CONTENTS
1. DPRK’s Role in Anti-Terrorism
2. PRC Formal WTO Entrance
3. PRC’s Role in Afghanistan Reconstruction
4. PRC-Philippines Relations
5. Japan-India Relations
II. Republic of Korea 1. DPRK on Anti-terror Pacts
2. DPRK-Russia Military Talks
3. ROK Biochemical Defense
4. ROK Envoy on Terrorism
5. DPRK-US Relations
III. Japan 1. Japan-EU Relations
2. Japan-PRC Relations
3. Japan-India Relations
IV. Russian Federation 1. RF-DPRK Contacts
2. DPRK-US Relations
I. United States
1. DPRK’s Role in Anti-Terrorism
The New York Times (Howard W. French, “NORTH KOREA: JOINING ANTITERROR PACTS,” 12/12/01) reported that the DPRK indicated that it will sign five international antiterrorism conventions. The initiative was reported in the ROK newspaper The Korean Herald, which said that the DPRK had informed visiting European Union officials of its intentions to sign the United Nations conventions in addition to the two antiterrorism pacts it signed last month.
2. PRC Formal WTO Entrance
The Wall Street Journal (Peter Wonacott, “CHINA FORMALLY ENTERS THE WTO ON TUESDAY,” Beijing, 12/11/01) and Reuters (Bill Savadove, “CHINA ENTERS WTO WITH REFORM HOPES AND FEARS,” Beijing, 12/11/01) reported that after 15 years of negotiations, the PRC gained formal membership into the World Trade Organization on Tuesday. The PRC Foreign Trade Ministry said that no special ceremonies were planned and state media stressed how much hard work lay ahead.
3. PRC’s Role in Afghanistan Reconstruction
Reuters (“CHINA PONDERS REOPENING EMBASSY IN KABUL,” Beijing, 12/11/01) and Deutsche Presse-Agentur (“CHINESE ENVOYS TO RESUME CONTACTS IN KABUL,” Beijing, 12/11/01) reported that the PRC is planning to send a team to Afghanistan’s capital city Kabul this week to prepare for the possible reopening of its embassy there for the first time since 1993. PRC Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue announced, “The Chinese Foreign Ministry is actively considering resuming work at the Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan at the appropriate time. The Ministry will dispatch a working team within this week to Kabul to inspect the conditions of the embassy building there and contact relevant sides.” Zhang also stated that the PRC had no plans to offer troops for United Nations peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan. She stated, “China will make its contribution to Afghan peace through its own way.”
BBC Monitoring (“IRANIAN, CHINESE OFFICIALS DISCUSS AFGHAN ISSUE, TIES,” Tehran, 12/11/01) translated an article from the Iranian news agency IRNA that reported that the PRC foreign minister’s special envoy for Afghan affairs, Wang Shijie, and Iranian deputy foreign minister for Asia-Pacific affairs Mohsen Aminzadeh discussed the recent events in Afghanistan and the process of mutual PRC-Iran cooperation. Wang highlighted the role Iran must play in establishing peace and stability in the region. Aminzadeh stated, “Iran supports the agreements reached at the Bonn conference and considers it a positive step towards formation of a broad-based government involving all ethnic groups and the means of establishing peace in Afghanistan and the region.”
4. PRC-Philippines Relations
Deutsche Presse-Agentur (“CHINA OBJECTS TO PHILIPPINE MILITARY ATTACHES IN TAIWAN,” Manila, 12/11/01) reported that on Monday the PRC objected to the Philippine government’s appointment of military attaches to the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan. Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Lauro Baja stated, “It’s short of a diplomatic protest. China called our attention because that might be a violation of the One China policy.” The Philippines has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan and recognizes the PRC as the sole legitimate Chinese government. The MECO is considered the Philippines’ de facto embassy in Taiwan, but it primarily handles trade, business and cultural ties between the two countries. Baja said that the Department of Foreign Affairs has already informed the Department of Defense about the PRC’s concern to make the necessary adjustments to the appointments.
5. Japan-India Relations
Reuters (Elaine Lies, “JAPAN AND INDIA TO WORK TOWARDS TIGHTER ECONOMIC TIES,” Tokyo, 10/10/01) reported that in a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, who is on a five-day visit to Japan, and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, India and Japan agreed to boost bilateral ties through cooperation in a wide range of fields. Vajpayee stated, “I am grateful that Japan decided to lift the economic sanctions.” According to Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa, Koizumi recently recognized the need to put more emphasis on Japan’s relations with the rest of Asia, not just with nations in Southeast Asia. In a joint statement issued after their meeting, the two leaders announced, “We affirmed that broadening and deepening our economic connection is an essential foundation for strengthening the relationship between our two nations. We realized our opinions are identical on the need to promote economic growth through bilateral trade and investment while also paying attention to environmental preservation.” The statement also highlighted the two leaders joint recognition of the need to hold regular talks at senior governmental levels and to continue dialogue in the security and military fields, including on disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation. Koizumi urged India to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
II. Republic of Korea
1. DPRK on Anti-terror Pacts
The Korea Herald (Hwang Jang-jin, “NORTH WILLING TO SIGN 5 MORE ANTI- TERROR PACTS,” Seoul, 12/11/01) reported that Borje Ljunggren, Swedish ambassador in charge of Asian affairs, recently told ROK officials that the DPRK expressed its willingness to join five UN treaties that deal with terrorist bombing, nuclear material and maritime security. DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun and Vice Foreign Minister Choe Su-hon said that there is no reason why the DPRK would not join the five treaties since the DPRK is not a state that sponsors terrorism, Ljunggren was quoted as reporting.
