China’s consumption has a new, fast-growing driver: local tourists
After a blockbuster first half, all eyes will be on how domestic tourism sustains the momentum through the autumn and ‘golden week’ breaks
· David Chao
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Newest first · UTC+11:00As US AI costs soar, global businesses pivot to China’s low-cost, open-weight models
A sharp narrowing of the performance gap is prompting some developers to shift from costly American giants to budget-friendly Chinese alternatives
· Xinmei Shen
As US AI costs soar, global businesses pivot to China’s low-cost, open-weight models
A sharp narrowing of the performance gap is prompting some developers to shift from costly American giants to budget-friendly Chinese alternatives
· Xinmei Shen
World-famous Tokyo restaurant popping up in LA for just two days as master chef flys in from Japan to serve
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· Erica Andrews
Ruling party, govt. set for military academy merger
South Korea's ruling bloc on Thursday reached a consensus over a controversial plan to merge three Army, Air Force and Navy military academies.
· Son Ji-hyoung
BOK hikes rate after yearlong pause
The Bank of Korea on Thursday raised its benchmark interest rate for the first time since May 2025, ending a pause in monetary policy that had persisted for more than a year, as mounting inflationary pressures and the prolonged weakness of the won strengthened the case for further monetary tightening.
· Im Eun-byel
Bank of Korea raises rates to 2.75% in first hike in over three years
South Korea's central bank hiked its benchmark policy rate on Thursday, raising them for the first time since January 2023 as inflation in the country creeps up. The Bank of Korea's 25 basis point hike that increased rates to 2.75% was in line with median estimates from economists polled by Reuters.
· Lim Hui Jie
Chinese family reunites with daughter decades after she vanished from market near home
Netizens voice scepticism; users question why the dad let a toddler buy food alone, fuelling speculation of a regretted abandonment
· Zoey Zhang
Chinese family reunites with daughter decades after she vanished from market near home
Netizens voice scepticism; users question why the dad let a toddler buy food alone, fuelling speculation of a regretted abandonment
· Zoey Zhang
After floods kill dozens, local Chinese official uses AI to build evacuation app
For under US$5 in tokens, a Beijing civil servant has created an app to keep track of which families have been evacuated
· Phoebe Zhang
After floods kill dozens, local Chinese official uses AI to build evacuation app
For under US$5 in tokens, a Beijing civil servant has created an app to keep track of which families have been evacuated
· Phoebe Zhang
BOK raises benchmark rate by 25 basis points to 2.75 pct to fight inflation
SEOUL, July 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's central bank delivered a quarter-percentage-...
· Kim Boram
Top military officers of S. Korea, US, Japan reaffirm 3-way cooperation against NK threats
The top military officers of South Korea, the United States and Japan have reaffirmed that three-way security cooperation is critical to countering regional challenges, including North Korean nuclear and missile threats, Seoul's military said Thursday.
· Yonhap
S. Korea's fruit exports hit record high in H1: customs agency
South Korea's fruit exports reached a record high in the first half of 2026, customs data showed Thursday, driven by global demand for premium products and improved cold-chain shipping infrastructure.
· Yonhap
S. Korea's fruit exports hit record high in H1: customs agency
SEOUL, July 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's fruit exports reached a record high in the first half of 2026, customs data showed Thursday, driven by global demand for premium products and improved cold-chain shipping infrastructure.
· Kang Yoon-seung
Top military officers of S. Korea, U.S., Japan reaffirm 3-way cooperation against N.K. threats
SEOUL, July 16 (Yonhap) -- The top military officers of South Korea, the United States and Japan have reaffirmed that three-way security cooperation is critical to countering regional challenges, including North Korean nuclear and missile threats, Seoul's military said Thursday.
· Kim Seung-yeon
KRX activates sell-side sidecar for KOSPI on sharp decline
SEOUL, July 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's bourse operator on Thursday activated a sell-side sidecar for the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) after the index fell sharply, led by losses in technology stocks.
· Choi Kyong-ae
'Hope' opens strong in S. Korea, selling over 330,000 tickets
SEOUL, July 16 (Yonhap) -- Na Hong-jin's "Hope" attracted more than 330,000 audience members on the first day of its release in South Korea, box-office data showed Thursday, reflecting the buzz surrounding the highly anticipated film.
· Lee Minji
(URGENT) Gov't, ruling party agree to set up integrated military academy in Daejeon
U.S. calls on S. Korea not to impose 'disproportionate' burdens on U.S. firms under revised network act
· Yi Wonju
(URGENT) Bourse operator issues sell-side sidecar on KOSPI's sharp decline
U.S. calls on S. Korea not to impose 'disproportionate' burdens on U.S. firms under revised network act
· Choi Kyong-ae
Senior NK party official, top Chinese political adviser discuss ways to deepen ties
A senior North Korean party official and China's top political adviser have met in Pyongyang and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation, the North's state media said Thursday.
· Yonhap
Govt. to closely monitor job market amid renewed Middle East tensions
South Korea will closely monitor sectors with sluggish employment, including manufacturing, amid growing concerns that renewed tensions in the Middle East could weigh on the job market, the finance ministry said Thursday.
