Briefly

CHINA

Serbian foreign minister to pay visit

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric will pay a three-day official visit to China starting from Thursday. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian, who announced the news on Monday, said China welcomes Djuric's visit. "Serbia is an ironclad friend of China," Lin said, adding that bilateral cooperation in infrastructure, energy, people-to-people exchanges and education has kept expanding, and bilateral ties have been deepened and elevated.

GERMANY

Parliament asked to clear way for election

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz asked parliament on Monday to declare it has no confidence in him, taking the first formal step toward securing an early national election following his government's collapse. The neoliberal Free Democrats' departure from Scholz's three-way coalition has left Scholz's Social Democrats and the Greens governing without a parliamentary majority. Addressing parliament, Scholz framed the snap election as an opportunity for voters to set a new course for Germany.

JAPAN

Approval rating for PM on decline: poll

The approval rating for Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has been on the decline, the latest poll has shown. The rating dropped 3.5 percentage points from the previous survey in mid-November to 36.5 percent, with disapproval rising to 43.1 percent as Ishiba's government faces skepticism over its ability to pass key legislation and budget. In addition, 66 percent of respondents demanded greater transparency in political fund usage amid ongoing scandals.

Agencies - Xinhua - China Daily