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[Kim Seong-kon] Skilled diplomacy is crucial in times of crisis

Due to Korea's geographical location and geopolitical situation, diplomacy has always been crucial to its survival. Today, Korea has many competent and trustworthy diplomats. In the past, however, the country did not always seem to excel at foreign affairs. During the Joseon era, for example, diplomacy was largely b…

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Mercedes Slashes Outlook As China Demand Hits Wall; Europe's Auto Profit Warnings Pile Up

Mercedes Slashes Outlook As China Demand Hits Wall; Europe's Auto Profit Warnings Pile Up Mercedes-Benz Group AG became the latest European automaker to slash its profit outlook as deteriorating demand in China and rising input costs squeeze margins.Shares tumbled in European trading this morning as the auto industr…

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German leader’s China visit latest sign of foreign diplomacy pivot beyond Beijing

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has begun his state visit to China in the eastern province of Anhui, spotlighting a growing trend among visiting foreign leaders to look well beyond Beijing. Steinmeier arrived in the provincial capital Hefei early on Tuesday to begin a five-day state visit, marking his first…

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China’s energy supply chain is withstanding test of Middle East war, expert says

China’s energy security, now buttressed by internal resilience, has withstood a difficult test from the protracted war in the Middle East, says the head of a global energy industry body. “China has domestic production, it has developed a diversification policy and there is also the possibility to switch around diffe…

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Taiwan vows vigilance as Beijing releases detailed satellite imagery of island landmarks

Taiwan’s military has vowed to remain vigilant against mainland Chinese intelligence-gathering activities after Beijing released high-resolution satellite images of the island, raising concerns about its growing surveillance capabilities. “The defence ministry will not lower its vigilance at any time regarding all s…

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China hands former regulator suspended death sentence over US$65m bribery charge

A former high-ranking official with China’s securities regulator was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve on Tuesday over bribery charges, as Beijing continues its sweeping anti-corruption campaign. Wang Huimin, who served as a member of the Communist Party committee of the China Securities Regulatory Commiss…

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China’s Defence Minister Dong Jun to miss Asean defence talks as fifth plenum convenes

China’s Defence Minister Dong Jun will skip this week’s meeting of Southeast Asian defence chiefs and their dialogue partners in Cebu, with Beijing instead sending its defence attache in the Philippines. Dong has attended the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) for the past two years. This year’s ADMM …

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China’s Hengrui posts 89% rise in third-quarter net profit, beating estimates

Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals, one of China’s largest drug makers, reported a 20.55 per cent rise in third-quarter revenue to 8.95 billion yuan (US$1.34 billion), beating analyst estimates of 8.55 billion yuan amid stronger innovative drug sales. Net profit reached 2.46 billion yuan for the three months ended Sept…

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Lawmaker calls for scrutiny of labor-sending countries over migrant worker penalties

A lawmaker on Tuesday called for continued oversight of all countries that send workers to Korea to ensure foreign nationals are not unfairly penalized by their native countries while working in Korea. The move follows Uzbekistan and Bangladesh pledging to end practices that financially penalized their nationals for…

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Li Bingjie reclaims Asian record as Chinese swimmers eye world championships in Beijing

China’s top swimmers have returned to the pool following their dominant Asian Games display and once again put their competitors on notice with strong performances at the national championships. Li Bingjie reclaimed the women’s 1,500m freestyle short-course Asian record in style, clocking 15 minutes and 34.09 second…

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Pop Mart reports 45 to 50% revenue decline as Labubu sales weaken across major markets

Pop Mart, the Chinese toymaker famous for Labubu collectible dolls, reported a 45 to 50 per cent year-on-year decline in third-quarter revenue, as sales weakened across its major markets, with overseas operations and online channels bearing the brunt of the slowdown. Revenue in mainland China fell 25 to 30 per cent …

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ByteDance’s Zhang Yiming tops China rich list with US$99.7 billion as AI fuels fortunes

ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming has reclaimed the title of China’s richest person with a nearly US$100 billion fortune, as artificial intelligence powers a surge in wealth among China’s top entrepreneurs, according to the Hurun Research Institute. The 43-year-old Zhang, who topped the ranking in 2024, saw his wealth …

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US ends Pacific visa waiver over birth tourism, people smuggling allegations

Washington has suspended visa-free entry for Chinese visitors to the Northern Mariana Islands amid allegations of birth tourism and people smuggling in the US territory. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Monday the suspension of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Economic Vi…

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Defense chiefs of S. Korea, US to hold talks in Philippines ahead of ASEAN meeting

Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will hold their first bilateral talks in the Philippines this week ahead of a ministerial meeting led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a source familiar with the matter said Tuesday. Kang and Hegseth are expected to meet one-…

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Football star Kylian Mbappe faces huge China backlash over ‘unacceptable’ remark

French football superstar Kylian Mbappe has issued an apology after an “ill-judged” comment about China sparked intense backlash on social media and led a string of major Chinese brands to cut ties with him. After a video began circulating widely online that appeared to show the France and Real Madrid striker making…

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China eatery creates egg tarts topped with ‘giant cockroaches’, drawing widespread curiosity

A restaurant in Shunde, Guangdong, is turning heads online with a bizarre new dessert: egg tarts topped with crispy water beetles that look exactly like gigantic cockroaches. Shunde is a city known for its Cantonese cuisine and recognised as a Unesco Creative City of Gastronomy. In early October, it introduced a new…

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The Breakdown | England need to unearth World Cup core despite derby friction and injury chaos

Nations Championship games against Australia and Japan should be the end of experimentation for Steve BorthwickEven on the most serene days no one would describe coaching England as a relaxing gig. With his side’s opening November Test looming on Sunday week, Steve Borthwick is already faced with assorted injury-rel…

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Fragile India-China thaw tested by reported fresh Himalayan border face-offs

A fragile rapprochement between China and India is facing a renewed test following reports of military face-offs along their hotly contested border. Shatrujeet Kapur, director general of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), said last week that confrontations with Chinese troops were “continuing at multiple locatio…

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‘Avoid revealing clothes’ advice prompts revision of migrant worker textbook

The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Tuesday it will revise a textbook used to train migrant workers before they arrive in South Korea after it was found to advise them to "avoid revealing clothes" to prevent sexual violence. The ministry acknowledged that the textbook used under the Employment Permit System co…

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