abroad and portray itself as a provider of international public goods. However, experts note that disinformation efforts by Chinese officials about COVID-19 are prompting pushback and could hinder such efforts.

  • China Ups Spending for 5G, Data Centers | March 24, 2020, 10:19 a.m.

    Chinese president Xi Jinping is set to increase spending on crucial infrastructure including 5G network deployment and data center construction to help the economy recover from the impact of COVID-19, Nikkei reports.

  • Pakistan Signs New CPEC MoUs | March 23, 2020, 9:17 a.m.

    Pakistan and China recently signed new memorandums of understanding (MoUs) under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) during President Arif Alvi's visit to China, but experts doubt China's willingness to substantially increase economic assistance to Pakistan, including to combat the coronavirus outbreak, Nikkei reports.

  • China Pushes Forward on 5G | March 19, 2020, 9:14 a.m.

    China Mobile, the world's largest mobile services provider, said that it will spend $14 billion on the rollout of 5G services, including the construction of 250,000 5G base stations. The move forward continues despite delays and revenue losses due to the coronavirus, Nikkei reports.

  • Coronavirus Complicates Shipping to China | March 18, 2020, 1:08 p.m.

    The recent outbreak of African swine flu in China has pushed demand for imported meat to record numbers, but pork exporters globally face difficulty shipping meat to China due to quarantines that delay shipping within the country. Experts suggest it could take six weeks for shipping chains to recover, Nikkei reports.

  • Bangkok Extends Rail | March 16, 2020, 11 a.m.

    Bangkok's railway is set to double to approximately 300 km in 2023, Thailand hopes that this development will ease traffic and help achieve sustainable, high-quality economic growth, Nikkei reports.

  • U.S. Postpones ASEAN Summit | March 13, 2020, 9:22 a.m.

    As the coronavirus necessitates greater emphasis on cooperation between the U.S. and China, some experts worry that Washington’s decision to postpone the U.S.-ASEAN summit following a period of perceived disengagement risks pushing Southeast Asian countries further toward China and delays discussions on critical topics, including the U.S. rival to the BRI, Nikkei reports.

  • Huawei Expands in Russia | March 11, 2020, 9:52 a.m.

    Russia has become Huawei's fastest growing market as Moscow seeks to reduce dependence on Western technological infrastructure, and the Chinese tech company recently announced a partnership with Russia's Sberbank to develop a cloud platform.

  • China's BRI Spurs Digital Yen | March 10, 2020, 9:19 a.m.

    Japanese lawmakers are pushing for the development of a digital yen in response to concerns that China could set international standards for digital currency technology, aided by the prevalence of the Belt and Road in countries with developing financial systems, Nikkei reports.

  • Huawei Faces Domestic Challengers | March 9, 2020, 9:35 a.m.

    Oppo, China's second-largest smartphone producer, has teamed up with 11 carriers around the world and plans to invest $7 billion in its new 5G technologies rollout as part of an effort to take overseas market share from top competitor Huawei, Nikkei reports.

  • Asia Boosts Satellites for 5G | March 6, 2020, 9:48 a.m.

    Growing investment in satellite communications, especially in Asia, indicates that small satellites will increasingly be used in combination with 5G to meet demand for high speed connectivity, Nikkei reports.

  • BRI Faces Criticism in Laos | March 5, 2020, 10:27 a.m.

    China's Belt and Road investments are facing public criticism in Laos as Chinese-built hydropower plants disrupt the local fishing industry. Some Chinese agricultural businesses have also been accused of poor labor and environmental standards while the IMF and other organizations have flagged the risk of debt distress in the country, Nikkei reports.

  • Philippines Foreign Investment Decreases | March 4, 2020, 9:53 a.m.

    Given the worsening global economy and recent foreign investment decreases in the Philippines, critics claim President Duterte's efforts to shut down domestic utilities and media companies on charges of corruption are economically unwise, Nikkei reports.

  • China’s Grid Plan Causes Concerns | March 3, 2020, 10:31 a.m.

    Beijing is pushing for what it calls Global Energy Interconnection, a vision of a multi-trillion-dollar worldwide electricity network, which presents an opportunity for emerging economies experiencing power shortages but also the risk of vulnerability and insecurity, Nikkei reports.

  • Gwadar Port City Criticized | March 2, 2020, 9:32 a.m.

    The Gwadar Smart Port City Masterplan, part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, has attracted criticism due to lack of transparency and aims that some experts call unrealistic. The plan estimates over 2000 percent population growth by 2050 and will require more than $648 million for basic infrastructure alone, Nikkei reports.

  • COVID-19 Strengthens China Safe Cities | Feb. 28, 2020, 9:39 a.m.

    Beijing is using big data and its social credit system to slow the spread of COVID-19, and these measures have improved Chinese cities' digital infrastructure and strengthened the state's surveillance capacities, Nikkei reports.

  • ASEAN to Discuss China's Mekong Projects | Feb. 27, 2020, 11:37 a.m.

    Chinese-funded projects along the Mekong River are increasingly facing pushback from governments and environmentalists in the region as water levels drop due to drought and the construction of large dams. In an attempt to address these concerns, Vietnam plans to add the Mekong River to ASEAN's agenda this year, Nikkei reports.

  • Alibaba's Belgium Hub Sparks Protests | Feb. 25, 2020, 9:44 a.m.

    Environmental and anti-globalization groups in Belgium are seeking to halt the construction of a logistics hub by Chinese company Alibaba, claiming the $80 million project will increase pollution and create only low-quality jobs, Nikkei reports.

  • Intel Joins Ericsson in 5G Competition | Feb. 24, 2020, 9:16 a.m.

    The U.S.-based chip maker Intel intends to be the market leader for 5G base station chips by 2021, teaming up with Ericsson and other key partners to compete with Chinese tech-giant Huawei, Nikkei reports.

  • Huawei Leads Ericsson in 5G | Feb. 21, 2020, 9:25 a.m.

    Huawei says it currently has 91 commercial 5G contracts worldwide, surpassing its chief competitor Ericsson's 79 contracts. The company also announced plans to invest $20 million in 5G innovation projects in the UK, Nikkei reports.

  • India's Telcoms Oppose 5G Push | Feb. 20, 2020, 9:46 a.m.

    Telecommunications companies across India are protesting the timing of an upcoming 5G auction, claiming that prices are set too high given the sector's recent financial difficulties; however, New Delhi believes a delay will hinder the country's digital economy, Nikkei reports.

  • France Competes with China on Rail | Feb. 19, 2020, 9:32 a.m.

    French train maker Alstom is set to take over a railway unit of Canada's Bombardier in an $8.2 billion deal aimed at giving it the scale to better compete with China's CRRC, which continues to advance in Africa and Asia through the BRI, Nikkei reports.

  • Thai Telco Wins 5G Auctions | Feb. 18, 2020, 9:39 a.m.

    Thailand's 5G development is moving forward with domestic mobile operators. The nation's largest telecommunications firm recently acquired several frequency bands key to providing high-speed internet and internet of things technologies, Nikkei reports.

  • U.S., China Compete in Central Asia | Feb. 14, 2020, 10:48 a.m.

    U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo promised "a million dollars of assistance to increase trade and connectivity between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan," during a visit to Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Meanwhile, China's presence in Central Asia is growing, in part due to heavy investment in the region's infrastructure development through its Belt and Road Initiative, Nikkei reports.

  • Japan Seeks Balanced China Policy | Feb. 12, 2020, 9:25 a.m.

    Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has crafted a China policy that mixes caution with engagement, for example, expanding the U.S.-Japan security alliance while also jointly funding Belt and Road projects, Nikkei reports.