DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Divided again, South Korea beat North Korea in Asian Games basketball
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Ro captained North Korea and guard Kim started on the bench, while South Korea had forward Kang Lee-seul, guard Park Ji-hyun and centre Park Ji-su among the 2018 alumni. With South Korea and North Korea still technically at war, there has been diplomatic tension at the Games. North Korean athletes refused to join South Korean rivals for a group photo of medal winners at the shooting competition. North Korea had a cheer-squad numbering a few dozen people high up in the grandstand of the half-full stadium. A North Korea team official sitting beside Jong, who was an assistant coach of the unified team in 2018, said the question was not relevant.

Persons: Ann Wang, basketballers, Lee, Ro Suk, Yong, Kim Hye, Jang, Ro, Kim, Kang Lee, Ji, Jung Sun, Jung, Jong, Ian Ransom, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium, North, REUTERS, Rights, Asian, South, China's, Group, Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre, Games, Unified Korean, Jakarta Asian Games, Olympic, North Korea, North Korean, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, China, Rights HANGZHOU, Jakarta, South, North Korea, South Korea, South Korean, Korea, Korean, Pyeongchang, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Korea's, North Korean

Tottenham Hotspur striker Son Heung-min secured the exemption after his Korean team won gold at the last Games in Jakarta in 2018. K-pop star Suga, songwriter and rapper for the boy band supergroup BTS, began the enlistment process for mandatory military service last month, making him the third BTS member to go off to perform the military duty. The military service law was amended several years ago to allow selected K-pop megastars to defer their service to aged 30, but not to avoid it entirely, with a large section of the population against giving stars like BTS special treatment. "We have players (in the current squad) who have been exempt from military service by winning gold medals in past editions of the games, but... we also several players who have not yet avoided military service. "But of course, because a gold medal gives one an exemption, and we have many who haven't done their service yet... we should perform at our best and get the gold."

Persons: Lee, Kelley L Cox, Son Heung, Kwon, Suga, Faker, Lee Sang, Baek, chul, Kim Woomin, I’m, ” Kim, Choo Il Seung, I'm, Heo Hoon, Martin Quin Pollard, Eduardo Baptista, Ian Ransom, Toby Davis Organizations: DRX, League of, Chase Center, USA, Rights, South, Hangzhou Asian Games, North, Asian Games, Tottenham Hotspur, Korean, BTS, League, China, Qatar, Thomson Locations: San Francisco , California, USA, Rights HANGZHOU, China, North Korea, South, Jakarta, Korea, Hangzhou, Qatar, Beijing

☆ South Korea mulls measures after tennis player wrecks racket
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

In a statement on Tuesday, the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee (KSOC) said Kwon's actions were "extremely regretful". "We will take appropriate measures for the situation through a comprehensive review after the Games come to an end," KSOC said. Kwon also drew criticism from South Korea's vice minister of culture, sports and tourism, who called the player's reaction to the defeat "regretful." Kwon apologised to Kasidit, and to his South Korean fans, in a handwritten note posted on social media. "I behaved recklessly soon after a match ended and I shouldn't have as a national team player," he said.

Persons: Pabellon Fuente, Korea’s Kwon, Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Eva Manez, Kwon, Kasidit Samrej, netizens, KSOC, Kasidit, Hyunsu Yim, Ed Davies, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Rights, Asian Games, Weibo, Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center, Thai, Korean Sport, Olympic, South, Thomson Locations: Spain, South Korea, San Luis, Valencia, Rights SEOUL, China

☆ No phone, no Twitter: 60-year-old Al-Rashidi's secret to gold in shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sept 27 (Reuters) - Kuwait's Abdullah Al-Rashidi claimed his fourth Asian Games gold medal in skeet shooting on Wednesday and the 60-year-old said the secret to his longevity and his sharp vision is staying away from the phone and social media. To put Al-Rashidi's age in perspective, Naruka was born in 1998 -- the same year the veteran Kuwaiti shooter won his third world title. I don't look at the phone or Twitter, because this is not good for your eyes. Despite winning gold medals at the world championships and Asian Games, his best result at the Olympics was bronze in Rio and Tokyo. With the Paris Olympics around the corner in 2024, Al-Rashidi said he still has a long way to go before he decides to call it a day.

