周天[Photo/Agencies]MANILA - China and the Philippines have fully affirmed the positive results achieved so far in their anti-drug cooperation, vowing to further strengthen their cooperation in this regard in the future

何理"Asked what the memorial means for her, Sing pointed at herself and at reporters at a press briefing, saying that it reflects the soul of everybody with a conscience解人"A sound wave, which is usually generated in the event of an artificial earthquake, was not detected

類命運共The China Earthquake Administration, of which the CENC is a part, and related departments conducted studies on the infrasonic records of the earthquake and previous quakes including those provoked by nuclear tests on the Korean Peninsula同體Earlier, South Korea's weather agency said the quake is presumed to have been a natural one, the country's Yonhap news agency reported周天They concluded that Saturday's quake is a natural one, the seismic service said何理4 on the Richter scale that occurred Saturday in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is not the result of a nuclear test, the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) said解人"The quake is presumed to have occurred naturally," the report quoted an agency official as saying

類命運共The epicenter was roughly the same with a similar shallow earthquake on Sept 3, which turned out to be caused by a nuclear test by the DPRK同體4 on the Richter scale in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea(DPRK)周天China has put forward the "double suspension" proposal, which requires the DPRK to suspend its missile and nuclear activities in exchange for the suspension of large-scale US-ROK military drills

何理The DPRK walked out of the talks in April 2009 in protest against UN sanctions解人Abe, who also heads the LDP, is set to provisionally dissolve the lower chamber of Japan's bicameral system of parliament on Sept 28, as this is when the extraordinary Diet session will be convened, according to LDP sources close to the matter類命運共However, the prime minister has the authority to dissolve the lower chamber and call a general election at will同體This scenario would see official campaigning for the national poll kick off on Oct 10, with voters thereafter casting their ballots on Oct 22

A lower house election must be held by December 2018 as this is when the four-year terms of current lower house lawmakers expireIf Abe goes ahead with his plan to call a snap election, then three by-elections that have been slated to take place on Oct 22 would be replaced by the general election

The opposition camp, however, has criticized Abe's move to call a snap election, with some accusing him of merely trying to escape from the influence-peddling scandals he is currently implicated in and engineering his stay in power"Nikai on Tuesday, during a meeting of ruling LDP executives reportedly conveyed Abe's intentions and relayed the party's determination to get all of its candidates fielded in the racePrior to Abe's departure Monday for a five-day trip to New York to attend the UN General Assembly, Abe told Nikai during a meeting that he "will decide on the timing of the snap election after returning from the UN General Assembly on FridayAbe last dissolved the lower house of parliament in November 2014 and thereafter led the ruling coalition to a sweeping victory in the following election in December

In addition, the fact that new opposition parties in the process of being formed will not have time to organize themselves and mount a serious challenge to Abe and the LDP in such a short space of time, has made many political watchers question Abe's regard for democracy and the will of the peopleTOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is gearing up to dissolve the lower house of parliament and call a snap general election, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai confirmed on TuesdayThe support rate for Abe's cabinet has improved moderately recently, and the opposition camp has accused the prime minister of taking advantage of this and have slammed the possible general election as being unnecessary and serving Abe's personal, not political objectivesThe application for UNESCO heritage status submitted by more than 10 groups from China, the Republic of Korea and other countries and regions will "allow the world to fully understand the brutality of the war of agrression, remember history, cherish peace and defend human dignity," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said at a regular news briefing

BEIJING -- Japan should act correctly towards an application for records of comfort women to be listed as UNESCO heritage, instead of threatening not to pay its UNESCO membership fees, a Chinese spokesperson said MondayIf the submitted documents are approved for the UNESCO Memory of the World Register next month, domestic pressure for Japan to cancel payment of its UNESCO membership fees will grow, according to Japanese media

"The members of international organizations are obliged to pay their membership fees on time and in fullChina demands Japan reflect on its history of aggression, and take a correct attitude towards and do not smear or meddle with the application," Lu said

