#taiwan-security

#taiwan-security

South Korea is expected to become the most popular overseas destination for Chinese travellers during the 40-day travel frenzy, with an estimated 250,000 expected to visit, up 1.5 times from the previous year. Japan will welcome fewer people from China than other countries in the region, including Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and Russia, according to media reports. Instead, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan during the lunar new year holidays is expected to fall by up to 60% from the previous year.

South Korea hosts about 28,500 US troops in combined defence against North Korea's military threat and Seoul has raised its defence budget by 7.5% for this year. South Korea is capable of taking primary responsibility for deterring North Korea with critical but more limited US support, said the National Defense Strategy, a document that guides the Pentagon's policies. This shift in the balance of responsibility is consistent with America's interest in updating US force posture on the Korean Peninsula, the document added.