Persons: Kuwait's Abdullah Al, Rashidi, Anant Jeet Singh Naruka, Naruka, Rohith Nair, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Kuwaiti, Games, Paris Olympics, Olympic, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, India, Rio, Tokyo, Al, Paris, Bengaluru

☆ Displaced Afghan women athletes defy Taliban at Asian Games
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Now in Hangzhou, they yearn to give hope to the hopeless - the women athletes left behind in their homeland. "Nowadays, they are looking for hope," Mursal Khedri, a Pakistan-based, 24-year-old member of the volleyball team, told Reuters. They play their first group match against Kazakhstan when the women's volleyball tournament starts on Saturday. For the Afghanistan women in Hangzhou, it is a thrill to compete at a high level but there are also nerves. They are unlikely to attend competition venues to cheer on the women's volleyball team or other Afghan women athletes due to the sensitivity of the situation.

Persons: Nasrin Khazani, Khushal Malakzai, Malakzai, Yousofi, John Quinn, Ian Ransom, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Asian, Olympic, Tokyo, Reuters, Kazakhstan, Games, Thomson Locations: HANGZHOU, China, Hangzhou, Afghanistan, Asia, Pakistan, Iran, hijabs, Melbourne, Australia

☆ Cui Chenxi: Teen skateboarder becomes China's youngest Asian Games gold medalist
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Andrew Mcnicol | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Thirteen-year-old Cui Chenxi of China clinched gold in women’s skateboarding at the Asian Games on Wednesday, becoming the country’s youngest gold medalist as teenage girls continue to dominate the sport. The street event requires competitors to perform tricks on a track scattered with stairs, rails, ramps, benches and more. While the men’s sport tends to be dominated by athletes in their late teens or early twenties, women’s skateboarding has skewed increasingly younger. China's Cui Chenxi competes in the final of the women's street skateboarding event during the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. Meanwhile in the street event, Momiji Nishiya became Japan’s youngest-ever Olympic champion at 13, while 13-year-old Rayssa Leal of Brazil finished second and 16-year-old Nakayama third.

Persons: Cui Chenxi, Cui, ” Cui, ”, Zeng Wenhui, Ito Miyu, Japan, Funa Nakayama, China's Cui Chenxi, Hector Retamal, ” Cui’s, Alegado, Margielyn Didal, Didal, I’m, Japan’s Hinano, Li Yujuan, Mao Jiasi, Li, Sakura Yosozumi, Kokona Hiraki, Brown, Momiji Nishiya, Rayssa Leal, Nakayama Organizations: CNN, Asian Games, Reuters, Roller Sports, Paris Olympics, Games, Olympic, Getty, Weibo, Japan’s, Brazil Locations: China, Shandong, Hangzhou, Jakarta, Indonesia, Lausanne, Tokyo, AFP, Philippines

☆ Mongolian cricket takes step back as records tumble in loss to Nepal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HANGZHOU, China, Sept 27 (Reuters) - The windswept nation of Mongolia has rarely been known for cricket but now has a place in the record books after suffering the biggest defeat in T20 internationals through a 273-run hiding by Nepal at the Asian Games on Wednesday. His batting partner Dipendra Singh Airee also came off with the record for the fastest fifty in T20 internationals, reaching the milestone in nine balls in his unbeaten 52 which included eight sixes. Mongolia were dismissed for 41, the biggest contribution from 23 extras, including 16 wides by the Nepali bowlers. The north Asians will have a chance to atone when they play the Maldives in their second match on Thursday. Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kushal Malla, strode, South Africa's David Miller, India's Rohit Sharma, Wickramasekara, Dipendra Singh Airee, Mongolia's, Sandeep Lamichhane, Ian Ransom, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Asian Games, Zhejiang University of Technology, South, Thomson Locations: HANGZHOU, China, Mongolia, Nepal, Hangzhou, Czech, Afghanistan, Ireland, West Indies, South Africa, Maldives

HANGZHOU, China Sept 27 (Reuters) - Cui Chenxi became China's youngest Asian Games gold medallist on Wednesday after the 13-year-old skateboarder won the women's street event on day four of competition in Hangzhou. With an eye-catching performance featuring several 'Ollies' and a huge move off a high rail, which several of her competitors avoided, Cui took gold ahead of compatriot Zeng Wenhui, 18, with Japanese 16-year-old Miyu Ito taking bronze. Cui, who hails from China's eastern Shandong province, only took up skateboarding in 2020 when China's COVID restrictions meant she could not practice rollerblading, which she began as a three-year-old. Each athlete's highest scoring run and two highest scoring tricks were then added together to reach a final score. Margielyn Didal, who won gold for the Philippines at the 2018 Asian Games, is still only 24 yet she seemed like a veteran with all her competitors in the final 18 or under.

Persons: Cui Chenxi, Cui, Zeng Wenhui, Miyu Ito, Margielyn Didal, Didal, I'm, Martin Quin Pollard, Dylan Martinez, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Asian, Thomson Locations: HANGZHOU, China, Hangzhou, China's, Shandong, Philippines

☆ Thailand win first esports medal as princess rides in
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Asian Games - Hangzhou 2022 - E-Sports - China Hangzhou Esports Centre, Hangzhou, China - September 26, 2023 Players from Team Thailand prepare before the Arena of Valor Asian Games Version Bronze Medal Match REUTERS/Ann Wang Acquire Licensing RightsHANGZHOU, China, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Thailand claimed the first esports medal awarded at the Asian Games on Tuesday in an event closely watched by Olympic officials as a princess of the kingdom made a royal entrance to the equestrian event. But an enthusiastic crowd of locals cheered on the Thais at the Hangzhou Esports Centre as they prevailed 2-0 in a best-of-three match for the popular mobile phone game developed by a Chinese tech firm. The players tapped their small screens furiously and communicated with team mates via headsets throughout a contest that stretched to nearly 40 minutes. If esports is the future of the Games, Thai Princess Sirivannavari Mahidol represented its past as she made a regal entrance on a horse named 'Es Fangar's Samba King' in the dressage team event. "Luckily our father is supporting us," said the princess, who represented Thailand in badminton at the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar and equestrian at Incheon in 2014.

Persons: Ann Wang, Sirivannavari Mahidol, King Vajiralongkorn, Zhang Boheng, Zhang, Takeru Kitazono, nation's, Lee Hye, kyeong, Kwon, Martin Quin Pollard, Peter Rutherford Organizations: China Hangzhou Esports, Team Thailand, of Valor, REUTERS, Rights, Asian Games, Olympic, Vietnam, esports, Jakarta Asian, Thais, Hangzhou Esports, Thailand, Games, South, Doping Agency, Olympic Council of Asia, OCA, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, China Hangzhou, China Hangzhou Esports Centre, China, Rights HANGZHOU, Thailand, Bangkok, Sorawat, India, Qatar, Incheon, North, Jakarta, Communist, Korean

HANGZHOU, China (AP) — A month before the Asian Games, China released a new national map, doubling down on its claims to almost the entire South China Sea and disputed border territories with India. At the games themselves, however, outward aggression has taken a backseat to unctuous charm as China sought to win the hearts of more than 40 Asian nations and regions by dazzling them with technology and slathering them with praise. “The Asian Games embodies the Asian people’s shared desire for peace, unity and inclusiveness,” Xi told them, according to his prepared remarks. Signs around Hangzhou billed the city as a “paradise on earth” while China adopted the motto “heart to heart” for the Asian Games, which feature some 12,000 competitors - more than the summer Olympics - from across Asia and the Middle East. “This will undoubtedly open new prospects for cultural exchanges, cultural integration and people-to-people bonds in Asia,” the Chinese Communist Party’s official People’s Daily wrote Monday in an effusive editorial about the Hangzhou games.

Persons: Xi Jinping, ” Xi, “ Xi, ”, Xi, Wang Wenbin, “ Organizations: Games, South China, Asian Games, Communist, Daily, Foreign Ministry, U.S Locations: HANGZHOU, China, India, Taiwan, Beijing, Hangzhou, South, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Philippines, Taipei, Asia, Fujian Province, Philippine, South China, Washington, ’, Pacific

☆ Asian Games: South Korea's Esports stars target medal success -- and a military exemption
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

For South Korean male participants, winning a gold medal in the Asian Games or Olympic Games not only brings honor but also grants them a military exemption. However, the mandatory duty can be waived for some athletes, in particular those who win an Olympic medal or a gold medal in the Asian Games. Seven games will be featured as official medal events at the 19th Asian Games, building on the success of the pilot event at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games. The venue for the Asian Games esports competitions is state-of-the-art and an impressive sight to see. With its inclusion as an official Asian Games medal event, the possibility of esports becoming a part of the Olympic Games is a topic of growing debate.

