CHINA

FM spokesman to take up new post

Former Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin has become China's ambassador-designate to Cambodia. Wang's new post was confirmed by the China International Development Cooperation Agency in a meeting with the agency's head Luo Zhaohui on Tuesday. Wang, 53, served as the 32nd spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry from July 2020 to May 2024. He has served in diplomatic missions for more than 30 years, mainly engaging in the area of policy planning and affairs of African countries. He had previously been China's ambassador to Tunisia.

REPUBLIC OF KOREA

Yoon ends military pact with DPRK

The Republic of Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol fully suspended on Tuesday the Sept 19 military agreement with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, his office said. The agreement, signed in 2018 to stop all hostile acts across the border, was already largely void as Seoul had partially suspended it last year. Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the suspension "restores all military activities" in areas near the inter-Korean border.

JAPAN

Toyota HQ inspected over testing scandal

Japanese transport officials inspected Toyota's headquarters on Tuesday after the top-selling automaker and four others, including Honda and Mazda, admitted failure to fully comply with national vehicle inspection standards. Five representatives visited the offices in central Aichi region to probe breaches declared by the company related to domestic shipment certifications. The sprawling scandal has sparked soul searching within the country's huge auto industry, following safety test irregularities at Toyota's subsidiary Daihatsu.