
Economy,East Asia
Japan’s Yield Curve Control: Revival of an Old Idea
Although the Bank of Japan recently announced the plan of “yield curve control,” it has been buying longer government bonds to push their rates down since 2012. The BOJ is only changing the policy target from the quantity of bonds to the price of the bonds. In particular, it aims to keep the 10-year bond yield at around zero.

Economy,Society
Colombia Rejects Peace Deal: Chinese Investments in Doubt?

Economy,South Asia
Modi’s “Make in India” Faces Tough Challenges

Economy,China,Southeast Asia
At the 13th China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli said that China will support the building of ASEAN Community, ASEAN’s central role in regional cooperation, and ASEAN to play a greater role in international and regional affairs.

Economy,Security,South Asia
Dialogue and Water Cooperation in the Brahmaputra River Basin
The key challenge in the Brahmaputra River Basin is the rising suspicion and distrust, and the lack of open communications between the countries. Negotiations that have happened so far are essentially bilateral and confidential with no public participation.

Economy,China
China Trade Bills Scam: New Regulation Announced
The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is under police investigation over a fraud case reportedly involving RMB 3 billion worth of fake trade bills in the nation’s e-commercial draft system, highlighting the need to set up a more robust financial market framework.

Politics,Economy,China
The BRICS at the Hangzhou G20 Summit
The September 2016 meeting of the BRICS leaders, which occurred on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, China, was noteworthy as it confirmed the new Brazilian government’s commitment to the BRICS grouping.

Economy,China
Bond Defaults: A New Risk for Financial Crisis in China?
The rise of corporate bond defaults and corporate downgrades has renewed calls for the establishment of a credit default swap market in China. The People’s Bank of China appears poised to give the hedging scheme the go-ahead in the near future.

Economy,Society,China
Rebalancing Fiscal Capacity and Expenditure Responsibility in China
One major issue is the mismatch between local governments’ fiscal capacity and their expenditure responsibility. In recent years, local governments have been responsible for over 80 percent of government expenditure, while being assigned only about 50 percent of government revenue.

Politics,Economy,China
Hangzhou G20: Display of Opulence with Limited Achievement?
Lauded as a great success by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Hangzhou G20 Summit came to a conclusion on September 5, 2016 with its final communique confirming the necessary consensus for the G20’s long-term vision.

Economy,Cyberspace,China
Behind China’s E-Commerce Success Story
Many people hold the view that economies of scale plus a booming economy are the two sole reasons behind China’ success in e-commerce. Physical infrastructure of telecommunications, information processing, and logistics are also factors.

Economy,East Asia
No “Helicopter Money,” Abenomics Turns to Fiscal Stimulus
In July 2016, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced a JPY 28 trillion stimulus package, which includes spending on infrastructure, reconstruction of disaster zones, wage increases for child and elder care workers, and direct cash payments to low-income households.