I. NAPSnet

1. DPRK Nuclear Program

CBC World News (“U.S., CHINA TRY TO COMPROMISE ON NORTH KOREA TEXT AT NUCLEAR AGENCY MEETING”, 2005-09-29) reported that a split between the PRC and the four other countries that negotiated with the DPRK on scrapping its nuclear arms could doom efforts to come up with a resolution welcoming the DPRK’s decision at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency, diplomats said Thursday.

(return to top)

2. US on DPRK Nuclear Program

Xinhua (“US OPPOSES GRACE PERIOD FOR ENDING DPRK NUCLEAR ARMS PROGRAM”, 2005-09-29) reported that according to Christopher Hill, the US objects a demand by Pyongyang for an interim period allowing a freeze of their nuclear operations ahead of the dismantlement. “I have just told the North Koreans … (they) raised the idea (of) what can be done about putting the interim measure, a freeze measure. I told them I am not interested,” Hill said.

(return to top)

3. Pakistan on DPRK Nuclear Program

Voice of America (“PAKISTAN CALLS NORTH KOREA NUCLEAR TIES ‘A CLOSED CHAPTER'”, 2005-09-29) reported that according to Pakistan’s prime minister, his country has shared the limited information it has about DPRK’s nuclear program with the ROK. He added that his government is in favour of a nuclear-free Korean peninsula. He said that all the information Islamabad had about DPRK’s nuclear weapons programs had already been given to officials in Seoul. “As regards any relationship or interaction with DPRK, we have none,” he said. “This is a closed chapter. We have not much knowledge at all about their nuclear program.”

(return to top)

4. US, ROK Korean Peace Talks

The Korea Times (“‘JAPAN COULD JOIN KOREAN PEACE REGIME TALKS’”, 2005-09-29) reported that Christopher Hill, the US assistant secretary of state, hinted on Wednesday that Japan could be involved in discussing a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. However, a high-ranking Seoul official said Thursday that there is “no possibility” of Japan joining the peace talks. The Seoul official downplayed Hill’s remarks, saying that the US envoy might have wanted to underline Washington’s alliance with Tokyo, which is within the boundary of Pyongyang’s possible missile attacks. The six parties said in a joint statement of principles issued in Beijing on Sept. 19 that the “directly related parties’’ will negotiate a permanent peace regime on the Korean Penninsula at an appropriate separate forum.

(return to top)

5. Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation

Reuters (“FIRST INTER-KOREA BUSINESS OFFICE TO OPEN IN NORTH”, 2005-09-29) reported that ROK and DPRK will open their first joint-business office next month in the DPRK to promote fledgling trade across the heavily militarized border, a senior official in Seoul said on Thursday. Vice Unification Minister Rhee Bong-jo also said the DPRK had invited more than 170 RO Koreans for an unprecedented investor relations event in the DPRK in October. The move comes as ties between the DPRK and the ROK have improved in recent months with the two sides reaching numerous agreements on issues such as agricultural cooperation, business development and economic assistance.

(return to top)

6. Inter-Korean Relations

Yonhap News (“PARTIES WORKING TO IMPROVE TIES WITH N. KOREA: OFFICIALS”, 2005-09-29) reported that according to Deputy Deputy Foreign Minister Song Min-soon, the ROK will soon begin implementing measures to help the DPRK secure peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. “We will seek ways to establish a permanent peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, and we plan to soon begin discussions on the issue,” he said.

(return to top)

7. Inter-Korean Relations

Korea Net (“S. KOREA NEEDS TO LAY GROUNDWORK FOR REUNIFICATION: PANEL”, 2005-09-28) reported that in a meeting presided over by President Roh Moo-hyun at Cheong Wa Dae, the Presidential Committee on the Northeast Asian Cooperation Initiative stressed that the six party talks need to be developed into a multinational security-economy forum. The lessons that its neighbours could take from the European experience include integration, a multi-dimensional and neo-functionalistic approach to deepen the level of integration on a gradual basis. Seoul should pursue the inauguration of a joint consultation body of the region first centred on feasible areas, work out cooperation projects that could serve for peace in the region and, thereby, lay the groundwork for the reunification of the two Koreas.