The move serves the purposes of the UNESCO, he saidForceful recruitment of comfort women, or sex slaves, was a grave crime committed by the Japanese militarism during WWIIThere is solid evidence and no room for denying that, Lu saidHe said that Japan should handle the issue properly and in a responsible way to gain trust from its Asian neighbors and the international communityPeople from the DPRK and the ROK belong to the same ethnic group, and China has always supported the two countries in strengthening exchanges, improving ties and promoting reconciliation, he saidLu's comment came after ROK President Moon Jae-in suggested that his country could go ahead with humanitarian aid to the DPRK "regardless of political situations," despite Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's request for consideration of the timing of the proposed aid

BEIJING -- China hopes that concerned parities can understand and respect the emotions of the people and support normal exchanges between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK), Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said Monday"All the UN Security Council resolutions that imposed sanctions on the DPRK, including the newly adopted Resolution 2375, have stated clearly that they are not intended to have a negative effect on the livelihoods and humanitarian needs of the people there," Lu said at a daily press briefing

"I think this is not only good for China, but will also be a positive influence to the whole international system," he saidFor example, Singapore can become a launchpad for Chinese companies to march into international markets, and they can make the best of Singapore's trade and service facilities as a financial center and transport hub

Singapore's cooperation with China concerning the Belt and Road Initiative, Lee said, is focused on infrastructure inter-connectivity, financial projects and third-country programs such as personnel training, which Singapore believes can combine advantages of both sidesThe two sides are expected to exchange views on bilateral ties and issues of common concern, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced Friday

In the interview, Lee said the Initiative-related cooperation in sectors such as infrastructure investments, trade and tourism can help further "integrate China into regional and international economic systems while greatly boosting the prosperity and development in other countriesThe Belt and Road Initiative, put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, is aimed at building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road through concerted efforts of all related countries to benefit all participants by promoting unimpeded trade, financial integration, infrastructure inter-connectivity and closer people-to-people exchangesThe Singaporean leader will pay an official visit to China on Sept 19-21 at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang"The Initiative will help foster closer cooperation among China and its neighboring countries as well as its trade partners in Europe, Asia and even Africa," he added

"We deem the Belt and Road Initiative as positive," Lee said Saturday in an interview with Xinhuanet, Xinhua's official website, noting that China's continuous economic growth has made China an increasingly larger and more important part in the international systemSINGAPORE -- Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said that the Belt and Road Initiative of China is positive to the world since it can help further integrate China into regional and international economic systems while boosting growth in other countries

" In his opinion, the Initiative can help China make more and better contributions to global economic and trade cooperation as well as the international relationsOne option is to hold a snap election on Oct 22, when three by-elections are scheduled, the sources said

TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is considering calling a snap election for as early as next month to take advantage of his improved approval ratings and disarray in the main opposition party, government and ruling party sources said on SundayOther possibilities are later in October or after an expected visit by US President Donald Trump in early November

"Until now, it appeared the election would be next autumn, butAbe's ratings have recovered to 50 percent in some pollswe must always be ready for battle," domestic media quoted Komeito party chief Natsuo Yamaguchi as telling reporters on Saturday during a visit to RussiaAbe told executives of his Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, the Komeito party, that he might dissolve parliament's lower house for a snap poll after the legislature convenes for an extra session from Sept 28, the sources said

Abe will probably make a decision after returning from a Sept 18-22 trip to the United States, the sources saidTop LDP and Komeito officials will meet on Monday to discuss preparations, they added

"We need to be clear that the latest UN resolution not only sanctions the DPRK's nuclear activities but also calls for the reopening of dialogue and resolving the issue through consultations," Cui said"Without implementing these, we also will consider it as noncompliance with the resolution," Nebenzia said, Reuters reported

China's envoy to Washington has urged the US to do more to resolve the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula, while stressing that the UN resolution on Pyongyang also calls for dialogue and peace talksThe ambassador's remarks followed shortly after the DPRK's latest missile launch drew condemnation from the United Nations and refueled fiery rhetoric about a military option from the Trump administration, which also asked China to mount pressure on the DPRK, partly by cutting oil shipments to Pyongyang