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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 24 december 2019

China, South Korea look to improve ties with Beijing summit

Associated Press Terminal High Altitude Area
BEIJING (AP) — The leaders Defense, or THAAD, system
of South Korea and China in southern South Korea.
said Monday that they Beijing insists its real pur-
look forward to improved pose is to use its powerful
ties following a protracted radars to peer deep into
disagreement over the its territory, rather than to
deployment of a U.S. anti- warn of North Korean mis-
missile system that Beijing sile launches and shoot
considers a threat. them down.
South Korean President Furious at being snubbed,
Moon Jae-in told Chinese China launched an un-
leader Xi Jinping that while official boycott of every-
the sides may have felt "dis- thing from Chinese tour
appointed toward each group visits to South Korea
other for a while," their to South Korean television
shared culture and his- shows, boy bands and oth-
tory prevented them from er cultural products. Major
becoming completely es- South Korean retailer Lotte,
tranged. which provided a golf
"It is hoped that South Ko- course where the missile
rea's dream becomes In this image from video, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, shakes hands with his Chinese system was deployed, was
helpful for China as Chi- counterpart Xi Jinping as they pose for photographers ahead of their meeting at the Great Hall of singled out for especially
na's dream becomes an the People in Beijing, Monday, Dec. 23, 2019. harsh treatment and its
opportunity for South Ko- Associated Press China business operations
rea," Moon said in open- were essentially destroyed.
ing remarks before report- the meeting at the Great substantial relationship in Ties between the northeast- Even sales of ubiquitous
ers were ushered from the Hall of the People in the the world and an influential ern neighbors nosedived in South Korean auto brands
room. center of Beijing, Xi de- relationship among world 2017 after Seoul accepted such as Hyundai and Kia
In his opening comments at scribed bilateral ties as "a nations." the emplacement of the plunged for months. q

New construction seen at missile-related site in North Korea

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — takes. North Korea used what
A new satellite image of a One of the satellite images appeared to be vehicles
factory where North Korea taken on Dec. 19 shows the imported from China dur-
makes military equipment completion of a new struc- ing its three flight tests of
used to launch long-range ture at the March 16 Facto- the Hwasong-14 and -15
missiles shows the construc- ry near Pyongyang, where intercontinental ballistic
tion of a new structure. North Korea is believed to missiles in 2017, Lewis said.
The release of several im- be developing and manu- An increased capacity to
ages from Planet Labs facturing vehicles used as produce mobile launchers
comes amid concern that mobile launchers for long- would potentially help ex-
North Korea could launch range ballistic missiles. pand North Korea's ICBM
a rocket or missile as it Jeffrey Lewis, director of force and improve its sur-
seeks concessions in stalled the East Asia nonprolifera- vivability during nuclear
nuclear negotiations with tion program at the Mid- conflict. "As far as I know, This Dec. 19, 2019, satellite image from Planet Lab Inc., that
the United States. dlebury Institute, said in an North Korea only imported has been analyzed by experts at the Middlebury Institute of
North Korea has warned email that the construction eight of those vehicles," International Studies, shows the March 16 Factory in Pyongsong,
that what "Christmas gift" it seemed to be an expan- Lewis said about the vehi- near Pyongyang, where North Korea manufactures military
trucks used as mobile launchers for long-range missiles.
gives the U.S. depends on sion of the factory, which cles the North used during Associated Press
what action Washington would be "big news." the 2017 tests.q