China stops major Lotte construction project amid Thaad tension

Seoul

SOUTH Korea's Lotte Group said Chinese authorities have halted construction at a multi-billion dollar real estate project after a fire inspection, amid worries in Seoul that Beijing is retaliating against the country's plans to host a US missile defense system.

Separately on Wednesday, Hyundai Motor said it may procure electric vehicle batteries from Chinese companies for a planned China model after South Korean batterymakers failed to make a list of approved vendors last year.

Beijing is widely believed in South Korea to be discriminating against some of its companies and cancelling performances by Korean artists withou…