2 h. ago Former residence of South Korea’s Yoon under scrutiny over ‘pet pool’

A shallow pool inside South Korea’s presidential residence has sparked a debate among lawmakers over whether it was used by former president Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife for their pets. There has been increasing speculation that the pool was used for pets and not humans, said Representative Kim Byoung-joo at a meeting held on Monday by the Democratic Party, which became the country’s ruling party following President Lee Jae-myung’s election win last week. “I’ve looked around the space inside the...

Politics

6 h. ago 'India has become excessively dependent on China': Top economist calls for 'carefully tailored policy' for trade with Beijing

'India has become excessively dependent on China': Top economist calls for 'carefully tailored policy' for trade with Beijing  MSN

Events

20 h. ago China turns to robots for elderly care with national pilot programme

China has launched a pilot programme aimed at accelerating the deployment of robots to alleviate the pressure of elderly care, as the nation grapples with a rapidly ageing population and a labour shortage. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, in collaboration with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, issued a notice on Monday inviting organisations to participate in pilot projects. The initiative aims to enhance the integration of robotics into smart elderly care. The programme...

Politics

24 h. ago Hibor plunge a bigger deal for stock market than Hong Kong’s property sector

Hong Kong needs all the help it can get. Since 2018, the city has suffered one shock after another, preventing a meaningful recovery from taking hold and fuelling concerns about its position as a global financial centre. As an importer of US monetary policy with an economy that is far more synchronised with that of mainland China, Hong Kong has been the biggest casualty of economic and policy divergence between the world’s two largest economies, prompting renewed questions about the suitability...

Economics

35 h. ago South Korea’s president faces tough balancing act between allies, adversaries

Around six months after president Yoon Suk-yeol’s ousting, Liberal Party candidate Lee Jae-myung was elected as South Korea’s new president following a snap election on June 3. Lee’s victory marks a significant political shift, not just in domestic governance, but also in how South Korea may seek to navigate its ever-worsening relations with North Korea. In his inaugural address at the National Assembly, Lee stated his intention to deter military provocations from the North and also “open a...

Politics

3 d. ago South Korea has a new president. Will it have a new China policy?

South Korea’s new progressive president is likely to adopt a more “prudent” stance on Taiwan than his predecessor and focus on boosting economic ties with Beijing, according to observers. But they also expect continuity in trilateral military cooperation with the US and Japan. Lee Jae-myung was sworn in after winning a snap election held on Tuesday, two months after his predecessor – Yoon Suk-yeol – was impeached and removed over his abrupt declaration of martial law in December. Lee and his...

Politics

3 d. ago South Korea has a new president. Will it have a different China policy?

South Korea’s new progressive president is likely to adopt a more “prudent” stance on Taiwan than his predecessor and focus on boosting economic ties with Beijing, according to observers. But they also expect continuity in trilateral military cooperation with the US and Japan. Lee Jae-myung was sworn in after winning a snap election held on Tuesday, two months after his predecessor – Yoon Suk-yeol – was impeached and removed over his abrupt declaration of martial law in December. Lee and his...

Politics

3 d. ago South Korea has a new president. Will it get a new China policy?

South Korea’s new progressive president is likely to adopt a more “prudent” stance on Taiwan than his predecessor and focus on boosting economic ties with Beijing, according to observers. But they also expect continuity in trilateral military cooperation with the US and Japan. Lee Jae-myung was sworn in after winning a snap election held on Tuesday, two months after his predecessor – Yoon Suk-yeol – was impeached and removed over his abrupt declaration of martial law in December. Lee and his...

Politics

3 d. ago South Korea’s new ‘president for all’ inherits a deeply divided nation

When Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung emerged victorious early on Wednesday in South Korea’s snap presidential election, elation swept through his supporters massed outside the National Assembly. Strobe lights lit the night sky, celebratory music thundered from speakers and the crowd erupted into cheers and embraces – some dissolving into tears of relief. Just a few hundred metres away, however, the atmosphere outside the People Power Party’s (PPP) headquarters could not have been more...

