NAPSNet Daily Report 13 March, 2002

Recommended Citation

"NAPSNet Daily Report 13 March, 2002", NAPSNet Daily Report, March 13, 2002, https://nautilus.org/napsnet/napsnet-daily-report/napsnet-daily-report-13-march-2002/

 
CONTENTS

I. United States

1. DPRK Nuclear Program
2. PRC View of Nuclear Posture Review
3. Russia-US Nuclear Pact
4. Taiwan-US Defense Summit
5. ROK Air Force Project
6. DPRK-PRC Relations
7. ROK-Japan Relations
8. PRC Military Politics
9. ROK Navy Exercises
II. Japan 1. Anti-terrorism Measure
2. Japanese Logistical Support for US
3. US Bases in Okinawa

I. United States

1. DPRK Nuclear Program

The Associated Press (“N. KOREA MAY RESCIND NUCLEAR PROMISE,” Seoul, 03/13/02), The Associated Press (Sang-Hun Choe, “N.KOREA: WE’RE READY FOR US STRIKES,” Seoul, 03/13/02), and Reuters (Martin Nesirky, “NORTH KOREA HITS OUT AT US NUCLEAR ARMS REVIEW,” Seoul, 03/13/02) reported that the DPRK threatened Wednesday to abandon a 1994 promise to freeze its nuclear laboratories. The DPRK’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement reading, “under the present situation where nuclear lunatics have taken office in the White House, we are compelled to examine all the agreements with the US. The DPRK will not remain a passive onlooker to the Bush administration’s inclusion of the DPRK in the seven countries, targets of US nuclear attack, but take a strong countermeasure against it.” The remarks were the DPRK’s first reaction to reports last week that the Pentagon was studying the possible use of nuclear weapons against seven countries that could threaten the US which included the DPRK. “In case the US plan … turns out to be true, the DPRK will have no option but to take a substantial countermeasure against it, not bound to any DPRK-US agreement,” the Foreign Ministry said.

2. PRC View of Nuclear Posture Review

Reuters (Jeremy Page, “US NUKE PLANS AN EXCUSE FOR ARMS BUILD-UP,” Beijing, 03/13/02) reported that PRC newspaper the China Daily carried an editorial that stated that the US nuclear policy review is a pretext for the US to resume nuclear tests and develop new nuclear arms to extend its military dominance in the world. Zhu Qiangguo, a top PRC defense analyst, also expressed that the US would be more likely to use nuclear weapons in combat after it deploys a missile defense system. Zhu went on to say, “The proclaimed transition from a threats-based to a capabilities-based strategy is nothing more than a pretext for further arms build-up. In addition to maintaining a large number of nuclear warheads in active-service stockpiles, the US military is getting ready for the restoration of nuclear tests as well as the development of new weapons for nuclear deterrence.”

3. Russia-US Nuclear Pact

The Associated Press (Barry Schweid, “RUSSIAN, US OFFICIALS TO CUT NUKES,” Washington, 03/13/02), the Associated Press (Robert Burns, “BUSH TO FOCUS ON NUCLEAR CUTS,” Washington, 03/13/02) and Reuters (Charles Aldinger, “W. HOUSE ‘OPTIMISTIC’ ON US-RUSSIA NUCLEAR PACT,” Washington, 03/13/02) reported that US Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Wednesday the US and Russia are likely to come up with a legally binding document outlining their mutual pledge to cut long-range nuclear weapons by two-thirds. US President George W. Bush expressed optimism on Wednesday that the US and Russia would reach formal agreement on joint nuclear arms cuts in time for a May summit meeting. Bush expressed, “I share the minister’s optimism that we can get something done by May. I would like to sign a document in Russia when I’m there. I think it would be a good thing.” Bush also said, “I also agree with President Putin that there needs to be a document that outlives both of us. What form that comes in we will discuss.”

4. Taiwan-US Defense Summit

Agence France Presse (“TAIPEI WILL NOT PROVOKE CHINA, TAIWAN DEFENCE MINISTER TELLS WOLFOWITZ,” 03/13/02) reported that Taiwan Defense Minister Tang Yao-ming has assured US Deputy Secretary of Defence Paul Wolfowitz that Taiwan will not make any provocative moves in dealing with the PRC. In his 100-minute closed-door meeting with Wolfowitz in Florida, Tang said that Taiwan will do its utmost to stabilize ties with the PRC. Tang also stated that he had guaranteed to Wolfowitz “our troops will by no means take any provocative step, nor will we trigger the first strike.” “This is the (Taipei) government’s consistent policy,” Tang told Taiwanese reporters covering the meeting.

5. ROK Air Force Project

Agence France-Presse (“SOUTH KOREAN MINISTRY ACCUSED OVER SUSPECT FIGHTER DEAL,” 03/13/02) reported that Colonel Cho has been detained on charges of accepting bribes from an ROK agent of Dassault. He was arrested just days after alleging in a television interview that the ROK defense ministry had lobbied for the older F-15K to be chosen even though the Rafale was given top marks by evaluators. Cho gave more details of his accusations in a tape recording released by ROK media. He said that in January last year the head of the ministry procurement department, Choi Dong-Jin, had told him that if the F-15K was not chosen the US would threaten to withdraw its 37,000 troops based in the ROK. “When I was preparing a draft report comparing the viability of the four contenders for a National Assembly briefing, Choi told me to delete many parts in the report that pointed out the shortcomings of F-15s,” Cho was quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying in a tape recording. Choi subsequently released a statement denying having applied pressure.