Persons: Suga, Oh, Wang Zhao, Son Heung, ” Shin, ”, esports, ” Kim Sa, “, ” Lee Kyung, Kwak, hyouk, it’d, ” Kwak, Thailand’s Teedech, Lee Sang, –, Michael Chow, Yoonjung Seo, Michael Jordan, ” Chow, Faker, JUNG YEON, Philip Fong, Rowan Crothers, “ I’m, I’ll, ” Crothers, Jess Bolden, Chow, Niko, Young Organizations: CNN, Gaming, Hangzhou Asian Games, Asian Games, Games, BTS, Asian, Getty, Premier League soccer, Tottenham Hotspur, Marine Corps, Republic of Korea Marine Corps, “ Times, CNN Sport, FIFA, Hangzhou, South Korea, Believer Company, Riot, South, Team Korea, League, “ League, SK Telecom, Riot Games, Microsoft Studios, Xbox, Studios, International Federation of, Phonographic Industry, EA Sports FC Online, PUBG, of Valor, of, Olympic, International Olympic Committee, Maekyung Media, Paralympic, IOC, Kodikara, International Federations, Niko Partners Locations: South Korea, Hangzhou, AFP, Seogwipo, Jeju, Republic of, Seoul, esports, Jakarta, South, . South Korea, Palembang, Asia

Asian Games - Hangzhou 2022 - E-Sports - China Hangzhou Esports Centre, Hangzhou, China - September 26, 2023 Players from Team China talk during the Arena of Valor Asian Games Version Final REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHANGZHOU, China Sept 26 (Reuters) - China won the first gold esports medal in Asian Games history in the Eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou on Tuesday by beating Malaysia in the smartphone multiplayer battle game “Arena of Valor”, to delight fans in the world’s biggest esports market. the Chinese players shouted in a huddle on the stage just before the match began, triggering another loud cheer from spectators, before taking their seats for the "Arena of Valor" final. Thailand earlier claimed the Games' first esports medal by beating Vietnam for the bronze. The market generated $445 million in 2022 or 64.8% of the Asian esports market and China boasts 400 million esports fans, also the highest number globally, according to data from leading Asian video game market analysts Niko Partners. "Esports players are not just sitting on the chair.

Persons: Ann Wang, Tapping, Jiang Tao, Xu Bicheng, esports, Yvonne Yu, “, Xi Jinping, Serkan Toto, Niko Partners, Wong Kang Woon, Malaysia's, Martin Quin Pollard, Xihao Jiang, Ian Ransom, Ken Ferris Organizations: China Hangzhou Esports, Team China, of Valor, Rights, Malaysia, “, Valor, Asian Games, HK, Games, China Media Group, Research, Kantan Games, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, China Hangzhou, China Hangzhou Esports Centre, China, Rights HANGZHOU, Thailand, Vietnam

After receiving their silver medal in the men's team 10m running target, their country's first of the Games, the three North Korean athletes first broke with tradition by declining to turn towards the flag during the rendition of the national anthem of the winners, South Korea. Then, during the customary group photo, where all medal winners bunch together for the cameras, the bronze medallists, Indonesia, joined South Korea on the top rung of the podium, but the three North Koreans, Kwon Kwang-il, Pak Myong-won and Songjun Yu, did not. During a brief, but awkward delay one of the South Koreans tapped one of the North Koreans on the shoulder and tried to speak to them, but the North Koreans kept silent and did not even look to their left where their rivals stood. The Hangzhou Asian Games is the first international multi-sport event North Korea is attending since the 2018 edition in Jakarta. The 1950-1953 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty meaning the two sides are still technically at war.

Persons: Jeong, Kwon Kwang, Pak Myong, Songjun Yu, Martin Quin Pollard, Dylan Martinez, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Sports Centre, North, South, Hangzhou Asian Games, Games, Koreans, Olympic Council of Asia, Hangzhou, International Olympic Committee, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, China, HANGZHOU, South Korea, Indonesia, North Koreans, North Korea, Korea, Jakarta . North Korea, Tokyo

HANGZHOU, China (AP) — The Asian Games offer a preview of what could soon be coming to the Olympics. India's women won the gold medal on Monday at the Asian Games, defeating Sri Lanka in the 20-overs format. WORLD RECORDIndia set the first world record of the Asian Games in the 10-meter team rifle event. NORTH KOREA MEDALNorth Korea, appearing in its first international multi-sport event since the 2018 Asian Games, took bronze on Sunday in judo. The Asian Games involves about 12,400 competitors from 45 nations and territories with 481 gold medals on the line.

Persons: That's, Sri Lankans, Minnu Mani, Hashan Tillakaratne, Cricket's, Rudrankksh Patil, Divyansh, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Chae Kwanglin, ___ Organizations: Games, Los Angeles Games, Brisbane, Asian Games, Sri, Bangladesh, ”, Asian, Cricket, Olympic, IOC, Olympics, Paris Games, WORLD, Indian, NORTH KOREA, China Locations: HANGZHOU, China, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, ” Bangladesh, North Korea, CHINA, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia

Earlier the Bangladesh women's cricket team beat Pakistan in the bronze match to claim the country's first Asian Games medal since 2014 at Incheon, South Korea. Cricket, which has hopes of becoming an Olympic sport, returned to the Asian Games this year after being omitted from the last edition in Indonesia in 2018. The South Korean did not disappoint his legions of fans on Monday, helping his Korean team beat Kazakhstan 1-0 in one of the preliminary matches in the 'League of Legends' category. GROUP PHOTOElsewhere on day two of competition, three North Korean marksmen refused to join their South Korean rivals in a group photo of medal winners after narrowly missing out on gold in a men's team shooting competition. "It was really fun," she said after her seventh-placed finish in the women's park, an event won by Japan's Hinano Kusaki.

Persons: India's Divyansh Singh, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Rudrankksh Patil, Dylan Martinez, Lee Sang, Anna Prakaten, Panipak Wongpattanakit, Guo Qing, Hong Kong's Siobhan Bernadette Haughey, it’s, I’m, Japan's Hinano, Martin Quin Pollard, Ian Ransom, Peter Rutherford, Ken Ferris Organizations: Sports Centre, India, Hangzhou Asian Games, Games, Sri, Asian Games, Bangladesh women's, Pakistan, Cricket, Olympic, Korean, Kazakhstan, League, North, South, Tokyo, Russian Olympic Committee, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, China, HANGZHOU, Sri Lanka, Guangzhou, Bangladesh, Incheon, South Korea, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Philippines

☆ Afghanistan women's volleyball team fumes at training conditions in Hangzhou
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HANGZHOU, China, Sept 24 (Reuters) - The Afghanistan women's volleyball team has lamented training conditions at the Asian Games and are concerned they will not be ready for an event where they are participating in defiance of the country's Taliban rulers. I don't know why they can't have training for an hour or two when they have all these facilities. Malakzai said they had been allocated one training session two days before the women's competition starts on Saturday. Hangzhou Games organisers and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) did not immediately respond to requests for comment. With the backing of the OCA and the International Olympic Committee, Afghanistan's exiled national Olympic committee has sent 17 women to compete in athletics, cycling and volleyball at Hangzhou.

Persons: Khushal Malakzai, Malakzai, Afghanistan's, Ian Ransom, Hugh Lawson Organizations: volleyball, Asian Games, Reuters, Hangzhou Games, Olympic Council of Asia, OCA, International Olympic Committee, Olympic, Thomson Locations: HANGZHOU, China, Afghanistan, Hangzhou

☆ Asia Olympic body backs North Korea flag at Hangzhou despite WADA ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned the flag at all major sporting events, outside the Olympic and Paralympic Games, in 2021 after deeming North Korea had failed to implement an effective testing programme. Acting OCA President Randhir Singh said Asian Games organisers and North Korea were in discussions with WADA but that the flag was still "flying". "North Korea also has written to WADA as well, explaining their position," he told reporters on Sunday. At present the North Korea flag is flying and we will look into it and see what the future says. The Hangzhou Asian Games is the first international multi-sport event North Korea is attending since the 2018 edition in Jakarta.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Randhir Singh, WADA, Singh, Ian Ransom, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center, Rights, Olympic Council of Asia, North, Hangzhou Asian, Doping Agency, Olympic, Paralympic Games, Games, Hangzhou, International Olympic Committee, Beijing, IOC, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, China, North Korea, Rights HANGZHOU, Korea, Korean, Jakarta . North Korea, Tokyo, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moscow

"OCA is looking into it, definitely," as well as organisers and the government, Singh told a press conference in the eastern Chinese host city, Hangzhou. The three wushu fighters from the state of Arunachal Pradesh were issued stapled visas instead of stamped ones, India's foreign ministry said. Wei Jizhong, chairman of the OCA's ethics committee, told reporters last week that China did not refuse entry to the athletes. New Delhi vociferously rejects the claim, saying Arunachal Pradesh has always been part of India. At the Asian Games, delayed by a year due to COVID-19, some 12,400 athletes from 45 nations are competing for 481 gold medals across a huge programme of 40 sports.

Persons: Stanley Cheah, Raja Randhir Singh, Singh, Wei Jizhong, Tibet . New Delhi vociferously, Ian Ransom, Martin Quin Pollard, William Mallard Organizations: Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center, Olympic Council of Asia, Singapore, Reuters, Rights, Asian Games, OCA, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, China, Rights HANGZHOU, Arunachal Pradesh, India, Beijing, Tibet . New Delhi, New Delhi

☆ China Willing to Work With South Korea Ahead of Summit With Japan - Xi
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - China is willing to work with South Korea to promote a strategic partnership to develop with the times, President Xi Jinping told South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Saturday, amid rising tensions surrounding Russia, the United States and North Korea. The commitment to cooperation came ahead of scheduled trilateral talks between China, Japan and South Korea in Seoul on Sept. 26, the first summit led by their senior officials in four years. Xi told Han that he welcomes the summit at an opportune time and he will seriously consider the matter of visiting South Korea, Yonhap reported on Saturday. China attaches great importance to the positive willingness of South Korea to commit to cooperation, Xi said, and asked South Korea to meet it half way to maintain the direction of friendly cooperation. Tensions between the two East Asian countries rose after North Korea's Kim Jong Un's weeklong visit to Russia earlier this month, which angered the United States, Japan and South Korea.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Han Duck, Xi, Han, Yonhap, Korea's Kim Jong, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, William Mallard, Mike Harrison Organizations: South Korean, Asian Games, China Central Television, South Locations: BEIJING, China, South Korea, Russia, United States, North Korea, Hangzhou, Japan, Seoul

☆ China willing to work with South Korea ahead of summit with Japan, Xi Jinping says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the plenary session of the 2023 BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa on August 23, 2023. GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Sept 23 (Reuters) - China is willing to work with South Korea to promote a strategic partnership to develop with the times, President Xi Jinping told South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Saturday, amid rising tensions surrounding Russia, the United States and North Korea. The commitment to cooperation came ahead of scheduled trilateral talks between China, Japan and South Korea in Seoul on Sept. 26, the first summit led by their senior officials in four years. Xi told Han that he welcomes the summit at an opportune time and he will seriously consider the matter of visiting South Korea, Yonhap reported on Saturday. China attaches great importance to the positive willingness of South Korea to commit to cooperation, Xi said, and asked South Korea to meet it half way to maintain the direction of friendly cooperation.

Persons: Xi Jinping, GIANLUIGI, Han Duck, Xi, Han, Yonhap, Korea's Kim Jong, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, William Mallard, Mike Harrison Organizations: Rights, South Korean, Asian Games, China Central Television, South, Thomson Locations: Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, Rights BEIJING, China, South Korea, Russia, United States, North Korea, Hangzhou, Japan, Seoul

☆ China, resource-rich East Timor upgrade bilateral ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

He said he would continue to foster a relationship with the United States, but added that East Timor would not be implicated in any rivalry between Beijing and Washington. East Timor welcomes strong ties with all countries, including its southern neighbour Australia, Ramos-Horta said last year. Upgrading their ties, China and East Timor agreed to cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative championed by Xi, that could open the way for investment in infrastructure. China sent its military-run hospital ship to the Pacific in July to visit countries including East Timor and the Solomon islands. In a joint declaration, released on state run China Central Television (CCTV) on Saturday, China said it would provide help for East Timor's economic and societal development.

Persons: Xanana Gusmao, Mast, Xi Jinping, Jose Ramos, Ramos, Horta, Xi, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Timor's, 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Rights, East Timor's, Asian Games, East, Washington . East Timor, Initiative, Pacific, China Central Television, Greater, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Rights BEIJING, China, East Timor, Beijing, Hangzhou, Horta, United States, Timor, Washington . East, Australia, Southeast Asia, New Zealand, Solomon, Greater Sunrise