2. DPRK-Russia Military Talks
Joongang Ilbo (Choi Won-ki, “NORTH KOREA AND RUSSIA MAY BE LAYING GROUNDS FOR MIG-29 PRODUCTION,” Seoul, 12/11/01) reported that the DPRK and Russia had another round of joint military committee talks from December 1-8 in Pyongyang. Choi Young-ha, a former military officer at the ROK defense ministry, stated, “The two sides may have discussed the details of North Korea’s production of MIG-29 fighter jets along with other weaponry purchase.” Russia notified the ROK before its series of military talks with the DPRK, pledging that it would not sell any state- of-the-art weaponry that might disrupt the military balance of the region.
3. ROK Biochemical Defense
The Korea Herald (Hwang Jang-jin, “NEW BIOCHEMICAL WARFARE UNIT TO BE CREATED NEXT YEAR,” Seoul, 12/11/01) reported that ROK officials said Monday that the ROK will create a new military command center early next year to protect itself in the event of biological or chemical warfare or terrorist attacks. The Defense Ministry will reorganize and reinforce the existing Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological Defense Command and place it under the direct control of the ministry. The command will be reinforced with an additional 200 personnel and a new special force trained to counter biological and chemical terrorist attacks, said Colonel Chang Sang-geun, chief of the ministry’s division for biological, chemical, and radiological warfare. It will incorporate germ and chemical warfare forces in the Air Force and the Navy as well.
4. ROK Envoy on Terrorism
The Korea Herald (“YU NAMED ENVOY ON TERRORISM,” Seoul, 12/11/01) reported that ROK officials said Monday that its government has named Yu Myung-hwan, special aide to the foreign affairs and trade minister, to serve concurrently as ambassador dealing with terrorism-related affairs. Yu will lead a Foreign Ministry task force on terrorism and will also represent the ROK in international terrorism conferences and coordinate with foreign governments on the US-led attack on Afghanistan and other anti-terrorism measures.
5. DPRK-US Relations
Joongang Ilbo (“NORTH KOREA PREPARED TO RETALIATE IN CASE OF U.S. ATTACK,” Seoul, 12/11/01) reported that the DPRK state-run Korea Central Broadcast (KCB) reported Monday that it would take retaliatory action against any US anti-terror attack against the DPRK. The KCB criticized the US for framing the DPRK as a terror-sponsoring nation without any direct evidence and said that it is scheming to turn the Korean Peninsula into a “second Afghanistan.” The state-run agency added that despite the US victory in its war in the Balkans, Afghanistan and the Gulf region, it would be a far different matter in the DPRK.
III. Japan
1. Japan-EU Relations
The Yomiuri Shinbun (Kouhei Kobayashi, “COOPERATION IN AFGHAN REHABILITATION CONFERENCE,” Brussels, 12/09/01, 01) and the Asahi Shinbun (“JAPAN, EU AGREE ON PLAN OF ACTION,” 12/11/01) reported that Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, in a meeting with European Commission President Romano Prodi, EU foreign policy head Javier Solana, and Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, agreed on an action plan to strengthen their cooperation in international diplomacy and security, and to match their existing economic ties. They agreed to urge the US to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban, to take action against the proliferation of nuclear arms, and to ask the DPRK to halt its missile development program.
2. Japan-PRC Relations
The Yomiuri Shinbun (Ryouichi Hamamoto, “MINISTERIAL LEVEL CONFERENCE,” 12/09/01) reported that Japan and the PRC agreed to have a minister- level talk on December 11 in Beijing to discuss the issue of the Japanese imposed ban on agricultural products from the PRC.
3. Japan-India Relations
Japanese Roles in South-West Asia The Yomiuri Shinbun (“AIM TO STABILIZE SOUTH-WEST ASIA,” 12/11/01, 02) and the Asahi Shinbun (“JAPAN, INDIA OK SECURITY TALKS,” 12/11/09) reported that Japanese prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi in a meeting with his Indian counterpart Atal Behari Vajpayee on Monday agreed to strengthen dialogue on security issues such as disarmament, nuclear nonproliferation and anti-terrorism measures. They also agreed to create a new framework to discuss security issues, and to hold annual exchanges between their defense officials.
IV. Russian Federation
1. RF-DPRK Contacts
Gennadiy Charodeyev of Izvestia (“A MYSTERIOUS DINNER,” Moscow, 12/08/01) reported that DPRK leader Kim Jong-il held a first-time official dinner with RF Ambassador to the DPRK Andrey Karlov and seven or eight other invited RF diplomats. According to “a mutual gentlemanly agreement,” the details of the several-hours talks and toasts at the dinner are being kept secret. ROK newspapers could only speculate that Karlov was invited to further demonstrate the improvement in DPRK-RF relations since Kim’s visit to the RF last summer. The DPRK party was represented by the Chief of the DPRK General Staff, the First Deputy Foreign Minister, and several generals, party and state officials.
2. DPRK-US Relations
Yelena Shesternina of Izvestia (“A LAST KOREAN WARNING,” Moscow, 12/11/01) reported that the DPRK newspaper Rodong Sinmun argued that one of the US anti-terrorist campaign objectives was “the seizure of the whole Korea peninsula.” The commentary claimed, “the situation forces out country’s leaders to start building up the military might in the nearest future … to oppose the aggressive American policy.”
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Brandon Yu: 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
Wu Chunsi: cswu@fudan.ac.cn
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< /a>
Clayton, Australia