NAPSNet Daily Report 14 December, 2001

Recommended Citation

"NAPSNet Daily Report 14 December, 2001", NAPSNet Daily Report, December 14, 2001, https://nautilus.org/napsnet/napsnet-daily-report/napsnet-daily-report-14-december-2001/

 
CONTENTS

I. United States

1. ROK View of DPRK Weapons Program
2. Korean-American Participation in Family Reunions
3. US Troops in ROK
4. ROK-Japan Talks
5. Japanese Military Purchases
6. US Warships in Japan
7. US Withdrawal from ABM Treaty
8. Russian Reaction to US Withdrawal
9. PRC View of US Withdrawal
10. US-PRC Arms Control Talks
11. Cross-Straits Economic Relations
12. US-Philippine Military Cooperation
II. Republic of Korea 1. US War on Terrorism
2. ROK-DPRK Red Cross Talks
3. US Troops in ROK
III. People’s Republic of China 1. Inter-Korean Relations
2. Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty
3. PRC-US Relations
4. PRC-Russian Relations
5. PRC-Japanese Relations
6. PRC Nuclear Industry
IV. Japan 1. Japanese Logistical Support for US
2. Japanese Military Laws
3. Japanese Military Purchases
4. Japanese Counter-Terrorism
5. Japanese Role in Afghan Rehabilitation
6. Afghan Refugees in Japan
7. Shipment of Nuclear Wastes
8. Atomic Bomb Survivors
9. Chinese Immigrants in Japan

I. United States

1. ROK View of DPRK Weapons Program

The Wall Street Journal (John Larkin, “SEOUL BALKS AT U.S. PUSH TO LINK NORTH TO TERROR,” 12/14/01) reported that an unnamed senior ROK diplomat said that the ROK Foreign Ministry contacted the US State Department to learn whether recent remarks by US Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security John Bolton on the DPRK’s biological weapons program had been prompted by any new intelligence. The official stated, “We were told there was no such evidence.” He added, “We don’t have hard evidence that North Korea has stockpiled chemical and biological weapons.” Suh Jae-jean of the government-funded Korea Research Institute for National Unification argued, “North Korea utilizes its weapons, including missiles and biological agents, for purposes of negotiation rather than real use.” He added that with the PRC and Russia pushing Kim Jong-il to reconcile with the ROK, it is virtually impossible for the DPRK to take hostile actions. Satellite photographs released by the Federation of American Scientists last year showed the DPRK’s main missile launch facility at Musudan as “a facility barely worthy of note, consisting of the most minimal imaginable test infrastructure.” The federation said that the absence of paved roads made the site unsuitable for winter use, and no railway connections, staff housing or propellant storage depots were detected. John Pike, who wrote the federation’s analysis, argued, “My view continues to be that North Korea’s missile program has essentially been a diplomatic negotiating chip. It was basically a way for the North Koreans to engage the U.S. after the collapse of the Soviet Union.” [Ed. Note: This article was included in the US Department of Defense’s Early Bird news service for December 14.]

2. Korean-American Participation in Family Reunions

The US Department of State’s Office of Information Services (“MEASURE URGES REUNION OF KOREAN AMERICANS WITH N. KOREAN KIN,” Washington 12/11/01) carried the text of a resolution submitted by US Senators Dianne Feinstein (Democrat of California), Barbara Boxer (Democrat of California) and Charles Hagel (Republican of Nebraska) calling on the Congress and the President to “support efforts to reunite people of the United States of Korean ancestry with their families in North Korea.” The resolution expresses “the sense of Congress” and thus does not require any legally binding action by the US government.

3. US Troops in ROK

The Washington Times (“SEOUL BACKS U.S. BID FOR NEW BASE HOUSING,” Seoul, 12/14/01) reported that the ROK Defense Ministry on Thursday supported a US military plan to build 1,000 new apartments at Yongsan Military Reservation in downtown Seoul. The plan has drawn protests from activists who want the base moved elsewhere.

4. ROK-Japan Talks

Dow Jones Newswires (“JAPAN, S KOREA AGREE TO HOLD SECURITY TALKS IN FEB -KYODO,” New York, 12/14/01) reported that Japan’s Kyodo news service cited Japanese and ROK officials as saying that during talks on Thursday and Friday in Seoul between Hitoshi Tanaka, head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, and Chu Gyu-ho, head of the ROK Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry’s Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau, the two countries agreed to hold senior-level bilateral security talks in Tokyo around early February next year. The security dialogue was last held in Seoul in December last year. According to Japanese officials, the two sides also agreed to make utmost efforts during bilateral talks to start next Tuesday in Seoul to reach an agreement on the permissible sizes of Japanese and ROK saury catches for 2002 inside each other’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zones. Thy also agreed to make utmost efforts to set up a structure for joint history studies at an early stage, to agree on a bilateral investment accord by the end of this year, and to reach a settlement on easing visa restrictions for ROK citizens to enter Japan, also by the end of this year. ROK officials said that the ROK side again called on Japan to stop enshrining Korean soldiers and military personnel under the Imperial Japanese Army at Yasukuni Shrine.

