Xinhua Asia Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, April 23

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said on Monday that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has become a reality and provided Pakistan with a platform to achieve development, prosperity and poverty alleviation.

Abbasi made the remarks at the opening ceremony of a two-day CPEC Summit & Expo 2018, jointly organized by one of the country's English daily Dawn and the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform in southern port city of Karachi with an aim to promote the objects of CPEC to the public. (Pakistan-China-CPEC)

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SEOUL -- South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) reached an agreement on protocol, security and media coverage for the third inter-Korean summit later this week, the Blue House of South Korea said Monday.

Kwun Hyuk-ki, director of Chunchugwan, the Blue House press center, told a press briefing that the two sides finally agreed the issues after holding three rounds of working-level dialogues. (South Korea-DPRK)

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ISLAMABAD -- Senior Pakistani and U.S. diplomats held talks here on Monday amid tensions over tit-for-tat travel restrictions on each other's diplomats, officials said.

Pakistan confirmed on April 19 that the United States is expected to impose restrictions on the movement of Pakistani diplomats and consular staff in Washington from May 1. (Pakistan-US-Talks)

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TOKYO -- Senior officials have discussed cooperation at the 14th meeting of the China-Japan Intergovernmental Consultation Mechanism on Cultural Exchange here on Monday.

It was the first meeting of the intergovernmental consultation mechanism after a nine-year hiatus. (Japan-China-Cultural exchange) Enditem