☆ 12,000 athletes and a lotus-shaped mega stadium. The Asian Games comes to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Jake Kwon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s leader Xi Jinping is to declare the Asian Games open at a lotus-shaped mega stadium in Hangzhou on Saturday. More than 12,000 athletes from the 45 members of the Asian Olympic Council will participate, making it the largest Asian Games ever, the Chinese state media news agency Xinhua reported Saturday. The ceremony will be attended by around 50,000 people, while more than 1,200 volunteers will be at the venue to help, Xinhua reported. To promote environmental responsibility, digital fireworks will be used at the opening ceremony instead of actual fireworks, Xinhua reported citing the ceremony’s director Sha Xiaolan. Hangzhou, the home of Chinese tech-giant Alibaba, aims to demonstrate cutting-edge technologies during the games, including cloud computing and artificial intelligence at the Games Village, Xinhua reported.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Xi Jinping, Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, Bashar al, Assad, Hong, John Lee Ka, Han Duck, Qin Haiyang, Yang Liwei, Sha Xiaolan, ” Sha, Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Asian Olympic, Asian Games, Xinhua, Korea’s, Games Locations: Hong Kong, Hangzhou, Cambodian, Syrian, ”, Xinhua, Asia

☆ China's Xi seriously considering South Korea visit, Yonhap reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING/SEOUL, Sept 23 (Reuters) - China's President Xi Jinping on Saturday said he will seriously consider visiting South Korea, Yonhap news agency reported, as part of efforts to support peace and security on the Korean Peninsula. Xi, who has not visited South Korea since 2014, held talks with Han in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou before the opening ceremony of the Asian Games on Saturday. Xi told Han he would welcome such a summit at an opportune time and would seriously consider visiting South Korea, Yonhap reported. China attaches great importance to the positive willingness of South Korea to commit to cooperation, Xi said, according to CCTV, and asked South Korea to meet it half way to maintain the direction of friendly cooperation. Tensions between the two countries rose after North Korea's Kim Jong Un made a week-long visit to Russia earlier this month, which angered the United States, Japan and South Korea.

Persons: Xi Jinping, GIANLUIGI, Xi, Han Duck, Han, Yonhap, Korea's Kim Jong Un, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, Joyce Lee, Mike Harrison, David Holmes Organizations: Rights, China Central Television, South Korean, Asian Games, South, Thomson Locations: Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, Rights BEIJING, SEOUL, South Korea, China, Hangzhou, Seoul, Japan, North Korea, Russia, United States, Beijing

HANGZHOU, China, Sept 23 (Reuters) - China's eastern city of Hangzhou stepped up security ahead of the Asian Games opening ceremony later on Saturday as organisers hope to get the sporting extravaganza off to a smooth start with President Xi Jinping among the dignitaries set to attend. Roads in a sizeable 'traffic control area' around the city's Olympic stadium were blocked off, at least one metro station was shut, and other Games centres were closed off ahead of an opening ceremony organisers say will be "mesmerizing". Some of those making the trek out towards the stadium were left frustrated by the size of the sealed off area. Organisers hope a high-tech opening ceremony on Saturday will help drum up excitement for the Games. Dozens of smiling volunteers greeted arriving journalists in Hangzhou this week, with some expressing relief that the event was finally getting started.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Li Jian, Xiaolan, @Future, Xi, Beijing's, Bashar al, Assad, Anurag Thakur, Martin Quin Pollard, Ian Ransom, Xihao Jiang, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Games, Thomson Locations: HANGZHOU, China, Hangzhou, Asia, Syria, India, Tokyo

HANGZHOU, China (AP) — The opening ceremony of the Asian Games on Saturday in China offered all the staples of a major international sports event. One big thing, however, was missing: real fireworks, the exploding kind that smell of power and burnt fuses. Instead, the high-tech games — billed of course as “green games” — offered electronic flash, 3D animations and a virtual torchbearer. Delayed for a year by the pandemic, the Asian Games are China's largest sports event since the country scrapped its zero-COVID-19 policy early in the year. China won almost 300 medals in the Asian Games five years ago and is sure to dominate again followed by Japan and South Korea.

Persons: Xi Jinping, —, Xi, Bashar al, Assad, Thomas Bach, King Norodom Sihamoni, Bach, Vladimir Putin, there’s, ___ Didi Tang Organizations: Asian Games, Sports Center, International Olympic, Olympic Council of, Hangzhou Asian, Xinhua, Olympics, China, —, Afghan, ___ AP Asia Locations: HANGZHOU, China, Hangzhou, Taiwan, North Korea, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Olympic Council of Asia, Russia, Paris, Beijing, Shanghai, “, Hangzhou Asian Games, Los Angeles, Brisbane, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Afghanistan, Washington, ___, asia

Search resuls for: "Hangzhou"

25 mentions found