Taiwan military-civilian cooperation for contingencies
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Japan Times
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Cram school lecturers may teach at public schools in Japan
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NHK
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Senior Chinese diplomat Liu Jianchao detained for questioning, WSJ reports
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that senior Chinese diplomat Liu Jianchao has been taken away by authorities for questioning. The WSJ carried the news in its online edition on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter. The report says Liu, the head of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee, was taken away after returning to Beijing in late July from a work trip overseas. It says the reason for his detention could not be determined. NHK has asked the Chinese foreign ministry for comment on the report, but has not received a reply. The 61-year-old diplomat has served in various posts, including as foreign ministry spokesperson and ambassador to the Philippines. He assumed his current position in 2022, and has frequently held talks with Japanese politicians including senior ruling party officials. The report on Liu's detention is drawing attention as another senior Chinese diplomat was removed from office two years ago. The then foreign minister Qin Gang was dismissed more than six months after he was appointed.
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Close aides to North Korean leader Kim recently visited China: sources
BEIJING - Two aides to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited Beijing after mid-July in trips believed to be linked to construction projects, sources familiar with China-North Korea relations said Sunday. Their China visits were not covered by North Korea's state-run media, making it rare for the movements of Kim's aides to become known outside official reports. The two often accompany the leader during his inspections of construction projects in North Korea. The visits suggest economic exchanges between Beijing and Pyongyang are normalizing, despite speculation that bilateral relations may have recently become strained as North Korea deepens its military ties with Russia. China is North Korea's closest and most influential ally in economic terms, but mutual visits of senior officials have been relatively rare in recent times, even since the lifting of strict travel restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The two aides are Kim Bok Nam, a senior military officer and brigade commander, and an unnamed senior official of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, according to the sources. They visited the Chinese capital for four days from July 12. The senior party official then traveled to Beijing alone on Aug. 2 and returned to Pyongyang three days later. Their detailed itinerary in China remains unknown. In June, the two accompanied Kim Jong Un when the leader inspected hospitals and a leisure complex under construction in Pyongyang. Since December last year, Kim Bok Nam has frequently traveled with Kim Jong Un to the sites of major construction projects, including the Wonsan Kalma tourist area on the east coast, which opened in July, media reports showed. The unnamed senior party official was first covered by official media in June this year. On Aug. 1, he accompanied Kim Jong Un to a large-scale greenhouse farm near Sinuiju in the northwestern part of the country.
