Media Mentions

The International Monetary Fund urged Japan to keep the consumption tax cut targeted and temporary, warning on Wednesday that high and persistent debt levels leave its economy “exposed to a range of shocks.” “‘Responsible, proactive fiscal policy’ was a winning campaign slogan. But turning it into policy will be harder. The idea contains built‑in contradictions. And boosting […]

“The mood isn’t gloomy but it’s modest. People are spending on moments, not making life-changing purchases,” says Han Lin, China Country Director, The Asia Group. Interview Observations:   1) Is Lunar New Year spending showing that China’s consumer is back? In Shanghai, I see crowds at train stations, packed restaurants and sold-out cinemas. People are

The Indian government seems to be drawing a distinction between export-focused platforms and consumer-facing Chinese apps, said George Chen, partner and co-chair of the digital practice at The Asia Group, a Washington-based consultancy that advises companies on policy and geopolitical risks across Asia. Chen, who previously served as a regional public policy director at Meta,

“As more countries adopt the yuan for investment and capital-raising, Beijing gains the ability to direct capital toward its strategic priorities – making currency liberalisation a tool of geopolitical influence,” said Han Lin, China Country Director at The Asia Group.

Japanese voters have handed Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi a powerful mandate, delivering her ruling coalition a crushing victory in Sunday’s (Feb 8) lower house election. The nation’s political scene has been marred in recent years by scandals, shifting alliances and revolving-door leadership. But observers say Sunday’s result could signal a break from that volatility. “I

“From their perspective, the LDP had become too moderate under the last two prime ministers,” said Rintaro Nishimura, a Tokyo-based senior associate at The Asia Group, a consulting firm. Her policy direction, though, remains unclear. She floated cutting the 8% consumption tax on food, a proposal that drew swift criticism from economists and was later

9fin’s Asia editor Richard Macauley was joined by Akihiro Tsuchiya, senior advisor at The Asia Group and former senior MOF official (Japan), as well as David Boling, principal at The Asia Group and former deputy assistant US trade representative for Japan, to discuss the upcoming election on 8 February.

Younger people have historically been less likely to vote than older generations that have underpinned the LDP’s near unbroken post-war rule. But even a modest win would underline how her personal appeal has single-handedly revived the fortunes of a party whose long grip on power was slipping fast, said David Boling, a principal at The

“They course-corrected very quickly,” said Ashok Malik, chair of the India practice at the Asia Group strategic advisory firm. On the U.S. side, Trump dispatched his close aide Sergio Gor as ambassador to India in January, which some political experts saw as a chance to reset U.S.-India relations. Gor promised in his first public remarks

President Trump has announced a new trade agreement with India, saying the US will cut tariffs from 50 percent to 18 percent in exchange for India stopping its purchases of Russian oil. However, few details about the deal have been released publicly, fuelling uncertainty about what was actually agreed. Mark Linscott, Former Assistant US Trade Representative