Chinese leader Xi Jinping emphasized the continuity of China s assertive foreign policy in a televised speech during the Chinese Communist Party s week-long Congress, which opened on Sunday in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Xi said China has taken a clear-cut stance against a U.S.-led hegemony and power politics and is opposed to unilateralism and bullying. His remarks hint at the lingering confrontation between U.S.-led democracies and autocracies represented by China, Russia and North Korea, which has been evident particularly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in Xi s third term as leader.
The Hoguk defense exercise began its two-week run, Monday, amid growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, sparked by recent North Korean military provocations, according to the South Korean military. “Starting today, we will conduct the Hoguk exercise until Oct. 28. The annual outdoor maneuvers are aimed at enhancing military readiness and boosting joint operations capabilities,” Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) spokesman Col. Kim Jun-rak said during a press briefing at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul.