Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged Seoul to work with Beijing to "pull out the thorn" hurting their relations amid the two nations' efforts to improve ties jeopardized by the deployment of a US missile defense system. The Republic of Korea's new government, led by President Moon Jae-in, dispatched a special envoy to visit China last week immediately after Moon took office, which Wang said showed the country's desire to improve ties with China. Unlike its predecessor, the ROK's new government wants to face the problems that affect Sino-ROK relations, rather than evade them, Wang said in a news release during his visit to the West African country of Cote d'Ivoire. The minister's remarks came at a time when China and the ROK are seeking to properly handle disagreements over the deployment of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system. Beijing has firmly opposed its deployment because THAAD could harm China's strategic security interests. Wang called on the ROK to seize the opportunities presented by the current positive interactions between the two countries, take practical measures, and pull out the thorn in the throat of Sino-ROK relations. The ROK's new government understands China's concerns on safeguarding legitimate interests, and is seeking solutions in a positive manner to handle the THAAD system, Wang said. Wang urged Pyongyang not to further violate United Nations Security Council resolutions following its latest intermediate-range ballistic missile test. All related parties should maintain restraint and not be influenced by any single incident, he said. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea launched a Pukguksong-2 missile on Sunday, saying it met all technical requirements and could now be mass produced. "The situation on the Korean Peninsula is still not calm with new events occurring. We urge the DPRK not to do anything to again violate the UN Security Council resolutions," Wang said. He asked related parties to act with restraint and stick to the objective of denuclearization, strictly implement Security Council resolutions on Pyongyang, and solve the issue through peaceful dialogue and consultations. Wang also agreed with the proposal by the new government in Seoul that sanctions and dialogue be carried forward at the same time. "We think it is fair and reasonable, and it is also what the UN Security Council has advocated." China and Russia reaffirmed they will never allow any conflict or war to happen on the Korean Peninsula, and oppose any party's position that could intensify tensions. The affirmation was made at a meeting between Assistant Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov in Moscow on Monday. Both sides called for honest efforts from related parties to ease the current tensions and restart dialogue, and reiterated opposition to THAAD deployment in the ROK. Wang Junsheng, an Asia-Pacific studies researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said seeking dialogue on the peninsula's nuclear issue is increasingly the consensus of the international community. "However, if Pyongyang keeps developing its nuclear and missile programs, related parties including China have no choice but to put more pressure on it," he said. Contact the writers at [email protected]wristbands with a message24 hour wristbands couponadjustable wristbandspersonalized rubber bracelets
Japan's Princess Mako arrives before a meeting with Paraguay's President Horacio Cartes at the presidential residence in Asuncion, Paraguay September 8, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] It remains a controversial topic in Japan to revise the males-only succession law TOKYO - Japanese Princess Mako, the eldest granddaughter of Emperor Akihito, will wed a former college classmate, Japanese media reported, heating up debate on the ever-shrinking royal family since she must become a commoner after marriage. Japan's Cabinet is expected to approve a bill on Friday to allow Akihito, 83, to step down, the first abdication by a Japanese emperor in nearly two centuries, after he said in August that he feared age would make it hard to fulfill his duties. But the legislation will make no reference to the controversial topics of whether to revise a males-only succession law or to allow women to stay in the imperial family after marriage, a move conservatives fear would be a first step to letting females inherit the throne. Asked about the problem of the shortage in royals, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference on Wednesday: There is no change in our view to proceed with consideration of steps to ensure stable imperial succession. The 25-year-old Mako's unofficial fiance, Kei Komuro, appeared before media cameras on Wednesday outside the Tokyo law office where he works, a day after the news of their engagement broke. The Imperial Household Agency declined to comment. Now is not the time for me to comment, but I want to speak at the right time, Komuro, 25, repeatedly told reporters. Komuro, who media said once served as a Prince of the Sea to promote tourism in a locality near Tokyo, did say he'd had a brief phone conversation with Mako on Tuesday. There are only four heirs to the throne - Akihito's two middle-aged sons, whose wives are in their early 50s, Akihito's octogenarian brother, and Prince Hisahito, the 10-year-old son of Akihito's younger son. Four grandchildren Akihito has only four grandchildren, the other three of whom are female - Mako, her younger sister, Kako, and Crown Prince Naruhito's daughter, Aiko. The shrinking royal population - which mirrors the broader trend of Japanese society - has raised concerns that the youngest prince may also be the last. Under the present system, there is the risk that Hisahito will be the only one left in the imperial family, Keio University Professor Hidehiko Kasahara was quoted by media as telling an experts panel that studied the abdication issue. Mako, who like her groom-to-be graduated from International Christian University, has a master's degree from the University of Leicester and has been working as a researcher at a museum. Reuters