(return to top)

8. Inter-Korean Maritime Cooperation

The Korea Herald (“INTER-KOREAN MARITIME TALKS OPEN TODAY”, 2005-09-29) reported that the ROK and the DPRK will open a two-day maritime cooperation talks today in the DPRK’s border city of Kaesong. Representatives will discuss the telecommunication link that has been set up to help vessels travel safely into each country’s maritime zones. Seoul officials said the two sides will focus their discussion on the need to develop and maintain the wire communication net between both sides’ naval authorities as agreed on the agreement on maritime cooperation in August.

(return to top)

9. DPRK on US Maritime Influence

Yonhap News (“PYONGYANG SAYS WASHINGTON UNDERMINES GLOBAL MARITIME INDUSTRY”, 2005-09-29) reported that the DPRK on Thursday accused the US of trying to militarily control major international sea routes, as the ROK and the DPRK opened a two-day maritime cooperation meeting in the DPRK. The global maritime industry can not prosper unless Washington stops its interference in the maritime sector, the Minju Joson, a newspaper published by the DPRK’s Cabinet, claimed. “The U.S. is stepping up its efforts to control strategically important straits under the deceptive signboard of fighting terrorism,” it said in a commentary to mark World Maritime Day. Pyongyang said it will continue to live up to its commitment as a member of the International Maritime Organization, which it joined in 1986.

(return to top)

10. PRC-DPRK Relations

Reuters (“CHINA TO SEND VICE PREMIER TO NORTH KOREA”, 2005-09-29) reported that PRC said on Thursday that Vice Premier Wu Yi will travel to DPRK in October ahead of a planned fifth round of six party talks. PRC Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Wu would meet “key DPR Korean leaders” during the Oct. 8-11 trip. “PRC and the DPRK will exchange views on bilateral relations and matters of mutual concern,” Qin told a news conference.

(return to top)

11. DPRK Bank Probe

World Peace Herald- United Press International (“MACAU TAKES CHARGE OF NKOREA LINKED BANK”, 2005-09-29) reported that the Macau government has taken over management of the Banco Delta Asia bank following a US report that the bank was helping the DPRK launder money. The action was taken Wednesday night, two weeks after a US Treasury Department report accused the bank of helping front companies for the DPRK government involved in counterfeiting and smuggling, the South China Morning Post reported Thursday.

(return to top)

12. US Navy Command in Japan

The Associated Press (“KELLY COMMANDS U.S. NAVAL FORCES IN JAPAN “, 2005-09-29) reported that with a 17-gun salute, Rear Adm. James D. Kelly assumed command of the US Naval Forces in Japan on Thursday, replacing Rear Adm. Frederic Ruehe. Kelly becomes the second-most senior officer for the U.S. Navy in Japan following the 7th Fleet commander, Vice Adm. Jonathan Greenert.

(return to top)

13. Japan on UNSC Reform

Agence France Presse (“JAPAN FED UP WITH UN COSTS BUT NO SECURITY COUNCIL SEAT: FM”, 2005-09-29) reported that Japan is fed up with making hefty payments to the United Nations but forever failing to gain a permanent seat on its Security Council, the country’s foreign minister told a British newspaper. Tokyo has no concrete plans to reduce its UN contributions, but the Times hinted this may happen unless a deal is struck by the end of next year.

(return to top)

14. Japan Iraq Dispatch

Agence France Presse (“JAPAN MAY PULL TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ IN EARLY 2006 “, 2005-09-29) reported that Japan is currently studying a plan to pull its 600 troops out of southern Iraq in the first half of next year, a newspaper reported. The Yomiuri Shimbun said Japan had begun looking at the withdrawal of the force, which does reconstruction work in the southern city of Samawa, because a new Iraqi government was likely to be formed by the end of the year.

(return to top)

15. US-Japan Development Aid

Agence France Presse (“US, JAPAN SIGN STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE “, 2005-09-29) reported that the US and Japan signed a strategic alliance on development, linking financial aid to poor countries to economic reform and good governance. The US Japan Strategic development alliance agreed “empowerment of individuals and local communities, good governance, strong democratic institutions and political stability are critical foundations for sustainable development and poverty alleviation,” said a US State Department statement.

(return to top)

16. Yasukuni Shrine Issue

The Associated Press (“SUIT OVER JAPAN WAR SHRINE VISITS REJECTED “, 2005-09-29) reported that Tokyo High Court on Thursday rejected a suit against Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s 2001 visit to a war shrine criticized in Asia for glorifying Japan’s past militarism. The decision backed up an earlier ruling by a lower court, which threw out a suit demanding compensation for anguish stemming from the visit by Koizumi to Yasukuni Shrine, lawyers for the plaintiffs said.

