Hello from Tokyo. Compared with the election “super year” of 2024, our editors and reporters were expecting to cover far fewer votes this year. Last year, important elections for Nikkei Asia readers were held around the world, including the presidential votes in Taiwan, Indonesia and the U.S., general elections in South Korea and India, and the lower house vote in Japan.
Contrary to what we anticipated, we are once again covering a year filled with crucial elections across the region. In addition to the general election in Singapore that I highlighted in last week’s newsletter, Monday’s midterm congressional elections in the Philippines took on extra significance due to the March arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte on an International Criminal Court warrant.
At Nikkei Asia, our highly enthusiastic ASEAN editor flew from Tokyo to Manila and, together with our reporters at the Manila bureau, covered the Philippine election through a live blog throughout the night. The editor, who returned to the Tokyo newsroom only yesterday morning, told me, “Last night, I dreamed about live blogging.” Our team in Manila also published numerous articles, including pre- and post-election analyses.
Next month, South Koreans will head to the polls for a snap presidential election following the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Meanwhile, Japan is set to hold an upper house election this summer. Nikkei Asia will provide detailed coverage of these votes through free live blogs, spot news and analysis from an Asian perspective. Please visit our website and explore our coverage.
Join Tech Asia Live
Before I wrap up, I’d like to invite you to join Nikkei Asia’s webinar “Tech Asia Live: What Trump’s trade war means for Asia’s supply chains” on May 23.
Our technology editor and reporters will discuss how companies are responding to the tariff war, as well as the impact of Trump’s policies on China’s drive to bolster its tech manufacturing prowess. Register for free here
My suggested reads
1. Thai billionaire Dhanin Chearavanont warned that the U.S. risks losing its global economic leadership if foreign confidence in U.S. Treasurys falters due to erratic trade policies. While his CP Group remains largely unaffected by Washington’s tariffs thanks to a local-production model, Dhanin emphasized that America’s “trigger-happy” approach to tariffs could backfire by causing other nations to form protective economic blocs with each other.
2. Textiles is one of Indonesia’s most prominent manufacturing sectors, employing 5.9 million workers. But it is going backward, in terms of its global exports. Industry executives cite a lack of government focus on manufacturing; an inconsistent and unfriendly investment climate; and imports of cheap Chinese products. And now the Trump tariffs are adding another hurdle to attempts to revive it.
3. India’s startup scene has attracted massive amounts of investment, but the lion’s share of the funding has gone to retail applications like ride-hailing and food delivery. Now the country is looking to focus less on “fancy ice creams and cookies” and foster more deep tech startups in fields such as chips, robotics and AI.
4. Businesses in Asia are shying away from initial public offerings. Despite the U.S.-China trade truce, uncertainties remain in Asia’s financial markets, sapping investor appetite for IPOs. Hong Kong, however, stands out as an exception: Its stock exchange recently eased IPO requirements, including revenue thresholds for certain industries, helping more companies take the leap to go public.
5. India’s first sake master brewer, Maia Laifungbam, fell in love with Japanese cuisine in New York and went on to train at a historic Kyoto brewery before returning home to craft sake using Indian rice. Now based in Bengaluru, she’s preparing to launch her own brewery — blending Japanese tradition with local ingredients to bring high-quality, homegrown sake to India for the first time.
Through the lens
This week’s top photo pick: Banners of presidential candidates Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party, top, Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party, center, and Lee Jun-seok of the New Reform Party are displayed on a Seoul street on May 13, ahead of the June 3 election. (Photo by Ahn Young-joon/AP)
Check out more of our photo coverage here
Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Akito Tanaka
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Thank you for reading this newsletter. We are taking a short break and will be back in your inboxes on Friday, May 30.
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