Economy and commerce
Trade
Investor Chiba envisions 'Team Drone Japan' with new fund
Japan’s first investment fund focusing on drone-related startups begins operation in June, offering financial assistance and business management advice for budding entrepreneurs. Though the small, unmanned aerial vehicles are increasingly employed in various industries such as construction, logistics and tourism, Japanese companies have a weak ...
Soaring bitcoin price means investors face growing risks
The Japanese retail investors behind the latest bitcoin boom may be in for a wilder ride than they expected, given the stiff challenges in determining virtual currencies’ underlying value and the ease with which souring sentiment can sink prices. The value of one bitcoin, the ...
China May factory PMI growth keeps pace with previous month
Growth in China’s manufacturing sector in May kept pace with the previous month, an official survey showed on Wednesday, beating expectations in a reassuring sign the world’s second-biggest economy is not losing too much steam after a solid first quarter performance. The official Purchasing Managers’ ...
Panasonic turning up volume on Asian TV ops
Panasonic looks to build up to 50% more televisions in Asia outside Japan by fiscal 2020, taking advantage of low labor costs to churn out mass-market to top-of-the-line sets. The Japanese appliance manufacturer targets 3 million units of production capacity in the region by then. ...
Samsung to pour $9bn into Chinese flash memory plant
Samsung Electronics will spend around 10 trillion won ($8.91 billion) to double capacity at a cutting-edge memory chip plant in China by 2019, aiming to solidify its position at the top as the sale of rival Toshiba’s memory operations drags on. The South Korean giant ...
Yokohama Rubber to rev up Chinese capacity by nearly 50%
Yokohama Rubber will ramp up its tire output capability in China as it seeks to boost business with local automakers. The Japanese manufacturer will bolster its production capacity for passenger-car tires in China to 13.6 million units a year by 2020, up nearly 50% from 9.35 million units in ...
Geely underlines global ambitions in wake of Proton deal
Top management of the listed arm of Zhejiang Geely Holding said they hope to turn the carmaker into a global player, just a day after its parent company announced a deal to acquire a 49.9% stake in Malaysia’s struggling Proton Holdings. Gui Shengyue, chief executive ...
Booming Southeast Asian vehicle sales drive urban congestion
Vehicle sales in Southeast Asia are set to outpace all other regions of the world during 2017, according to industry research, highlighting surging economic expansion in some parts of the region. But the growing number of new cars and trucks in urban centers is likely ...
'TPP 11' are working to save the trade deal, but members remain far apart
The remaining members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal showed at least some level of unity in a statement May 21, but the outlook for a “TPP 11” version of the trade pact after the U.S. bailed on the deal looks hazy as gaps remain ...
Laos, Thailand agree on master plan
Thailand and Laos have agreed to draw up a a five-year master plan to double the value of bilateral trade and investment to US$10 billion (Bt344 billion) by 2021. Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak announced the deal on May 24 after an official meeting with Laotian Deputy ...
