Briefly

CHINA

CPPCC willing to step up links with Japan

Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, met with Mizuho Fukushima, head of the Social Democratic Party of Japan in Beijing on Friday. Wang said the top political advisory body is willing to strengthen connection with the Japanese side to build a Sino-Japanese relationship fit for the new era as reiterated by the two countries' leaders during their meeting in November. Fukushima said the purpose of the visit was to reconfirm the peace and friendship between the two countries. She expressed apologies for the huge harm caused to China by Japan's aggressive war, saying that her party is willing to promote the healthy development of bilateral ties based on the four political documents between the two countries.

DPRK

Underwater nuclear weapon system tested

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea conducted a test of its underwater nuclear weapon system in the eastern waters, the official Korean Central News Agency reported on Friday. The military tested the "Haeil-5-23", an underwater nuclear weapon system under development, in response to the joint maritime exercises by the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea earlier this past week, the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement. It accused the three-day trilateral naval drill as an act of destabilizing the regional situation and seriously threatening the security of the DPRK.

UNITED STATES

Congress votes to avert govt shutdown

Congress sent President Joe Biden a short-term spending bill on Thursday that would avert a looming partial government shutdown and fund federal agencies into March. The House of Representatives approved the measure by a vote of 314-108, with opposition coming mostly from the more conservative members of the Republican conference. Shortly before the vote, the House Freedom Caucus announced it "strongly opposes" the measure because it would facilitate more spending than they support. The temporary measure will run to March 1 for some federal agencies. Their funds were set to run out on Friday.

China Daily - Xinhua - Agencies