· Yonhap
(URGENT) Seoul shares open sharply lower on tech losses amid Middle East tensions
U.S. calls on S. Korea not to impose 'disproportionate' burdens on U.S. firms under revised network act
· Choi Kyong-ae
Taobao’s first physical shop in Hong Kong to close after lease ends in October: sources
Landlord Sino Group seeking a new tenant for the second-floor shop at China Hong Kong City mall in Tsim Sha Tsui, marketing materials show
· Peggy Ye
Taobao’s first physical shop in Hong Kong to close after lease ends in October: sources
Landlord Sino Group seeking a new tenant for the second-floor shop at China Hong Kong City mall in Tsim Sha Tsui, marketing materials show
· Peggy Ye
Japan treads diplomatic fine line over US campaign to end ICC ‘threat’
The initiative will make Tokyo weigh its international law commitments against its dependence on the US security umbrella, analysts say
· Julian Ryall
Japan treads diplomatic fine line over US campaign to end ICC ‘threat’
The initiative will make Tokyo weigh its international law commitments against its dependence on the US security umbrella, analysts say
· Julian Ryall
Gov't to closely monitor job market amid renewed Middle East tensions
SEOUL, July 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will closely monitor sectors with sluggish employment, including manufacturing, amid growing concerns that renewed tensions in the Middle East could weigh on the job market, the finance ministry said Thursday.
· Kang Yoon-seung
Senior N.K. party official, top Chinese political adviser discuss ways to deepen ties
SEOUL, July 16 (Yonhap) -- A senior North Korean party official and China's top political adviser have met in Pyongyang and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation, the North's state media said Thursday.
· Oh Seok-min
China and Xi Jinping seen more favourably than the US and Trump in poll of major countries
Global views appear to have flipped in Beijing’s favour, driven in part by tensions between the Trump administration and US allies, a new Pew survey shows
· The Associated Press
White House weighs releasing controversial intel on Chinese election interference
The White House is considering releasing sensitive intelligence related to China and its ability to interfere in US elections that some Trump officials worry could be misleading, according to four people with knowledge of the deliberations.
· REUTERS
China’s economy on the right track despite polarised economic data
With better-than-expected trade figures being followed by lower-than-expected GDP growth, Beijing will have to consider how to strike a balance
· SCMP Editorial
China’s economy on the right track despite polarised economic data
With better-than-expected trade figures being followed by lower-than-expected GDP growth, Beijing will have to consider how to strike a balance
· SCMP Editorial
Inside Ai Weiwei’s gigantic Manchester art show, including China detention recreation
Huge works star at Ai’s largest ever site-specific show, while July 3 and 4 saw a 24-hour live performance of his 2011 detention in China
· Fionnuala McHugh
Inside Ai Weiwei’s gigantic Manchester art show, including China detention recreation
Huge works star at Ai’s largest ever site-specific show, while July 3 and 4 saw a 24-hour live performance of his 2011 detention in China
· Fionnuala McHugh
Japan Trade Chief Says Hormuz Off-Limits As Hostilities Reignite
By Michael Kern of OilPrice.com
· Tyler Durden
[Graphic News] S. Korea’s foreign medical spending hits record high
Foreign tourists spent a record $180 million on medical services in South Korea in May, up 74.6 percent from a year earlier, according to the Korea Tourism Organization.
· Nam Kyung-don
Ex-US Fed adviser gets 3 years in prison in China secrets case
John Harold Rogers was convicted of lying to investigators looking into whether he shared confidential data with Chinese operatives
· Bloomberg
Ex-US Fed adviser gets 3 years in prison in China secrets case
John Harold Rogers was convicted of lying to investigators looking into whether he shared confidential data with Chinese operatives
· Bloomberg
Fast Takes: The big bad ‘Establishment,’ AI won’t save China and more
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· Post Editorial Board
(EDITORIAL from Korea JoongAng Daily on July 16)
Why rush to merge military academies?Korea's plan to combine its three military academies into one campus is moving ahead despite doubts about specialized training, feasibility and political motives.
· Lee Minji
(EDITORIAL from Korea Times on July 16)
Ambition must be matched by reform"3-4-5" vision requires creation of jobs for young people for success
· Lee Minji
(EDITORIAL from Korea Herald on July 16)
Path to growthRosy blueprint will fall short unless reforms come first
· Lee Minji
US hardens AI stance on China as Anthropic calls for extending lead
AI company urges tighter export controls, saying Chinese rivals are rapidly closing the gap through unauthorised model distillation
· Nayan Seth
US hardens AI stance on China as Anthropic calls for extending lead
AI company urges tighter export controls, saying Chinese rivals are rapidly closing the gap through unauthorised model distillation
· Nayan Seth
'I must get out into the free world', dissident who fled China on boat tells BBC
Dong Guangping has resettled in Canada, where his family is residing
· Bbcnews
14-nation South China Sea statement is an expansionist overreach
The statement by 14 countries is a geopolitical exercise, amplifying the flawed 2016 Hague arbitral ruling to try to drive a wedge between China and its neighbours
· Jianlu Bi
14-nation South China Sea statement is an expansionist overreach
The statement by 14 countries is a geopolitical exercise, amplifying the flawed 2016 Hague arbitral ruling to try to drive a wedge between China and its neighbours
· Jianlu Bi
[Wang Son-taek] NATO diplomacy in a multilayered world
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's participation in this year's NATO summit and his commitment to expanding defense industrial cooperation with the alliance have received widespread praise at home. Supporters view the visit as an opportunity to strengthen Korea's defense industry and deepen strategic cooperation…
· Korea Herald
Your new online friend may work for Beijing
A fake video claiming that a demonstration calling for Okinawa's independence took place in Japan went viral after being posted on May 12, 2024. (Screenshot from bbcctv6's X page)
· Brett J. Goldstein