Talking points

All eyes turn to North Korea, which celebrates the anniversary of the foundation of its army - and may mark the occasion with a new missile test. It had been expected that Pyongyang would carry out a test on April 15 to coincide with celebrations marking the birth of late leader Kim Il-sung, but this did not materialise. But the hermit state has continued its bellicose warnings of further missile tests and even nuclear war as US and South Korean troops stage joint military exercises.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security in Beijing reveals the mainland's unemployment rate and manpower statistics for the first quarter. Beijing has been trying to keep the mainland's unemployment rate steady, but faces a dilemma in keeping its manufacturing sector supplied with cheap labour. The unemployment rate for the final quarter of last year stood at 4.1 per cent.