Page 11 - ARUBA TODAY

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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 1 november 2017

South Korea, China move to resolve disputes, hold summit talks

By HYUNG-JIN KIM system. ers at a daily news briefing.
Associated Press Seoul’s presidential office Tuesday’s South Korean
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) announced separately statement didn’t mention
— South Korea and China that President Moon Jae- whether it has agreed not
announced Tuesday that in and Chinese President to deploy more THAAD
they will work to improve Xi Jinping will hold summit batteries, but the coun-
their relationship, which talks next week on the side- try’s foreign minister, Kang
has been badly strained lines of an annual regional Kyung-wha, told lawmak-
by the deployment of an forum in Vietnam. It would ers in Seoul on Monday
American missile defense be their second one-on- that South Korea wasn’t
system, with Seoul saying one meeting since Moon’s considering an additional
their leaders are set to hold inauguration in May. deployment.A protracted
talks next week. China’s Foreign Ministry in standoff over the THAAD
The thaw in relations comes its own statement did not issue was not expected to
amid increased regional mention a summit. In that This combination of the file photos show Chinese President Xi benefit either country and
tensions over North Korea’s statement, Beijing repeat- Jinping, left, on Oct 25, 2017 in Beijing and South Korean Presi- restoring ties is seen as in
nuclear ambitions and ed its objection to the anti- dent Moon Jae-in on Sept. 21, 2017 at U.N. headquarters. South both China and South Ko-
ahead of President Donald missile system but it indicat- Korean senior presidential official told a televised briefing Tues- rea’s best interests.Many
Trump’s scheduled visit to ed an interest in improving day, Oct. 31, 2017 that President Moon and Xi will talk on the analysts say China ap-
both countries next week ties. It said both sides at- sidelines of an annual regional forum in Vietnam next week. peared to have used its
(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, Richard Drew)
as part of his first Asian tour. tached great importance THAAD opposition to bol-
Relations between Beijing to their relationship and day that Beijing had noted na’s concerns.“We hope ster its regional clout but
and Seoul have been testy were willing to push for- that South Korea stated it South Korea can honor its that such a stance could
since South Korea allowed ward on developing a co- would not consider deploy- commitments, translate push South Korea closer
the U.S. to deploy a con- operative partnership. ing an additional THAAD its words into actions and to the United States and
tentious missile defense Ministry spokeswoman Hua battery on its soil and made properly deal with the rele- Japan for a potential anti-
system on its soil, triggering Chunying said later Tues- other gestures toward Chi- vant issue,” Hua told report- Beijing trilateral alliance.q
economic retaliation from
China. China views the Ter- Tokyo police find 9 bodies hidden in apartment
minal High-Altitude Area
Defense system’s power- By MARI YAMAGUCHI He did not give his name, in may have been used to was a plastic-sealed “unit
ful radar as a threat to its Associated Press line with police policy. The dismember the bodies, the bath.” He put out some of
own security. South Korea TOKYO (AP) — Japanese woman’s brother reported police official said. the body parts as garbage,
and the U.S. say the system police found nine dismem- her missing last week, he Police were still investigat- Kyodo News agency re-
is purely defensive and bered bodies hidden in said. ing the suspect’s motives, ported.
aimed at countering pos- coolers in an apartment The gruesome case cap- said the spokesman. He re- Reports said the missing
sible North Korean threats. southwest of Tokyo, an ap- tured attention in a coun- fused to give further details. woman got in contact with
China and South Korea parent serial killing case try known for public safety, It was unclear who the oth- Shiraishi via Twitter, seeking
recently agreed that they that is transfixing and hor- topping news with reports er eight victims might be, a partner for a suicide pact
should soon normalize their rifying the nation. that showed the building or why it is that neighbors and saying she was afraid
relations and boost coop- Police were working Tues- where the suspect lived in who said they had noticed to die alone.
eration for a peaceful, dip- day to identify the victims a small studio apartment. foul smells coming from the The two were recorded by
lomatic resolution of the after the man who lived It was cordoned off by yel- apartment had not raised security cameras walking
North Korean nuclear issue, there, 27-year-old Takahiro low police tape, its balcony any alarms.Local media together outside of train
Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Shiraishi, confessed to cut- draped with blue plastic reported that police first stations near her apartment
Tuesday. ting them up and hiding sheets to block the view as found the severed heads and the suspect’s apart-
The ministry statement said them in cold-storage cas- investigators went in and of two victims in coolers ment, the reports said.
Beijing reaffirmed its oppo- es, some covered with cat out. in the apartment’s entry- Local media ran junior
sition to THAAD and asked litter, a police spokesman The missing woman is way, then found the bod- high school photos of the
South Korea to handle “rel- said. thought to be one of the ies of the other seven while suspect, beaming, his hair
evant issues appropriate- The bodies, in varying stag- eight women and one man searching the apartment. fluffy, braces on his teeth
ly,” while South Korea reit- es of decomposition, were who were dismembered Shiraishi told police that suggesting a relatively well-
erated the system doesn’t found Monday while police and hidden in the apart- he dismembered the bod- off family background.
target China. It said military were investigating the dis- ment from late August to ies in his bathroom, which But there was little other
officials of the two coun- appearance of a 23-year- late October. according to online de- information about his edu-
tries will discuss Chinese old woman, the spokes- A toolbox and saw found scriptions of the apartment cation or where he comes
worries about the THAAD man said. in Shiraishi’s apartment building where he lived from. q