6. DPRK-PRC Relations

Agence France-Presse (“NORTH KOREAN FOREIGN MINISTER IN BEIJING FOR TALKS,” 03/13/02) reported that the PRC indicated that it would urge the DPRK to resume dialogue with the ROK and the US during an ongoing visit by DPRK Foreign Minister Kim Yong Il. “I can confirm that Kim Yong Il is now making a visit to China,” foreign ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi told journalists Tuesday, without giving further details. “We always positively support the resumption of dialogue between the DPRK and the US,” he said.

7. ROK-Japan Relations

Agence France-Presse (“JAPAN’S KOIZUMI TO VISIT SKOREA TO DISCUSS NKOREAN ISSUE,” 03/13/02) reported that Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will make a three-day visit to the ROK next week to hold talks with President Kim Dae-Jung about the DPRK and other issues. The Japanese premier is due to leave for Seoul on March 21 and will hold a summit meeting with Kim on March 22, foreign ministry officials said. Koizumi and Kim “will exchange views over cooperation for development of our bilateral relations as well as North Korean policies,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda told a news conference. It will be the prime minister’s second official visit to the ROK. Koizumi visited Seoul in October last year and apologized for Tokyo’s wartime aggression on the Korean peninsula.

8. PRC Military Politics

Agence France-Presse (“JIANG URGES MILITARY TO REMAIN LOYAL THROUGH LEADERSHIP CHANGE,” 03/13/02) reported that PRC President Jiang Zemin in meetings with military delegates at the National People’s Congress has called for the PRC’s military to remain loyal during upcoming leadership changes and to use the country’s entry to the WTO to help modernize the armed forces. Jiang stated, “On matters of politics and ideology (the army) must maintain complete consensus with the party’s central committee.” Jiang also stressed the need for an upgraded military to safeguard the country’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

9. ROK Navy Exercises

Agence France-Presse (“SOUTH KOREAN NAVY STAGES MASSIVE SEA EXERCISE,” 03/13/02) reported that the ROK launched a massive three-day navy drill against possible DPRK intrusions, mobilizing destroyers, surveillance aircraft and submarines. The operation, off the east coast, involved 20 navy ships led by a 3,800-tonne destroyer, surveillance planes and submarines, the ROK defense ministry said on Wednesday. “This is the first of our regular navy drills this year,” a ministry official stated. The drill was aimed at testing the navy’s capability against enemy attacks ahead of this year’s World Cup finals to be staged in the ROK and Japan from May 31 to June 30.

II. Japan

1. Anti-terrorism Measure

The Japan Times (“CABINET OKS BILLS TO BAR FINANCING OF TERRORISM,” Tokyo, 03/13/02) reported that the Japanese Cabinet approved a set of bills Tuesday to bar the financing of terrorists, government officials said. The bills include one drafted by the Financial Services Agency that would require identity confirmation of people making large-lot financial transactions. The FSA is trying to make it compulsory for financial institutions to confirm the identities of people making transactions of more than 2 million yen. However, some lawmakers oppose the plan, saying it would complicate operations at financial institutions. Another bill calls for a maximum prison term of 10 years or a fine of 10 million yen for anyone found guilty of financing terrorists — regardless of whether the money is used in terrorist acts or not. The bill is in line with the UN Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, which the government is preparing to ratify.

2. Japanese Logistical Support for US

Kyodo (“MORE HELP PLEASE: U.S.,” Washington, 03/13/02) reported that the US hopes Japan will extend the six-month time limit it set on Self- Defense Forces’ (SDF) support of US warships in in Afghanistan, an SDF officer said Monday. “The Japanese government should decide whether to extend the period of support. I strongly expect that Japan will continue its participation,” Colonel Hiroyoshi Asano, a liaison officer at the US Pacific Command in Hawaii, told reporters at the Pentagon.

3. US Bases in Okinawa

The Japan Times (“KAWAGUCHI PLANS VISIT TO OKINAWA,” Tokyo, 03/13/02) reported that Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said Tuesday that she will undertake a one-day trip to Okinawa Prefecture. Kawaguchi told a regular news conference that she plans to visit Okinawa on Saturday to meet separately with Okinawa Governor Keiichi Inamine and Lieutenant General Wallace Gregson, the US military commander in Okinawa. It will be her first visit to the prefecture as foreign minister. She also said she intends to visit an area in Nago, in the northern part of Okinawa Island, where an offshore military-civilian airport is scheduled to be built.

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.
We invite you to reply to today’s report, and we welcome commentary or papers for distribution to the network.

Produced by the Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainable Development in partnership with:

BK21 The Education and Research Corps for East Asian Studies
Department of Political Science, Korea University, 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

Brandon Yu: napsnet@nautilus.org
Berkeley, California, United States

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

Kim Young-soo: yskim328@hotmail.com
Seoul, Republic of Korea

Hibiki Yamaguchi: hibikiy84@hotmail.com
Tokyo, Japan

Saiko Iwata: saiko@akira.ne.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
Clayton, Australia

 


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *