Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

SEJONG, Aug. 12 (NNN-Yonhap) — South Korea on Monday decided to remove Japan from its trusted trading partners, upping the ante in the trade haggling sparked by the neighboring country’s export restrictions against Seoul.

The trade ministry said it will revamp its export list into three groups of trading partners from the current two, placing Tokyo in the newly established bracket, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Beijing, Aug 12 (PTI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is on a crucial three-day visit to China, on Monday said India-China relations should be a factor of stability at a time when the world is facing an uncertain situation.

Jaishankar, who arrived here on Sunday, called on Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan at the Zhongnanhai, the picturesque imperial residential complex where top Chinese leaders reside.

He later had a restricted meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi followed by a delegation-level meeting.

BEIJING (AP) — Asian stocks gained Monday amid investor jitters the U.S.-China trade war might be worsening.

Benchmarks in Shanghai and South Korea rose while Hong Kong and Australia were unchanged. Japanese markets were closed for a holiday.

Investors were encouraged by hopes global central banks will keep interest rates low to shore up economic growth. But they worry President Donald Trump’s impending Sept. 1 tariff hike on more Chinese imports will scuttle talks aimed at ending their trade war.

TOKYO, August 11. /TASS/: A group of former Japanese citizens of the Southern Kuril Islands has returned to Japan after the third visa-free trip by a charter flight to Kunashir and Iturup, NHK TV channel reported on Sunday.

The delegation consisted of nearly 70 people, including staff members of the Japanese Foreign Ministry. The flight was performed by a special plane of Russia’s Aurora airline.

11 August 2019; AFP: Chinese telecom giant Huawei, which has been caught in the crossfires of the Washington-Beijing trade war, on Saturday unveiled a new smart television, the first product to use its own operating system.

The television will be available from Thursday in China and marks the first use of HarmonyOS, chief executive George Zhao said, adding that it will be marketed by its mid-range brand, Honor.

11 August 2019; AFP: China warned Britain to stop "meddling" in Hong Kong, after a top British official called the international financial hub's leader to voice concern about protests that have rocked the city for two months.

The pro-democracy protests, which are partly fuelled by widespread anger at an erosion of liberties in Hong Kong, have become the biggest threat to Beijing's rule of the semi-autonomous southern Chinese city since its handover from the British in 1997.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 (NNN-Bernama) — Indonesian President Joko Widodo today shared his excitement of being chauffeured around by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in a Proton car during his two-day visit to Malaysia ended yesterday.

On Friday, Dr Mahathir took Joko, popularly known as Jokowi, in the Proton Persona car, which the former drove himself, to a luncheon he hosted at Seri Perdana, the prime minister’s official residence. 

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — There’s no question that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is in full control of his nation. But a recent change to the way he’s being formally described in the North Korean Constitution may allow him even more diplomatic leverage as he steps with increasing confidence onto the world stage for negotiations over his powerful weapons program.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Sunday leader Kim Jong Un supervised test-firings of an unspecified new weapons system, which extended a streak of launches that are seen as an attempt to build leverage ahead of negotiations with the United States while driving a wedge between Washington and Seoul.

BEIJING, Aug 10 (APP): China’s Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui in a meeting held here with Pakistan Ambassador to China Ms. Naghmana Hashmi and welcomed her on assuming charge as Pakistan’s new envoy to China.

According to a statement issued by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two sides exchanged in-depth views on bilateral relations between China and Pakistan as well as the current situation in the region.