Wang Yi holds 'positive, constructive' call with Rubio

RTHK - Nov 11, 2026

Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a "positive and constructive" call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported, with Beijing expressing willingness to strengthen communication and cooperation with Washington. The talks come roughly a week ahead of the Apec Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen, where Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump are expected to meet. The current stability in China-US relations has not come easily, Wang said, calling it "a rational choice made by the two major countries based on respective and shared interests," the Xinhua report said. The Xinhua report quoted Wang as saying that China, having maintained a stable and consistent policy towards the United States, is willing to strengthen communication and cooperation with Washington, properly handle differences and sensitive issues, support each other in hosting the 2026 Apec Economic Leaders' Meeting and the G20 Summit, and work to bring a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability into effect and deliver results. Xi and Trump have met twice already this year and Rubio told reporters on Tuesday there was work underway to arrange a trilateral meeting on the Apec sidelines involving Xi, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Rubio said Trump wants that meeting to happen and added:...

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Lee calls for unity at dinner meeting with DP leaders

President Lee Jae Myung called for unity between the government and the ruling Democratic Party (DP) as he held a dinner meeting with DP leader Kim Min-seok and floor leader Han Byung-do on Wednesday, his office said. During the dinner at Cheong Wa Dae, Kim asked the government for bold and swift measures to overcome polarization and boost consumption, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing. In response, Lee stressed the need for the party and the government to "move as one" in order for the people's lives to improve, and asked that the party and the National Assembly extend their active support to get the government's 2027 budget proposal passed, Kang said. Lee also asked his chief of staff, Lim Kwang-hyun, and senior political affairs secretary, Choi In-ho, to closely communicate with the National Assembly at all times. Lim and Choi were among the dinner participants. Though there had been speculation Lee and the party leaders could discuss controversial issues, such as real estate taxes and a special counsel bill on alleged fabricated indictments, a presiden

Lee calls for unity at dinner meeting with DP leaders

'The old America is gone': OPCON transfer is Korea's answer to changing US, Moon Chung-in says

Korea's push to regain wartime operational control (OPCON) of its military is not just an attempt to reclaim military sovereignty, but a necessary response to a fundamental shift in the United States' foreign and security policy, according to Moon Chung-in, a former presidential special adviser. In an interview with The Korea Times on Tuesday, Moon, currently a professor emeritus at Yonsei University, argued that President Lee Jae Myung's pursuit of OPCON transfer comes in line with Washington's growing expectation that Seoul assume primary responsibility for its own defense, rather than the self-reliant defense agenda set by former President Roh Moo-hyun. "The U.S. is changing, but we are still clinging to the old America. The old America is gone," Moon said. He pointed to U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated demands that Korea shoulder a greater share of its defense burden. Under such an arrangement, Korean forces would take the lead in conventional defense against North Korea, while U.S. forces would provide complementary capabilities in areas where Seoul remains relatively weak, i

'The old America is gone': OPCON transfer is Korea's answer to changing US, Moon Chung-in says

India, Guatemala highlight coffee for global consumers at Seoul cafe show

Coffee brands, roasters, experts and authorities from around the world are gathering in Seoul for the 25th Seoul International Cafe Show, a four-day event that kicked off Wednesday. This year, India and Guatemala took part in one of the event’s flagship programs, Origin Discovery, showcasing their coffee traditions and explaining how their distinctive beans have won loyal followings among coffee lovers worldwide. Organized by the Coffee Board under the Government of India, a session titled Coffees of India introduced the country’s history of coffee cultivation, which dates back to the 1600s and reached its commercial zenith in the 18th century. Indian coffees, including Arabica, Robusta and Excelsa varieties, have been cultivated across Western Ghats — a biodiversity hotspot recognized by the UNESCO — as well as Eastern Ghats and Northeastern states. Amulya K.G., director of the Coffee Board and the host of the session, said there are 441,000 coffee farms in India, 99 percent of which are small holdings of less than 10 hectares. India is the world’s fifth largest coffee export

India, Guatemala highlight coffee for global consumers at Seoul cafe show

Luxury van market heats up in Korea as Mercedes-Benz joins rivalry with V-Class

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Luxury van market heats up in Korea as Mercedes-Benz joins rivalry with V-Class

