Opinion

Original perspectives and fresh thinking on issues of concern to Asia from around the region, plus editorials and letters to the editor. Please contact us if you would like to submit a letter to be considered for publication. 

East Asia has moved out of 'exam hell' but hasn't found heaven

Broader-based evaluation of university applicants has yielded few benefits

Fumiya Uchikoshi and Yuki Asahina
Schoolmates congratulate a student for passing the University of Tokyo's entrance exam: The student bodies of East Asia's most selective universities are generally rather homogeneous. 
Brahma Chellaney

Japan should be worrying about Taiwan, not Ukraine

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A Patriot missile unit outside the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo in 2017: The government should not be taking weapons out of its air defenses at this time.
SHIN NAKAYAMA

Letter from Nikkei Asia's editor: Finding the right fit

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SHIN NAKAYAMA
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Ratih Kabinawa

Taiwan's Lai should not overlook 'new south' neighbors

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Ratih Kabinawa
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Igor Khrestin and David J. Kramer

Support for Ukraine's freedom strengthens Asia's security

Igor Khrestin and David J. Kramer
Kiyoteru Tsutsui

Kishida may pay a price, but has handled LDP scandal shrewdly

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Kiyoteru Tsutsui
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A refinery in Marin, Switzerland: Mines in Papua New Guinea now send their gold overseas for processing. 
Carolyn Blacklock

Papua New Guinea's planned gold monopoly will weigh economy down

Key export sector to be damaged by deal with mysterious Singapore company

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Carolyn Blacklock
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People wait at a polling station in Rajasthan, India, on April 19. Some 970 million people are eligible to cast ballots in the general election, which extends into June.
Nikkei Editorial

Democracy put to the test in India's general election

Modi should show respect for minorities through free and fair contest

Nikkei Editorial
In Japan, it is impossible to escape notice of the country's sliding currency. (Photo by Nanami Sato)
William Pesek

Yen's decline will inevitably affect confidence in Japan's economy

End of quantitative easing would be vital step toward restoring normalcy

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William Pesek
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Volunteers carry the casket of a Chinese engineer killed in a suicide bombing in March in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. 
Ayesha Siddiqa

Security for Chinese workers in Pakistan will always be elusive

Closeness between neighbors remains somewhat superficial

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Ayesha Siddiqa
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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tours a factory in Brisbane on April 2: Manufacturing's share of the country's GDP has been declining. (AAP Image)
Satyajit Das

Industrial policy won't bring about a 'Future Made in Australia'

Structural reform to reduce costs and improve worker skills would be better bet

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Satyajit Das
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi displays the Bharatiya Janata Party's election manifesto in New Delhi on April 14.
Ritesh Kumar Singh

India's ruling BJP is not talking enough about the economy

Modi should address issues like youth unemployment and sluggish consumption

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Ritesh Kumar Singh
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Shopping during a May 2021 blackout in Taipei: Taiwan's power grid has not kept pace with rising energy use.
Jordan McGillis

Taiwan's Lai needs to rethink nuclear shutdown plan

Vibrant manufacturing-led economy cannot afford loss of reliable power source

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Jordan McGillis
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Scavengers collect plastic for recycling at a dump site in the northeastern Indian city of Guwahati: In Asia, women make up the majority of informal waste workers.
Simon Baldwin

Female Asian entrepreneurs key to tackling plastic waste

Government, investors and industry should support SMEs with solutions to offer

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Simon Baldwin
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The World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai in 2022: Today, Chinese companies are generations behind U.S. pioneers like OpenAI in generative AI.
Nina Xiang

China's technological development has run out of steam

Country no longer best place to watch for internet innovations

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Nina Xiang
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Burmese workers at a plastic recycling plant in Bangkok's suburbs in 2018. (Photo by Akira Kodaka) 
SHIN NAKAYAMA

Letter from Nikkei Asia's editor: Living with plastic

Shin Nakayama shares his weekly reflections and recommendations

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SHIN NAKAYAMA
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Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati's drive against corruption and her measures to improve state finances have had positive effects across Indonesia. (Pool via Reuters)
Priyanka Kishore

Indonesia's next finance minister will have big shoes to fill

Prabowo's spending plans would put fiscal targets at risk

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Priyanka Kishore
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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House in Washington on April 11.
Richard Heydarian

Emerging U.S.-Japan-Philippine alliance is making waves in Asia

Marcos must race to build links that might withstand return of Trump

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Richard Heydarian
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The Shanghai factory of Germany's Voith: Manufacturing skill development has not received much attention in China.
Wei Li

Chinese workers need more skills for the country's economic pivot

Educational institutions to play key role with 'new quality productive forces'

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Wei Li
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A concept model of the Global Combat Air Programme's fighter jet is displayed at a defense show in Japan in March 2023.
Martin Kent and Mark Sedwill

U.K. is committed to Indo-Pacific security and stability

New agreements demonstrate support for free and fair trade

Martin Kent and Mark Sedwill
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida listens to U.S. President Joe Biden during a joint press conference at the White House on April 10.
Nikkei Editorial

Japan-U.S. alliance holds greater responsibility for global stability

Leaders must offer more details to give substance to vision

Nikkei Editorial
For years, economists have highlighted the need for China to shift to a consumption-led growth model.
Donald Low

Beijing's social engineers will always be obsessed with production

Planners simply fail to see much value in consumption

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Donald Low
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An Ahmedabad vegetable vendor receives cash next to a QR code for Paytm: Many people in Asia still prefer to use traditional payment methods.
Kailash Madan

Public needs should drive Asia's digital payment transition

Authorities must prioritize inclusivity and understanding of diverse user groups

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Kailash Madan
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U.S. President Joe Biden, left, with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Washington on April 10: The two countries' alliance is moving beyond defense and the Indo-Pacific region.
Jeffrey W. Hornung

Japan's alliance with the U.S. has just gone global

Two nations now committed to jointly building 'free and open international order'

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Jeffrey W. Hornung
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Janet Yellen, left, with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on April 7: The U.S. Treasury secretary tried to persuade her counterparts to focus on bolstering domestic demand.
Stephen Olson

U.S.-China fight over manufacturing subsidies just getting started

Yellen's attempts to persuade Beijing to change course fell on deaf ears

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Stephen Olson
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