Latest news with #Chinese
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Agoda Ranks Seoul 3rd in "Top Destinations for Slow Travel in Asia"
- Japanese, Chinese, Taiwanese stay longest in Seoul, while Korean travelers prefer slow travel in Johor Bahru, Malaysia SEOUL, South Korea, May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital travel platform Agoda reveals that Seoul is gaining attention as a leading destination in Asia for "slow travel." Slow travel is a travel trend that emphasizes staying in one city or location for an extended period to fully relax and immerse in a destination, allowing time to create meaningful connections with its culture, cuisine, and people, rather than following jam-packed itineraries in a short time. Based on average length of stay for accommodation bookings made between January and March 2025 on Agoda, Seoul ranked third among the top nine destinations for slow travel in Asia. Rayong (Thailand), took the top spot, followed by Kalegowa (Indonesia), Seoul (South Korea), Tokyo (Japan), Nha Trang (Vietnam), Boracay Island (Philippines), Taipei (Taiwan), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), and Chennai (India). Japanese travelers were the top visitors for a slow travel experience in Seoul for the past two consecutive years, followed by Chinese and Taiwanese travelers. China rose one rank from third place last year to second this year. In addition to Seoul, Busan and Jeju have emerged as the top destinations for extended stays within South Korea. Meanwhile, the most popular overseas destinations for slow travel among travelers from South Korea were Johor Bahru (Malaysia), followed by Pattaya (Thailand) and Angeles City (Philippines). Jay Lee, Country Director, South Korea at Agoda, said, "In a world that often feels like it's on fast-forward, slow travel offers the perfect opportunity to hit pause and connect with the places you visit. In South Korea, destinations like Seoul, Busan, and Jeju are perfect for leisurely adventure, offering a delightful mix of coastal charm, delicious cuisine, and captivating local experiences. At Agoda, we're thrilled to support this laid-back travel style by offering fantastic deals on accommodations and activities that let you take it easy and savor every moment." With over 5 million holiday properties, 130,000 flight routes, and 300,000 activities, Agoda makes it simple to plan a slow travel adventure. Visit or download the Agoda mobile app for the best deals to start planning a leisurely getaway. --- ENDS --- View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Agoda Sign in to access your portfolio
Time of India
24 minutes ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Japan says China removes last buoy from Tokyo's economic waters
Japan says China removes last buoy from Tokyo's economic waters TOKYO: China has removed its last buoy from Japanese economic waters, a Japan Coast Guard spokesman said Thursday, in what may be a move by Beijing to improve ties. Japan said in December it had spotted a new buoy in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) south of Yonaguni Island, near Taiwan, and demanded that China remove it immediately. The Japan Coast Guard issued a statement late Wednesday saying that the buoy was no longer in place. A spokesman told AFP on Thursday that this means all Chinese buoys in Japanese economic waters have been removed. Japanese media said this could signal an intention by Beijing to improve strained ties with Tokyo, as China faces political and economic pressure from US President Donald Trump's government. "I decline to speculate on China's intentions," top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters on Thursday when asked about the removal of the buoy. Beijing had in July 2023 installed another buoy within Tokyo's EEZ-near a group of islets that Japan controls and calls the Senkakus, but are also claimed by China which calls them the Diaoyus. In February, China moved that buoy out of Japan's EEZ, the coast guard spokesman said. Tokyo accused Beijing earlier this week of conducting unnotified maritime scientific research within its EEZ, near the remote atoll of Okinotori in the Pacific Ocean. Adding to decades-old strain between the two countries over history and territorial disputes, Chinese-Japanese ties have soured recently due partly to Beijing's ban on seafood imports from Japan following Tokyo's 2023 release of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant. Increased Chinese military activities, including brief intrusions into Japanese territory, have also led to a deterioration in Japanese public sentiment towards China. This has been fuelled by the 2024 fatal stabbing of a Japanese schoolboy in China, and a series of detentions of Japanese nationals by the Chinese authorities.
NZ Herald
33 minutes ago
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Trump administration to crack down on Chinese visas, applicants, Rubio says
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced plans to crack down on Chinese holders of student visas and ramp up scrutiny of new visa applicants from China and Hong Kong, escalating the Trump administration's confrontational approach to Beijing. In a statement, Rubio said the State Department would work with the
GMA Network
35 minutes ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Atin Ito ship returning to Manila as China vessel shadows
The ship of the Atin Ito Coalition is heading back to Manila after its civilian mission to the West Philippine Sea (WPS), one of the organizers, Emman Hizon, said Thursday morning. According to Hizon, China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel 21549 continued to shadow Atin Ito's M/V Kapitan Felix Oca with a distance of 4.2 nautical miles. The Atin Ito ship is expected to arrive in Manila at 4 p.m. on Friday, Hizon said, adding that its voyage was slowing down due to offshore waves. Despite the shadowing of Chinese ships and bad weather on Wednesday, Atin Ito Coalition conducted a concert off the territorial waters of Pagasa Island as part of its third civilian mission to the WPS. "Mission accomplished! This is a moment of triumph not just for our mission, but for every Filipino who dreams of peace and justice in our seas. We made history today by holding the very first sea concert deep in the West Philippine Sea, just two nautical miles from Pag-asa Island," Atin Ito co-convenor Rafaela David earlier said. "Despite being shadowed by Chinese marine vessels, we stood our ground. Our artists sang not just to entertain, but to resist, to unite, and to inspire," she added. Supplies were delivered to fisherfolk in the area. A symbolic flag-raising ceremony was also held on board Atin Ito's ship in observance of the National Flag Day. More than 150 people are on board M/V Kapitan Felix Oca including volunteers, artists and their crew, the press, as well as boat staff. The civilian mission started on May 26 and is expected to end on May 30. Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. Parts of the South China Sea that fall within Philippine territory have been renamed by the government as West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country's claim. The West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago including Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis." China has refused to recognize the decision. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
The Sun
35 minutes ago
- Science
- The Sun
China launches mission to retrieve asteroid samples
WASHINGTON: China on Wednesday embarked on its first mission to retrieve samples from a nearby asteroid with the nighttime launch of its Tianwen-2 spacecraft, a robotic probe that could make the fast-growing space power the third nation to fetch pristine asteroid rocks. China's Long March 3B rocket lifted off around 1:31 a.m. local time from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center carrying the Tianwen-2 spacecraft, which over the next year will approach the small near-Earth asteroid named 469219 Kamoʻoalewa, some 10 million miles away. Chinese state media Xinhua confirmed the launch of Tianwen-2 and dubbed it a 'complete success.' Tianwen-2 is scheduled to arrive at the asteroid in July 2026 and shoot a capsule packed with rocks back to Earth for a landing in November 2027. The mission is the latest example of China's swiftly expanding space programs, a streak of cosmic achievements in recent years that includes landing robots on the far side of the moon, running its own national space station in orbit and investing heavily in plans to send humans to the lunar surface by 2030. Japan's Hayabusa that fetched samples from a small asteroid in 2010 marked the world's first such mission. Japan did it again in 2019 with its Ryugu mission, followed by the first U.S. asteroid retrieval mission, OSIRIS-REx, that brought back samples from the Bennu asteroid in 2020. Kamoʻoalewa, the target asteroid for Tianwen-2, is known as a quasi-satellite of Earth, a close celestial neighbor that has orbited the sun for roughly a century, according to NASA. Its size is anywhere between 120 feet (40 meters) and 300 feet (100 meters).
