Category Geopolitics

Why Shein Listed in Hong Kong at a Quarter of Its Peak Valuation, and How Japan Reacted

Shein listed in Hong Kong on September 1, 2026 at a market capitalisation of about $26.5 billion, roughly a quarter of the $98.2 billion it was assigned in a 2022 private round. This article explains why the company listed anyway, what the de minimis rule changes in the United States, the EU, France and now Japan did to its model, and adds Japanese Reactions from X, where the conversation fixed almost entirely on the size of the fall.

US Sanctions on ICC President Akane and Japan’s “Very Unfortunate” Response: Inside the Charges of Weak Diplomacy, With Japanese Reactions

The United States sanctioned Tomoko Akane, the Japanese president of the International Criminal Court, on August 18, 2026, and Japan's government said only that the measures were very unfortunate, drawing charges of weak diplomacy at home. Six days earlier it had called Putin's visit to Etorofu absolutely unacceptable. This analysis separates words, concrete countermeasures, and security conditions, and includes Japanese reactions on X.