Deutsche Bank urges Korean financial markets to match its companies' global reach

Deutsche Bank said Korea needs to improve financial market accessibility and regulatory predictability to attract more global capital, as its world-class companies continue to underpin the country's investment appeal. In a recent exclusive interview with The Korea Times, Alexander von zur Muehlen, Deutsche Bank's CEO of Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa and Germany, said "few economies have produced such a concentration of globally competitive companies across strategically important industries" as Korea has. "The next step is to make its financial markets as international as its companies," said von zur Muehlen, who is also a member of the bank's management board. "Greater openness, simplicity and predictability can help broaden international participation." Korea has been opening its financial markets to global investors, introducing 24-hour foreign exchange trading in July. The country also allows foreign institutions to participate directly in its onshore foreign exchange market through the Registered Foreign Institution program, with Deutsche Bank among the first participa

Deutsche Bank urges Korean financial markets to match its companies' global reach

Low-hanging fruit for Xi and Trump to pluck at Shenzhen Apec summit

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit is set to take place in Shenzhen on November 18 and 19. Shenzhen will also be playing host to the first of two further meetings between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump this year. When the two leaders met in May and September, they called for “constructive strategic stability” as a prescription for US-China relations. Both sides are keen to maintain the fragile detente, in part due to domestic considerations. Beijing wants to...

Low-hanging fruit for Xi and Trump to pluck at Shenzhen Apec summit

Low-hanging fruit for Xi and Trump to pluck at Shenzhen Apec summit

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit is set to take place in Shenzhen on November 18 and 19. Shenzhen will also be playing host to the first of two further meetings between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump this year. When the two leaders met in May and September, they called for “constructive strategic stability” as a prescription for US-China relations. Both sides are keen to maintain the fragile detente, in part due to domestic considerations. Beijing wants to...

Low-hanging fruit for Xi and Trump to pluck at Shenzhen Apec summit

Did China and Cuba fund US socialists? Florida’s attorney general demands answers

Florida’s attorney general has issued an investigative subpoena to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) to determine whether the group accepted money or other support from the Chinese and Cuban governments. Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the move in a video posted on social media on Tuesday, saying his office wanted to establish whether the organisation “accepted contributions or support from foreign sources of concern, including the regimes in Cuba and China”, and whether its...

Did China and Cuba fund US socialists? Florida’s attorney general demands answers

Rubio, Wang hold phone call before Xi-Trump meeting next week

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Rubio, Wang hold phone call before Xi-Trump meeting next week

Fire breaks out again at shantytown in southern Seoul; no injuries reported

A fire broke out early Wednesday at a shantytown in Seoul's southern ward of Gangnam, but firefighters fully extinguished the blaze, officials said, with no injuries reported. The fire began at a home in Guryong Village at 4:28 a.m. before fire authorities put it out at 6:27 a.m. after mobilizing 105 personnel and 32 vehicles. Authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire. The latest fire at the village came about two weeks following the Oct. 27 fire that forced 39 people to flee and left one person with a minor injury. Many of the makeshift homes illegally built in the town are prone to fires as they are built with highly flammable materials.

Fire breaks out again at shantytown in southern Seoul; no injuries reported

Korea adds 139,000 jobs in October, above 100,000 for 4th month

Korea added 139,000 jobs in October from a year earlier, government data showed Wednesday, with job growth exceeding the 100,000 mark for the fourth consecutive month. The number of employed people came to 29.17 million in October, compared with 29.04 million a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. Job growth turned positive in June after declining by 40,000 in May, the first drop in 17 months. The country's jobless rate came to 2 percent last month, down 0.2 percentage point from a year earlier. The number of unemployed people totaled 602,000 in October, down 56,000 from the same month in 2025. The employment rate for people aged 15 to 64 came to 70.4 percent, up 0.3 percentage point from a year earlier. The figure for those aged 15 to 29, on the other hand, fell 1.7 percentage points to 42.9 percent.

Korea adds 139,000 jobs in October, above 100,000 for 4th month

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Justice minister nominee reiterates special counsel role over indictments against Lee

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