5. Japanese Military Purchases

Reuters (Teruaki Ueno, “JAPAN TO BUY REFUELING PLANES FROM BOEING,” Tokyo, 12/14/01) reported that Japanese Defense Agency chief Gen Nakatani said on Friday that the National Security Council, Japan’s highest defense body, endorsed a proposal to buy four B767 mid-air refueling tankers from Boeing Corporation over the next five years. Analysts said that the purchase could upset some of Japan’s neighbors since the planes can substantially increase the range of attack aircraft such as F-15 fighters and F-2 support fighters. Nakatani stated, however, “The introduction of the mid-air refueling tankers would not make it possible for Japan to pose any threat to or invade other countries.” He noted that 25 countries including the PRC, Indonesia and Malaysia had airborne refueling tankers.

6. US Warships in Japan

The Associated Press (“U.S. WARSHIP BASED IN JAPAN RETURNS,” Yokosuka, 12/12/01) reported that the frigate USS Vandegrift returned to Japan on Thursday, the first of four Navy vessels to enter homeport in Japan after supporting the war in Afghanistan. US military officials said three other ships–the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk, the guided missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur and the frigate USS Gary–have returned to the western Pacific and are to reach Yokosuka Naval Base before Christmas.

7. US Withdrawal from ABM Treaty

Reuters (Steve Holland, “BUSH: U.S. ABANDONING KEY 1972 MISSILE TREATY,” Washington, 12/13/01) reported that US President George W. Bush gave formal notice on Thursday that the US will withdraw from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty. Bush said that the September 11 attacks proved the need to develop ways “to protect our people from future terrorists or rogue state missile attacks.” He argued, “We know that the terrorists and some of those who support them seek the ability to deliver death and destruction to our doorstep via missile. And we must have the freedom and the flexibility to develop effective defenses against those attacks.” The treaty requires a six- month period of notice for withdrawal. US Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, Democrat-South Dakota, said that he feared the withdrawal “could rupture relations with key countries and governments around the world.” John Rhinelander, who helped negotiate the ABM treaty, predicted that the withdrawal would be a “fatal blow” to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and lead to a “world without effective legal constraints on nuclear proliferation.”

8. Russian Reaction to US Withdrawal

The Los Angeles Times (Robyn Dixon, “U.S. PULLOUT FROM MISSILE PACT A MISTAKE, PUTIN SAYS,” Moscow, 12/14/01) reported that US Russian President Vladimir V. Putin described the US government’s decision to pull out of the Antiballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty as a mistake. Putin said the U.S. and Russia should each reduce their numbers of nuclear warheads to between 1,500 and 2,200, but some Russian politicians predicted Thursday that Russia will begin mounting multiple warheads on existing single-warhead missiles. Putin said that Russia could surmount a missile defense shield, so the US decision would have no impact on his nation’s security. The chief of Russia’s armed forces, Colonel General Anatoly V. Kvashnin, said the US withdrawal would lead to a new arms race.

Reuters (“RUSSIA, CHINA DISCUSS U.S. ABM WITHDRAWAL,” Moscow, 12/13/01) reported that a Kremlin spokeswoman said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and PRC leader Jiang Zemin on Thursday discussed the US decision to withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty. She said that the two men exchanged views that showed the same approach toward “supporting the strategic balance in the world and preserving international stability and security.” Interfax news agency quoted Putin’s press secretary as saying that he had also discussed the US move with Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

