Day: July 18, 2023

Kissinger Makes Surprise Visit to China, Meets Defense Minister

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Henry A. Kissinger, the 100-year-old former secretary of state who has pushed the United States to take a more conciliatory approach to China, has made a surprise visit to Beijing, meeting with China’s defense minister. The previously unannounced trip by Mr. Kissinger, who more than 50 years ago helped pave the way for diplomatic ties between the United States and China during President Richard M. Nixon’s administration, coincided with a string of visits by currently serving American officials to China. On Tuesday, the day that Mr. Kissinger met with Li…

US Defense Secretary Worried About American Soldier Who Crossed Into North Korea

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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said a US soldier willingly crossed the heavily fortified border between South Korea and North Korea on Tuesday and is believed to be in North Korean custody. The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Pyongyang over North Korea’s nuclear program. VOA’s Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports. Voice of America

China steps in with vocational school overhaul and 11 ‘key tasks’ to help boost self-sufficiency and tech prowess

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It also underscores how Beijing is stepping in to not only create enough highly skilled workers to fill a large hole in manufacturing and technology sectors, but also to ensure that their degrees don’t go to waste as the nation transitions from a “Made in China” to a “Designed in China” foundation of a more developed economy. Scientific and technological advancements are also playing an increasingly essential role in dealing with the country’s falling birth rates and ageing population, as experts say the improved quality of the labour force could,…

US, South Korea Kick Off Nuclear Consultative Group in Seoul

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SEOUL, South Korea —  A day that was supposed to celebrate strengthened nuclear coordination between the United States and South Korea was complicated by an American soldier who crossed into North Korea at the border, apparently on his own volition. The highly unusual move occurred as senior U.S. and South Korean officials were set to face the media Tuesday afternoon in Seoul to discuss the inaugural meeting of the long-lauded Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG). The establishment of the group was first announced in April as part of the Washington Declaration,…

Seoul Seeks Reset with Beijing Amid US-China Engagement

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washington —  Experts say South Korea can be expected to follow up on fence-mending talks with China initiated at last week’s ASEAN summit in Jakarta, but few expect a significant reduction in the diplomatic and strategic pressures that are driving them apart. The renewed diplomatic engagement was aimed at easing bilateral tensions prompted by Beijing’s dissatisfaction over Seoul’s tightening ties with Washington. Their talks also came amid Washington’s diplomatic overtures to Beijing aimed at managing risks in their competition. South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Wang Yi, the head…

After jailbreak in Myanmar, prison guards sentenced to 3-6 months

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A Myanmar junta court handed down sentences of three to six months to seven prison employees, including a warden, after a jailbreak in May in which 10 prisoners overpowered guards, seized their guns and escaped, said three sources with knowledge of the situation.  Ten inmates, including nine fighters with the anti-junta People’s Defense Force, escaped from Taungoo Prison in central Myanmar’s Bago region on May 18 as they were being taken from their cells to a small prison courtroom for their trials. Among them was a woman and two inmates…

Cremations spiked by more than 70% during China’s first COVID-19 wave in Zhejiang

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The number of cremations carried out in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang saw a rise of nearly 73% in the first quarter of this year, compared with the same quarter in 2022, according to figures posted to the provincial civil affairs department’s website that have since been deleted. Just over 170,000 cremations were reported in the first three months of 2023, according to a cached copy of the page showing the latest provincial statistics on civil affairs. Earlier statistical reports indicated that 99,000 cremations took place in the same…

Australia news live: Chalmers meets with China on trade sanctions; UK PM hopes Commonwealth Games stay in Australia

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US soldier scheduled for disciplinary action crosses border into North Korea

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An American soldier in South Korea scheduled for disciplinary action crossed into North Korea on Tuesday, U.S. and U.N. officials said, and is believed to be in custody there. The incident happened in the Joint Security Area or JSA, at Panmunjom, where soldiers of both Koreas are stationed, sometimes facing each other. The soldier was on a civilian tour of the JSA and crossed the Military Demarcation Line into North Korea without authorization, according to a Twitter post by the United Nations command.  One person who was part of the…

North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile, Japan Says

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North Korea launched a suspected ballistic missile early on Wednesday, the Japanese prime minister’s office said, and South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said the projectile landed in the sea. Citing South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, Yonhap reported the missile had been launched into the sea between the Korean peninsula and Japan. It did not provide more details. The apparent missile firing comes nearly a week after North Korea tested its latest Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile, a launch Pyongyang said was a warning to the United States and other adversaries.…