NAPSNet Daily Report 06 November, 2001

Recommended Citation

"NAPSNet Daily Report 06 November, 2001", NAPSNet Daily Report, November 06, 2001, https://nautilus.org/napsnet/napsnet-daily-report/napsnet-daily-report-06-november-2001/

 
CONTENTS

I. United States

1. ROK-US Military Excercises
2. DPRK Leader Cancellation of Trip to Middle East
3. PRC Missile Test
4. German Arms Sales to Taiwan Denial
5. US on Cross-Strait Relations
II. Japan 1. Free Trade Area in Asia
III. Russian Federation 1. PRC-Ukraine Defense Industrial Cooperation
2. RF Media on PRC Everyday Life
3. Japan’s participation in the Anti-Terrorist Campaign
4. DPRK and Anti-Terrorist Campaign
5. RF Fighter in ROK Air Force Tender

I. United States

1. ROK-US Military Exercises

Kyodo News (“S. KOREA, U.S. TO LINK 2 MILITARY EXERCISES NEXT SPRING,” Seoul, 11/6/01) reported that the ROK-US Combined Forces Command (CFC) said in a statement Tuesday that it has decided to link two military exercises and hold them next spring. The statement said Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration (RSOI) and Foal Eagle will be linked ”to enhance ROK – US readiness and ensure all combined CFC objectives are met.”

2. DPRK Leader Cancellation of Trip to Middle East

Kyodo News (“N. KOREA’S KIM YONG NAM CANCELS VISIT TO MIDDLE EAST,” Seoul, 11/6/01) reported that the Yonhap News Agency reported Tuesday that DPRK’s number two leader, Kim Yong Nam, canceled a planned visit to countries in the Middle East in October, apparently due to the uncertain situation after the US-led military retaliation against Afghanistan.

3. PRC Missile Test

Kyodo News (“CHINA NOTIFIES RUSSIA ON MISSILE TESTS THIS MONTH,” Moscow, 11/5/01) reported that the Russian news agency Itar-Tass said on November 5 that the PRC has notified Russia that it will test-launch a new intercontinental ballistic missile in the first half of this month.

4. German Arms Sales to Taiwan Denial

The Associated Press (“SCHROEDER VOWS NOT TO SHELL SUBS TO TAIWAN,” 11/3/01) reported that German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, on a trip to boost business ties with the PRC, promised on November 2 not to sell military submarines to Taiwan. Answering questions from students after a speech at Peking University, Schroeder said Germany’s “one-China policy” rules out submarine sales to the island. He said Germany has turned down such requests in the past.

5. US on Cross-Strait Relations

Taipei Times (Charles Snyder, “US SAYS ARMS SALES TO TAIWAN WON’T CHANGE RELATIONS,” 11/3/01) reported that US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs James Kelly, said the announcements by the US Defense Department over the past week of weapons sales to Taiwan totaling nearly US$340 million had no particular political importance to the US position on cross-strait relations. Kelly said, “The sales represent the way the long, convoluted process of US overseas arms sales go through the US bureaucratic process rather than the timing of the latest announcements. Its an indication of how our legal and bureaucratic system enables us to receive maximum attention for minimum activity. The US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged.” Kelly said that no progress was made on cross-strait relations during last month’s meeting between US President George W. Bush and PRC President Jiang Zemin on the fringes of the APEC meeting in Shanghai. He said, “We have strong difference with the PRC over non-proliferation issues, over Taiwan, over human rights and freedom of religion, and I wouldn’t say that progress was made on any of those issues.” Overall, Kelly said, there will likely not be much progress on cross-strait relations “for a very long time.”

II. Japan

1. Free Trade Area in Asia

Asahi Shinbun (Atsushi Yamada, “ASEAN, CHINA BYPASS JAPAN,” Bangkok, 11/03/01) reported that According to Thai government sources, ASEAN is expected to formally agree on a goal to conclude a free trade agreement with the PRC within 10 years. Separately, ASEAN leaders are scheduled to meet with their counterparts from Japan, the PRC and the ROK to discuss the creation of an East Asian economic zone. However, any decision on the economic zone, which would comprise ASEAN members, plus Japan and the ROK, is expected to be postponed until next year. The sluggish pace of creating the economic zone, in comparison with the seemingly smooth dealings with the PRC highlights the lack of vision and strategy of Japanese political leaders. Japan has failed to take any initiative in regional economic integration, such as a free trade agreement with ASEAN, because farmers and the lawmakers they support are vehemently opposed to further liberalization of agricultural markets.

III. Russian Federation

1. PRC-Ukraine Defense Industrial Cooperation

Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye (“KYEV HELPS BEIJING”, Moscow, 6, 26/10-11/01/01, #40(262)) reported that PRC defense industry mastered production of medium-range ship-based anti-aircraft missile complex armed with R-27 modernized air-to-air missile. Ukrainian specialists helped to provide the missile with start accelerator making its vertical launching possible.

