What's in this episode:

• TOP BIT: China Cracks Down on Deepfakes
  • Starting 2026, China will enforce stricter rules against fake images and AI-generated content.
  • Mandatory labels for AI content will be required from platforms, app providers, and creators to combat manipulation.
  • The revised Cybersecurity Law includes multi-million dollar fines for violations and requires immediate deletion of misinformation.
  • Real-world cases include arrests for faking child abduction and earthquake damage using AI.
  • 515 million Chinese now use generative AI, driving demand for detection and labeling tools.
• NUMBER OF THE DAY: 3000 Yen
  • Japan's departure tax per person for international travelers is set to triple, adding about 2,000 yen to return tickets.
  • The revenue aims to combat overtourism at popular sites, which is leading to overcrowding and congestion.
• MARKET BIT: Succession Crisis: Wealth Without a Plan
  • Asia’s private wealth is projected to hit $99 trillion by 2029, much of it in founder-led companies.
  • Nearly half of first-generation families have no clear succession roadmap, often waiting until health scares or business pressure.
  • "Dynasty drift": Heirs often lack motivation or prefer to build their own ventures, leading to conflicts between "Pro over Patriarch" approaches.
  • Weak succession planning risks frozen assets and family disputes, impacting key growth markets.
• HEAD OF THE DAY: Hiroshi Mikitani 三木谷浩史
  • The architect of Japanese e-commerce, who founded Rakuten after the 1995 Kobe earthquake.
  • Rakuten is a global ecosystem (e-commerce, fintech, telecom) generating $10 billion USD in annual revenue.
  • Famous for making English the company's official language in 2010, symbolizing Japan's global ambition.
• Partner Highlights:
  • Luckin Coffee eyes a return to US markets after its accounting scandal, betting on rapid expansion.
  • VinFast expands EV production in Vietnam, shifting focus to stronger Asian growth prospects.
  • Singapore pushes for an EU-ASEAN Digital Economic Agreement to boost regional trade and data flows.
• Country Reads: Updates from New Delhi (terrorist attack), Malaysia (smart-factory initiative), and Hong Kong (phone scam).

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