9. PRC View of US Withdrawal

Reuters (John Ruwitch, “CHINA SAYS CONCERNED OVER BUSH MISSILE TREATY PLAN,” Beijing, 12/13/01) and the New York Times (Elisabeth Rosenthal, “CHINA VOICES MUTED DISTRESS AT U.S. BLOW TO ABM PACT,” Beijing, 12/14/01) reported that PRC Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said on Thursday that the US intention to withdraw from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty was cause for concern. Zhang stated, “We’ve taken note of the relevant reports and expressed our concern.” She added, “China is not in favor of missile defense systems. China worries about the negative impact.” She argued, “We think the relevant sides should seek through constructive dialogue a solution that safeguards the global strategic balance and doesn’t harm international efforts at arms control and disarmament.” Wu Guoguang, an associate professor of politics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, stated, “China will deeply doubt Washington’s strategic intentions. I think they will be reluctant, more reluctant than before, to cooperate with the United States on issues like anti-terrorism and nuclear nonproliferation.” He added, however, “It may not be such a big deal because China wants to keep good relations with the U.S., particularly in terms of economic connections.” Robert Karniol, Asia-Pacific editor of Jane’s Defense Weekly, said that the US decision would not affect the PRC’s nuclear posture, arguing, “Even without the U.S. going ahead with a missile defense program, China is furiously modernizing its strategic forces.” Yan Xuetong, director of Tsinghua’s Institute of International Affairs in Beijing, argued, “Chinese foreign policy is getting more mature, so that it adopts a policy that can be supported by its power, rather than saying something it cannot back up. China knows it is beyond its capacity to prevent the United States from withdrawing from the treaty because the gap in strength is just so huge.” He added, “China can to nothing except focus on its own business and modernize its military capabilities, that’s all.” He said that the US decision “sends the message that you should expect less from international cooperation and should rely more on your own military capacity.” [Ed. Note: This article was included in the US Department of Defense’s Early Bird news service for December 14.]

Reuters (John Ruwitch, “CHINA SAYS ARMS CONTROL KEY AFTER U.S. DROPS ABM,” Beijing, 12/14/01) reported that PRC President Jiang Zemin on Friday called for multilateral efforts to ensure global stability following a US decision to abandon the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty. Jiang stated, “China is willing to work with other countries to make efforts to safeguard world peace and stability.” He added, “Under the current situation, it is very important to safeguard the international arms control and disarmament system.” Li Bin, an arms control expert at Tsinghua University, said that if the world’s nuclear powers meet on arms control, eventually the DPRK, Iraq and other such states with missiles could be brought to the table. Li stated, “Maybe these countries could negotiate a new treaty, new agreement, or new mutual understanding concerning missile defense.” He added that the PRC would respond to the US withdrawal by making its ballistic missile force more mobile and developing countermeasures to confuse a potential defense system. He stated, “That means more spending, but maybe not that much.”

10. US-PRC Arms Control Talks

The New York Times (David E. Sanger, “BUSH OFFERS CHINA TALKS ON ARMS AS U.S. PULLS OUT OF ABM TREATY,” Washington, 12/14/01, 1) reported that US President George W. Bush on Thursday offered to hold talks with the PRC on the US withdrawal from the Antiballistic Missile (ABM) treaty. Senior administration officials said that Bush called PRC President Jiang Zemin and offered to hold “high-level strategic talks.” The officials said that Jiang agreed to begin the talks soon. They added that the offer of talks was intended to make sure that the PRC did not feel that it was being frozen out as the US builds a “strategic framework” with Russia. US Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said that he believed that in the end, the PRC would “come to the same conclusion that the Russians came to, that this action is not intended against them. It is not a threat against their strategic deterrents. It will be a system that goes after those irresponsible, rogue states that might come up with a couple of missiles and threaten us.” [Ed. Note: This article was included in the US Department of Defense’s Early Bird news service for December 14.]

The Associated Press (“CHINA LEADER WANTS TO KEEP ABM PACT,” Beijing, 12/14/01) reported that PRC President Jiang Zemin in a phone call on Thursday urged US President George W. Bush to preserve the international arms-control system. A report from the PRC’s state-run Xinhua News Agency stated, “Jiang Zemin briefed Putin and Bush on the Chinese standpoint on this issue, and stressed that under current circumstances, preserving the international arms control and disarmament system is extremely important.”

11. Cross-Straits Economic Relations

The Wall Street Journal (Jason Dean, “TAIWAN POSTPONES KEY DECISION ON INVESTING IN CHINESE MARKET,” Taipei, 12/14/01) reported that on Thursday, a Taiwan Ministry of Economic Affairs committee delayed for up to two weeks a decision on whether to allow its semiconductor industry to invest in the PRC. It did decide to lift an investment ban on labor-intensive assembly of liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) used in notebook computers, but to keep a ban on investment in the PRC for more-advanced components of LCDs.

12. US-Philippine Military Cooperation

The Associated Press (“US TROOPS TO TRAIN PHILIPPINE FORCE,” Zamboanga, 12/14/01) reported that a group of nine US soldiers, led by Air Force general Brigadier General Donald Wurster, arrived Friday to train Philippine special forces hunting Muslim Abu Sayyaf rebels. The group are following up on a visit by a 19-soldier team to the southern Philippines last week. Philippine and US officials have said that no US ground troops will be involved in combat operations.

