Top Asia Pacific Breaking News: Morning Edition

HONG KONG (AP) - China's trade surplus surged to a record of almost $1.2 trillion in 2025, the government said Wednesday, as exports to other countries made up for slowing shipments to the U.S. under President Donald Trump's onslaught of higher tariffs. China's exports rose 5.5% for the whole of last year to $3.77 trillion, customs data showed, as Chinese automakers and other manufacturers expanded into markets across the globe. Imports flatlined at $2.58 trillion. The 2024 trade surplus was over $992 billion. In December, China's exports climbed 6.6% from the year before in dollar terms, better than economists' estimates and higher than November's 5.9% year-on-year increase.

NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand (AP) - A construction crane crashed onto a moving passenger train in northeastern Thailand on Wednesday, triggering a derailment that killed at least 32 people and injured dozens more. The crash occurred in Nakhon Ratchasima, some 200 kilometers (135 miles) northeast of Bangkok, on a section of a planned high-speed rail project that is intended to eventually connect China with much of Southeast Asia. The province's Public Health Provincial Office said there were 32 fatalities and 64 injured victims, including seven with severe injuries. There were still three passengers missing among the 171 believed to have been on board the train, it said in a statement issued as night fell.

LONDON (AP) - Britain's government is expected to approve a "mega" Chinese Embassy close to London's financial district after years of controversy and political wrangling over the potential security risks it poses to the U.K. Lawmakers from across the spectrum have urged planning officials to reject China's application for the new embassy. Critics fear the proposed new building, on a huge site close to London's financial district and crucial data cables, will be used as a base for espionage. Others say the supersized embassy - set to be the biggest Chinese Embassy in Europe - will pose a heightened threat of surveillance and intimidation to Chinese dissidents in exile.

TOKYO (AP) - Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi plans to dissolve the lower house of Parliament soon to pave the way for a snap election to seek the public's mandate for her policies, a top party official said Wednesday. Takaichi was elected as Japan's first female prime minister in October. A snap election is seen as an attempt to capitalize her still strong approval ratings of around 70% to help her beleaguered governing party gain more seats. Shunichi Suzuki, secretary general of the governing Liberal Democratic Party, told reporters that Takaichi told him and other top officials her plan to dissolve the lower house "soon" after it convenes on Jan.

BEIJING (AP) - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Beijing on Wednesday night, beginning a four-day visit designed to repair foundering relations between the two nations as Canada looks to develop ties with countries other than the United States. It's the first visit of a Canadian leader to China in nearly a decade. Carney will meet with Premier Li Qiang, his counterpart as head of government, and Chinese President Xi Jinping. "We will double non-U.S. trade over the next 10 years. That means we are cognizant of that fact that the global economic environment has fundamentally changed and that Canada must diversify its trading partners," Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said in Beijing after she arrived with Carney for the visit.

BEIJING (AP) - Canada, under Pierre Trudeau in the early 1970s, was among the first Western nations to recognize the communist government in China, nearly a decade ahead of the United States. A half-century later, relations soured under Trudeau's son, Justin. His successor, Prime Minister Mark Carney, is in Beijing this week in an attempt to rebuild relations after several years of frosty ties. Here is a look at the evolution of the relationship: Canada establishes ties with Beijing and ends diplomatic relations with Taiwan. The switch takes place more than a year before U.S. President Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to China, which eventually leads to American recognition of the communist government in 1979, when the two nations established relations.

TOKYO (AP) - The Japanese and South Korean leaders agreed to deepen cooperation between their countries before they let loose with their own surprise cultural exchange in a surprise jam session drumming to K-pop hits. The musical performance between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung followed Tuesday's summit in Japan's ancient capital of Nara, also Takaichi's hometown. Wearing personalized athletic jackets, they sat side by side and drummed to hits such as BTS' "Dynamite" and Kpop Demon Hunters' "Golden" in a short video posted by Takaichi's office Wednesday. The jam session was a surprise by Takaichi, a heavy metal fan and an avid drummer in her college days.

NARA, Japan (AP) - In Japan's ancient capital, Nara, deer moved through grass fields and shaded paths, lowering their heads toward visitors holding special crackers made just for them. Nara this week hosted a Japan-South Korea summit, with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who is from the city, welcoming South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. But despite the high-level diplomacy, the deer were still stars of the show. Tourists around the park stopped to watch or feed the animals with crackers, sold by vendors, that are made from flour and rice husks. When the deer fix their gazes on visitors, many responded by pulling out crackers and stepping closer.

HONG KONG (AP) - Hong Kong officials on Wednesday proposed expanding oversight of building maintenance projects and stronger fire safety steps after a blaze in November killed at least 161 people and displaced thousands. The blaze that spread across seven towers in an apartment complex raised questions about corruption, negligence and government oversight in the city's building maintenance projects, piling pressure on Hong Kong leader John Lee's administration and Beijing's "patriots-only" governance system for the city. In the newly elected legislature's first meeting, Lee said the fire exposed the need for reform and pledged that the investigation by law enforcement agencies and a judge-led independent committee would be thorough.

NEW YORK (AP) - The BTS comeback is upon us. The K-pop septet has announced a 2026 - 2027 world tour, kicking off in South Korea in April and running through March 2027 with over 70 dates across Asia, North America, South America, Australia and Europe. They mark the group's first headline performances since their 2021-22 Permission to Dance on Stage tour. A presale will take place Jan. 22 and Jan. 23 for ARMY Membership holders who register on Weverse, an online fan platform owned by BTS management company HYBE. A general sale for all regions will follow on Jan. 24.