Politics

3 d. ago What South Korea’s new president means for its US, China ties

Six months ago, South Korea teetered on the brink of authoritarian regression. But on Tuesday, its citizens elected Lee Jae-myung – a symbol of resilience and reform – as their new president, in a vote seen as a rebuke of his predecessor’s failed martial law decree that plunged the nation into a political crisis. The liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) candidate secured a decisive victory over conservative rival Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party (PPP), capturing 49.42 per cent of the...

Politics

4 d. ago Nomura Sees Beijing's Policy Moves Shaping China's Economic Path

Nomura Sees Beijing's Policy Moves Shaping China's Economic Path  Finimize

Economics

4 d. ago With 50 years of history, Manila and Beijing should do better diplomacy

June 9 marks the 50th anniversary of Philippines-China relations, ties steeped in history but marred by friction in recent years. Sadly, an overemphasis on the intractable sea dispute has polluted broader connections, stunting economic cooperation and stigmatising people-to-people exchanges. This is irrational and unproductive. For Manila to make the sea row front and centre of ties is a tragedy of its foreign policy. For China to see its smaller neighbour as a mere pawn in its great power...

Politics

4 d. ago South Korea’s Lee pledges warmer ties, but past tensions leave Japan ‘worried’

South Korea’s newly inaugurated President Lee Jae-myung has pledged to pursue warmer ties with Japan, but analysts caution that optimism may be premature, citing his past criticism of Tokyo’s wartime actions and fears he could reignite anti-Japan sentiment to bolster domestic support amid economic challenges. Within hours of taking office, Lee struck a conciliatory tone, calling for collaboration in areas such as trade, security and culture. “We can identify mutually beneficial areas in the...

Events

5 d. ago South Korea’s new leader faces tightrope act between China ties, US alliance

Hours after Lee Jae-myung was sworn in as the president of South Korea early on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping extended a congratulatory message, emphasising that China placed “great importance” on strengthening ties with its neighbour amid an increasingly uncertain global landscape. During his campaign, Lee pledged to repair strained ties with China and North Korea and underscored China’s role as a vital trading partner. Analysts predicted more stable China-South Korea relations to...

Politics

6 d. ago Chinese FM responds to what kind of China policy Beijing expects from Seoul following Lee Jae

Chinese FM responds to what kind of China policy Beijing expects from Seoul following Lee Jae-myung’s election win  Global Times

Events

7 d. ago President Trump’s visa policy thwarts China’s spy network on college campuses – and in Congress

President Trump’s visa policy thwarts China’s spy network on college campuses – and in Congress  Fox News

Politics

8 d. ago South Korea’s presidential election puts its US alliance, Taiwan stance at stake

As South Koreans prepare to vote in a snap presidential election that could reshape Seoul’s defence spending and its approach to a potential conflict over Taiwan, the future of the nation’s foreign policy and its alliance with the United States hangs in the balance. On Tuesday, South Koreans will go to the polls to elect a successor to impeached president Yoon Suk-yeol, with Lee Jae-myung of the centre-left Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) widely expected to win by a comfortable margin. Observers...

Politics

8 d. ago Kyle Chan on What We Need to Know About China’s Industrial Policy

Kyle Chan on What We Need to Know About China’s Industrial Policy  The Wire China

Events

9 d. ago New home prices in China rise on policy hope, private survey says

New home prices in China rise on policy hope, private survey says  Reuters

Economics

1 week ago ‘US troops critical’: South Korean presidential candidate signals turn on China

US troops in South Korea could be “critical” for containing China, and might potentially benefit Seoul’s outreach to the Arctic, according to the front runner for the coming presidential election who has signalled a possible change in his position on China. During an exclusive interview with Time Magazine published on Thursday, the Democratic Party of Korea’s (DPK) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung said US Forces Korea (USFK) could play a “critical role for the United States policy of...

Politics