(return to top)

17. Japan-India Energy Cooperation

Kyodo (“JAPAN, INDIA SIGN ENERGY COOPERATION PACT”, 2005-09-29) reported that Japan and India signed a joint document in Tokyo to promote comprehensive cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector, Japanese officials said. Under the pact, Japan and India aim to establish cooperative relations in new energies such as hydrogen, in addition to oil and natural gas, the officials said.

(return to top)

18. Japan Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing

Kyodo (“JAPAN TO STICK TO NUCLEAR FUEL RECYCLING POLICY: DRAFT GUIDELINE “, 2005-09-29) reported that a panel of the government’s Atomic Energy Commission on Thursday drafted a guideline for Japan’s nuclear energy policies for the next 10 years which states that Japan will adhere to the policy of reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, commission officials said.

(return to top)

19. Japan on Desertification

The Japan Times (“DESERTIFICATION IN CHINA, MONGOLIA A PROBLEM FOR JAPAN”, 2005-09-29) reported that the spreading desertification in the PRC and Mongolia is no longer just someone else’s concern; it’s posing a health risk in this country and affecting Japanese businesses, a senior UN official in charge of efforts to curb the problem said Wednesday.

(return to top)

20. Sino-Japanese East Sea Gas Dispute

Kyodo (“CHINA SAYS ITS OCEAN GAS PROJECT NOT ISSUE FOR TALKS WITH JAPAN”, 2005-09-29) reported that the PRC intends to tell Japan during bilateral talks from Friday that the PRC side’s controversial Tianwaitian gas project in the East China Sea is not an issue, a Foreign Ministry spokesman Thursday. The Tianwaitian project falls in an ocean area that the two countries do not dispute, ministry spokesman Qin Gang said at a routine press briefing.

(return to top)

21. Cross Strait Relations

The Associated Press (“TAIWAN ALLOWS EXCHANGE OF RIVAL CHINA’S CURRENCY ON SMALL ISLANDS”, 2005-09-29) reported that Taiwan announced on Wednesday it would for the first time allow the exchange of PRC currency on its territory, but only on two small islands close to the mainland’s coast.

(return to top)

22. PRC Unrest

BBC News (“ATTACKS ON CHINESE POLICE RISING”, 2005-09-29) reported that attacks on PRC policemen left 23 dead and 1,800 injured in the first half of this year, a PRC security ministry spokesman has said. The spokesman told the Beijing Youth Daily such attacks were on the rise. He said a rapid growth in people’s awareness of their rights had caused them to resist the authorities.

(return to top) BBC News (“CHINA WARNS OF XINJIANG ‘DANGER'”, 2005-09-29) reported that the PRC’s top security official has warned of a new crackdown on “separatism” in the remote north-western region of Xinjiang. The warning came ahead of ceremonies planned for 1 October to mark half-a-century of PRC control. Luo Gan said officers should remain “prepared for danger”. (return to top)

23. PRC Pandemic Planning

Agence France-Presse (“CHINA SETS UP FLU PANDEMIC PLAN “, 2005-09-29) reported that the PRC has set up an alert system to combat potential flu outbreaks as fears rise that a new strain of virus like bird flu could trigger a global pandemic, the government said. A national anti-flu leading group was established by the health ministry to monitor the coming flu season and ensure the preparation of vaccines and emergency medical response, it said on its website.

(return to top)

24. PRC Internet Censorship

Agence France-Presse (“RIGHTS GROUP CALLS ON CHINA TO STOP CENSORING INTERNET “, 2005-09-29) reported that a New York-based rights group called on the PRC to stop censoring the Internet, and urged foreign governments to pressure Beijing to follow international standards on freedom of expression. “The Chinese government should repeal laws and regulations aimed at complete government control of the Internet,” Human Rights Watch said Thursday.

(return to top)

25. PRC Culture

Washington Post (“ON CHINESE TELEVISION, WHAT’S COOL IS NO LONGER CORRECT”, 2005-09-29) reported that at first glance, the new rules handed down by the PRC’s broadcasting authority seemed natural enough in a country where the Communist Party feels duty-bound to set the tone for everything, even pop music. In the latest set of rules, published Sept. 10 by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, was a less obvious stipulation: Masters of ceremony should always use standard Mandarin Chinese and should stop affecting Hong Kong or Taiwanese slang and accents.

(return to top)