East Timor

2 April 2024
Beijing is receiving one Southeast Asian dignitary after another this week, as the government seeks to shore up ties in the region. (Photo by Mizuho Miyazaki)
East Timor Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao is visiting Tokyo for the summit commemorating 50 years of friendship and ties between Japan and ASEAN. (Photo by Nikkei)
Interview

East Timor gas project open to Chinese firms, PM Gusmao says

Decision on Greater Sunrise partners to depend on 'cost and benefit'

17 December 2023
Kao Kim Hourn, secretary-general of ASEAN, speaks during an interview with Nikkei Asia in Tokyo on Oct. 27. (Photo by Yuki Kohara) 
Myanmar Crisis

ASEAN's Myanmar stance won't change with Laos in charge: official

Secretary-General stresses bloc's unity in engagement with generals

27 October 2023
An empty chair for the Myanmar delegation at the 2022 ASEAN summit in Phnom Penh: It was a mistake for the bloc to bar the junta from meetings.
Opinion

ASEAN needs to get back its old hardheaded realism

Bloc's handling of Myanmar and East Timor betrays erosion in strategic thinking

7 July 2023
East Timor's Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak, who is also a former East Timor independence fighter, and Indonesian President Joko Widodo wave to photographers as they meet at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, Indonesia, Feb. 13.
International relations

Indonesia, East Timor to expand economic ties at two border islands

Jokowi pledges to help East Timor develop human capital to enter ASEAN

13 February 2023
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, right, welcomes here East Timorese counterpart, Adaljiza Magno, during the 32nd ASEAN Coordinating Council meeting in Jakarta on Feb. 3.
International relations

East Timor faces economic challenges ahead of joining ASEAN

Talent, financial deficits weigh on tiny state also caught up in China-U.S. tussle

12 February 2023
East Timor's new President Jose Ramos-Horta during his inauguration ceremony in Dili on May 20.
Belt and Road

East Timor's new president still driving China's Belt and Road

Ramos-Horta supports initiative 'completely' and urges U.S. to cooperate

21 May 2022
Jose Ramos Horta speaks to supporters during a campaign rally in Dili on March 15: Ramos-Horta's pro-China tilt may make East Timor more vulnerable to great power competition.
Opinion

The outsized implications of East Timor's presidential election

Ramos Horta victory will likely help Beijing secure another regional foothold

21 April 2022
Jose Ramos-Horta declares victory in East Timor's presidential election in Dili on April 21.
Interview

East Timor's president-elect says ASEAN membership a top priority

Ramos-Horta won Tuesday's presidential election with 62% of the vote

21 April 2022
From left: Presidential candidates Jose Ramos Horta, Milena Pires and incumbent Francisco 'Lu-Olo' Guterres (Source photos by AP, AFP/Jiji and Kyodo) 
Politics

East Timor's generational divide in play during presidential polls

Allure of old-school independence fighters fades as younger candidates emerge

18 March 2022
Passengers wearing protective face masks check-in at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam, in October 2021. The Vietnamese government will reopen its borders from Tuesday despite a surge in infections driven by the omicron variant. 
Your Week in Asia

U.S. court decision on ZTE, Vietnam reopens, Philippine presidential debate

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

13 March 2022
A vendor waits for customers at a traditional market in Dili on Apr. 16: there are no income streams of note.
Opinion

How East Timor went from democratic success to failed petro-state

Hunger and hopelessness will persist without a complete economic overhaul

17 October 2020
Boys watch an Australian Navy ship maneuver off the coast of Dili, the capital of East Timor: the country's long-held dream to create a domestic petroleum industry is in jeopardy.
Opinion

COVID-19 wipes out East Timor's dreams of oil and gas riches

Chinese investment the only hope for project championed by Xanana Gusmao

26 September 2020
USS Gabrielle Giffords conducts routine operations near a drill ship in South China Sea on May 12: the U.S. has been unwavering in its mission to preserve regional peace and stability. (Handout photo from the U.S. Navy)
Opinion

Indo-Pacific network must evolve to meet changing threats

US is working with partners to defend a free and open region

17 May 2020
With exports and domestic consumption crashing, China, the world's second largest economy, could be on course for losses of up to $1.6 trillion this year, according to the ADB. 
Economy

ADB warns coronavirus threatens to chop 10% off global output

Bank says fiscal and monetary responses needed immediately to soften fallout

15 May 2020
A bridge construction site of the Bar-Boljare highway, pictured in June 2018: for Montenegro any concerns were far outweighed by the potential economic benefit of the new road.
Opinion

For developing world, Belt and Road Initiative is best deal around

China's infrastructure offer supports economic growth in Europe, Africa and Asia

6 May 2020
Stream article image
Nikkei Asia Prizes

Grab co-founders, clean water pioneer and museum curator honored

Nikkei recognizes outstanding contributions to quality of life in Asia

30 April 2020
Tourist and school buses are seen at a parking lot near Kwai Chung Container Terminal in Hong Kong, April 1: The novel coronavirus outbreak has devastated the territory's tourism industry.
Economy

Pandemic to cut Asian growth to 2.2%, worst since 1998 crisis: ADB

Thailand, Hong Kong and seven other economies to shrink, China to slow sharply

3 April 2020
A child wears a mask in Thailand slum. The World Bank's forecast of a "third shock" could devastate economic growth and increase poverty across developing Asia. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Interview

World Bank warns of 'third shock' after coronavirus and trade war

Developing Asia urged to address expected poverty surge, financial distress

31 March 2020
King Willem-Alexander walks with Joko Widodo during the welcoming ceremony at the presidential palace in Bogor on Mar. 10: other former colonial powers should follow the Dutch King's example.
Opinion

Dutch king's visit to Indonesia shows why apologies matter

Royal words should trigger wider review of imperial and post-colonial violence

16 March 2020
Foreign students in Japan are allowed to work in unskilled-labor positions, such as convenience store work, for up to 28 hours per week. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi) 
Japan immigration

Japan intensifies crackdown on student visa overstayers

Number of countries subject to stricter checks to increase tenfold

11 February 2020
Striking Asian masks from the collection of Portuguese artist Jose de Guimaraes, exhibited in 2018 at Lisbon's Museu do Oriente.
Arts

Lisbon's Museum of the Orient highlights Portugal's history in Asia

From textiles to tai chi, gallery stands as testament to enduring connection

7 February 2020
Greece has rejected China's plan to build an additional cargo terminal at Piraeus port amid concerns about growing Beijing influence.
Belt and Road

China drops $11bn anchors to expand Maritime Silk Road

State-owned operators Cosco and China Merchants dominate decade of spending

5 January 2020
Cambodian authorities in June ordered the destruction of Bun Kim Long's 80 pigs. Like many smallholder pig raisers across Asia, her business is in tatters. (photo by Shaun Turton)
Agriculture

African swine fever wipes out Asia's backyard pig farmers

Outbreak forcing a shift to commercial operations with biosecurity resources

11 October 2019
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