2. RF Media on PRC Everyday Life

The Izvestia (Oleg Ovchinnikov and Viktor Akhlomov, “CHINA-RIVER”, Shanghai, Beijing, Moscow, 10, 10/18/01) published a page-long special report on everyday social and cultural life in PRC, attitudes of common PRC people to RF, its culture and literature. The conclusion is that it would be wrong to believe the PRC went down the path of either capitalism or socialism. The PRC path of development is socialism transformed under the influence of modern civilization combined with traditional Oriental world-view. The report said, “We should not even dream of stepping into that river; it’s enough to look at our reflection in it.”

3. Japan’s participation in the Anti-Terrorist Campaign

The Izvestia (“LAST EVENTS”, Moscow, 6, 11/03/01) reported that, according to Asahi newspaper, Japan planned to send over 1000 servicemen to Afghanistan. It was expected that the general plan of Japan’s participation in the struggle against terrorism would be approved by the authorities by November 16.

4. DPRK and Anti-Terrorist Campaign

The Izvestia (Denis Dubrovin, “MILITARY SECRET”, Pyongyang, 6, 11/02/01) reported that DPRK authorities on November 1 officially told EU representative Percy Westerlund that the country was against terrorism and that it is ready to sign the International convention on prevention of financing of international terrorism in New York as early as this November. DPRK Foreign Ministry officials told the EU representative that “United States groundlessly branded us as a country supporting terrorism”. They also expressed “displeasure and concern” with the increased alert state of ROK armed forces and police and the strengthening of US Air Force stationed in ROK. DPRK media criticism of the US has somewhat diminished, but that has been excessively compensated by criticism of the ROK and Japan, which allegedly “is getting ready for another aggression in Asia.” It said that by assisting the US, Japan tries to create a precedent of sending its troops abroad.

5. RF Fighter in ROK Air Force Tender

Nezavisimoye voyennoye obozreniye (Igor Korotchenko, “FIGHTING FOR THE SOUTH KOREAN CONTRACT”, Moscow, 6, 26/10-11/01/01, #40(262)) published an article dedicated to details of competition at the final stage of the tender concerning deliveries of fifth-generation warplanes to the ROK Air Force within the framework of F-X Program worth US$ 3.3 billion. Su-35 of RF, F-15K “Boeing” of the US, Rafalle “Dasso” of France and EF-2000 “Taifoon” of Eurofighter Consortium took part in the tender. Unofficially, the ROK considers the terms of Su-35 the most attractive due to its low price (about US$36-38 million per plane, while F- 15K, being the cheapest among the competitors, is US$50 million per plane as a minimum), outstanding technical characteristics, and efficiency. It also said that all demands of the customer were taken into account by Su-35 producers and the RF is ready to deliver the relevant technologies and software and production of a number of Su-35 parts is possible at ROK enterprises. The article also said some competitors of Su-35 obviously launched rumors in ROK press claiming that the competition was now between F-15K and Rafalle only, with Su-35 being allegedly “overboard”. According to ROK media, the US and France have tried to put pressure on the ROK with US representatives constantly reminding the ROK of the necessity to preserve US-ROK defense alliance.

The NAPSNet Daily Report aims to serve as a forum for dialogue and exchange among peace and security specialists. Conventions for readers and a list of acronyms and abbreviations are available to all recipients. For descriptions of the world wide web sites used to gather information for this report, or for more information on web sites with related information, see the collection of other NAPSNet resources.
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Produced by the Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainable Development in partnership with:
International Policy Studies Institute Seoul, Republic of Korea
Center for American Studies,
Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
International Peace Research Institute (PRIME),
Meiji Gakuin University, Tokyo, Japan
Monash Asia Institute,
Monash University, Clayton, Australia

Gee Gee Wong: napsnet@nautilus.org
Berkeley, California, United States

Timothy L. Savage: napsnet@nautilus.org
Berkeley, California, United States

Kim Hee-sun: khs688@hotmail.com
Seoul, Republic of Korea

Hibiki Yamaguchi: hibikiy@dh.mbn.or.jp
Tokyo, Japan

Rumiko Seya: rumiko-seya@geocities.co.jp
Tokyo, Japan

Hiroya Takagi: hiroya_takagi@hotmail.com
Tokyo, Japan

Peter Razvin: icipu@glas.apc.org
Moscow, Russian Federation

Yunxia Cao: yunxiac@yahoo.com
Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

Dingli Shen: dlshen@fudan.ac.cn
Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

John McKay: John.McKay@adm.monash.edu.au
Clayton, Australia

 


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