Welcome to Your Week in Asia.
India on Friday kicks off national elections, with some 970 million people eligible to vote across the world's biggest democracy.
Earlier in the week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz heads to Beijing for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, while the world's second-biggest economy posts quarterly economic growth figures on Tuesday.
Major chipmaker TSMC reports quarterly earnings on Thursday.
Get the best of our coverage of Asia and much more by following us on X, formerly Twitter, @NikkeiAsia.
MONDAY
OpenAI to open its first Asian office in Tokyo
OpenAI, developer of the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT, is set to open its first Asian office in Tokyo, for sales and customer support. The American company backed by tech group Microsoft will also likely be looking to ramp up its advocacy in the region, as developed nations eye restrictions on generative AI.
Earnings: CATL
Monetary policy: China
TUESDAY
Scholz meets Xi
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, as the two countries seek to recalibrate their ties. The trip comes amid Europe's growing scrutiny of Chinese exports flooding its markets, especially electric cars. At the same time, Berlin is keen for an end to a Chinese ban on its pork exports. As with Beijing's recent lifting of punitive tariffs on Australian wine, such a move would be seen as an effort to cozy up to U.S. partners.
China's Q1 economic growth
China announces its first-quarter gross domestic product and a slew of other data. Economists polled by Reuters have pointed to a growth rate of 4.6%, slower than the 5.2% achieved in the final quarter of 2023, as the world's No. 2 economy struggles to energize demand and cope with a persistent property slump.
Sewol sinking anniversary
South Korea marks the 10th anniversary of the sinking of the Sewol. The ferry disaster killed more than 300 people in one of the country's worst peacetime disasters. The occasion will spur discussions on ongoing questions of public safety.
WEDNESDAY
Solomon Islands goes to polls
Voters in the Solomon Islands will go to the polls as the nation grapples with its political future amid questions over its ties with China.
Japan turns on data tap
Japan publishes March trade statistics with inflation data due Friday. Ahead of the national figures, Tokyo's inflation rate for the same month showed a slight moderation in the core consumer price index from the previous month. Tokyo's core rate was 2.4%, or 0.1 percentage points lower than February.
THURSDAY
Japan's Nitori goes global
Japanese furniture retailer Nitori Holdings will open its first Philippines store in Manila, targeting Asia as its most important market to boost business. It plans to expand business to Indonesia and India as well, with a strategy to open more than 200 overseas stores annually.
Earnings: TSMC
FRIDAY
Indians cast their ballots
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third straight term in power as voting gets underway in a multistage general election process, with official results expected in early June. Candidates are vying for 543 seats in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament, whose full term is five years.
