Chinese coastal areas issue red alert for Typhoon Trami

Coastal areas in south China's Hainan Province on Saturday afternoon issued a red alert, the highest alert level, for typhoon Trami.

Trami is expected to circle over the waters from the southern coast of Hainan Island to the Xisha Islands on Sunday night, before moving eastward, gradually losing its intensity, according to the Hainan Meteorological Service.

From Saturday to Tuesday, Trami will bring strong winds and heavy rains to the sea areas near Hainan.

"Based on the current monitoring, Trami is expected to move westward at a speed of 10 to 15 kilometers per hour, gradually increasing intensity. As it approaches Hainan Island and the Xisha Islands, its strongest intensity may reach typhoon level. Starting Sunday, it will circle over the sea areas from the southern coast of Hainan Island to the Xisha Islands, and then its intensity will begin to weaken," said Wu Zhiyan, chief forecaster from the Hainan Meteorological Service.

The service maintained its Level-IV warning for typhoon on Saturday morning. Due to Trami, some sea areas around Hainan are expected to experience strong winds, and the Xisha and Zhongsha Islands will face intense winds and rainfall from Saturday to Tuesday.

On Saturday afternoon, the Sansha Municipal Meteorological Bureau upgraded the alert for the typhoon from orange to red in parts of Xisha Islands. A red warning for heavy rain was issued in the Yongle Islands of Xisha.

The Hainan Meteorological Service forecasts that Typhoon Trami will bring persistent strong winds and heavy rains to the Xisha and Zhongsha Islands, as well as sustained strong winds in the central South China Sea.

Trami also caused flooding in Yongxing Island on Saturday morning, drenching the streets.

China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

Chinese coastal areas issue red alert for Typhoon Trami

President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Lee Jae Myung has expressed his hope that his upcoming visit to China will help eliminate past misunderstandings and issues, underscoring the importance of ties between the two countries.

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Lee will pay a state visit to China from Jan 4 to 7. It will be Lee's first visit to China since he took office.

In an interview with China Media Group (CMG) in Seoul on Wednesday, Lee acknowledged the existing misunderstandings and issues between the two countries, noting that addressing these issues is a key goal of his visit.

"The current international landscape is turbulent, with escalating issues among various countries. In this context, the relationship between the Republic of Korea and China holds significant importance for us. the ROK and China are deeply interconnected in many areas, including history, economy, geopolitics, politics and security. Northeast Asia's peace, stability, mutual respect, and common prosperity are crucial for both countries," said Lee.

"Admittedly, there have been some misunderstandings and issues between the ROK and China, which have hindered the development of bilateral relations to some extent. Therefore, the purpose of my upcoming visit to China is to minimize or eliminate these past issues, foster a leap in our bilateral relations to a new level, and solidify the ROK and China as partners that mutually support each other's development," he said.

ROK President hopes to reduce misunderstandings with China during upcoming visit