In The News

Reuters: North, South Korea Agree to Dialogue

Christine Kim and Hyonhee Shin January 9, 2018
The start of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang is February was the catalyst for a meeting of North and South Korean diplomats. The North is making plans to send a delegation including athletes, officials, performers and reporters to the international games, and athletes from the two nations may join for the opening ceremony. “South Korea asked its neighbor to halt hostile acts that stoke...

Caixin: China’s Ban on Plastic Waste Imports to Choke World?

Yang Rui January 4, 2018
Discarded plastic for recycling is a major export for many nations. China was the largest importer of such waste, but that ends with a ban imposed on such imports as of 1 January. Yang Rui reports for Caixin: China “imported 7.3 million metric tons (8 tons) of plastic waste in 2016 mainly from Europe, Japan and the United States, worth billions of dollars. The country’s hunger for plastic has...

Wired: Big Brother Meets Big Data as China Rates Citizens

Rachel Botsman January 3, 2018
Trust is in the eye the beholder, and the friend who speaks the truth is better than the one who tells others what they want to hear. China is developing a Social Credit System to evaluate citizens and assign trust scores, explains Rachel Botsam. An excerpt from her book was published by Wired. Of course, the system has many critics who compare the system to George Orwell’s novel 1984. “For now,...

Korea Herald: Why Arabic Is So Popular Among South Korean Students?

Bak Se-hwan December 25, 2017
Students intent on entering the best colleges make strategic choices on every detail, and that was behind Arabic becoming the most popular second-choice foreign language for Korean students taking the Suneung, a college entrance exam. English and a second foreign language are among the test subjects. “More than seven out of 10 Suneung test-takers chose Arabic as a second foreign language this...

The Korea Times: North Korea Threatens China, Too, Notes South Korea’s Moon

Kim Rahn December 15, 2017
North Korea’s government continues to develop and test ballistic missiles – 15 this year alone – along with nuclear tests despite a flailing economy. The international community recognizes that the rogue regime is not above extortion and could nuclear weapons to coerce any country. “North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations are threats to the peace of not only South Korea but also China...

Caixin: Belt and Road Now Leads to Every Central, Eastern European Nation

Fran Wang November 28, 2017
China Belt and Road Initiative is expanding to reach all 16 nations of Central and Eastern Europe. New agreements being signed with Estonia, Slovenia and Lithuania bring “the total number of foreign countries included in the Belt and Road program to 70,” reports Fran Wang for Caixin. “Chinese companies invested more than $9 billion in the 16 countries last year, triple the $3 billion recorded in...

Caixin: China to Roll Out Red Carpet for Foreign Financial Firms

Peng Qinqin, Wu Hongyuran, Zhang Yu, Yang Qiaoling and Han Wei November 21, 2017
China may do more to open its financial industry to foreign investors, lifting ownership caps for banks as well as securities, funds, and futures industries, according to a team from Caixin. “Sixteen years after China agreed to liberalize foreign access to its financial sector as part of its World Trade Organization accession commitments, overseas investors still complain about barriers...