II. Republic of Korea

1. US War on Terrorism

Joongang Ilbo (“BUSH SENDS CLEAR WARNING TO ‘ROGUE’ NATIONS,” Seoul, 12/12/01) reported that US President George W. Bush vowed Tuesday in a speech at The Citadel, a military college in Charleston, South Carolina, to eliminate state sponsorship of terrorism. Arguing out that so-called rogue nations are the main sources of biochemical and nuclear weapons for terrorists, Bush said that the administration would take active measures to uproot these states’ ability to supply terrorists with weapons. He did not specifically mention the DPRK, Iraq, Cuba, Libya or Sudan. Acknowledging the seriousness of the threat to the civilian population posed by the weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles developed by some of the countries he was referring to, Bush emphasized that the US would not be blackmailed by states that sponsor terrorism.

2. ROK-DPRK Red Cross Talks

Chosun Ilbo (“NK CRITICIZES US PRESSURE ON BIO WEAPONS,” Seoul, 12/12/01) reported that the DPRK government publication Minju Chosun (Democratic Korea) on Tuesday criticized US pressure to accede to inspections for biological weapons, the state-run Korean Central TV Station reported Wednesday. The official organ of the Supreme People’s Assembly warned that the DPRK will resist with full military force if the US continues to interfere with its autonomy with no solid evidence. A US State Department official responded that the US refused to engage in a propaganda war with the DPRK, saying that the DPRK’s bellicose rhetoric was routine. He added that the Bush administration was maintaining its position of being open for talks with the DPRK at any place and anytime without preconditions.

3. US Troops in ROK

The Korea Times (Sohn Suk-joo, “ROK, US RESUME TALKS ON RELOCATION OF YONGSAN BASE,” 12/13/01) reported that the ROK and the US on Wednesday resumed bilateral talks on the relocation of the Yongsan base for the first time since June 1993. ROK Major General Cha Young-koo, deputy defense minister for policy, stated, “South Korea and the U.S. agreed to hold talks whenever necessary to discuss the relocation of the U.S. forces Yongsan base as well as its plan to build a large apartment complex to replace the dilapidated officers’ quarters.” He added, “Given the public sentiment, the United States Forces Korea (USFK) agreed to consult closely with the Defense Ministry on the building of 1,066 new apartment units in the South Post.” Cha said that the ROK would ultimately bear 1.1 percent of the USFK construction project under the Military Construction agreement. Cha spoke after meeting with Daniel R. Zanini, Chief of Staff for USFK and United Nations Command (UNC). During the meeting, the US side also agreed to send its initial planning guidance document on the apartment complex project by January 15 in accordance with the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). In its statement, USFK said that it sent a letter about initial plan for the apartment project to the Defense Ministry on May 17, but ministry officials pointed out that the document was not up to the standard of the SOFA. Colonel Robert E. Durbin stated, “(The apartment issue) is not an active part of our negotiations.” USFK said that in addition to the Yongsan apartment project, it would push ahead with the plan to build 1,600 new housing units in Camp Humphreys in Pyongtaek, 300 units at the Osan Air Base, 833 units in Taegu over the next 10 years. [Ed. Note: This article was included in the US Department of Defense’s Early Bird news service for December 13.]

III. People’s Republic of China

1. Inter-Korean Relations

People’s Daily (Wang Linchang, “ROK: REALIZING SEPARATED FAMILIES’ MUTUAL VISIT WITHIN THIS YEAR,” Seoul, 12/12/01, P2) reported that the ROK Red Cross informed its DPRK counterpart by phone on December 11 that it suggests to hold the fourth reunion for Korean separated families with this year. The ROK side said in the notification that the fifth ministerial level talks between the ROK and the DPRK, which was held in Seoul in September, reached an agreement on the fourth mutual visit of the separated families, but the agreement has not been implemented up to now. The ROK suggested that the mutual visit be realized within this year and that the Red Cross organizations of the ROK and the DPRK contact each other on December 14 to discuss the details, the report said.

2. Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty

China Daily (“US TO PULL OUT OF NUCLEAR TREATY,” Washington, 12/13/01, P1) reported that US President George W. Bush told congressional leaders on December 12 that he intends to pull out of the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty, which he has denounced as a relic of the Cold War and a roadblock to mounting a US defense against missile attack. US Senate Majority leader Tom Daschle said the president informed him and three other congressional leaders of his decision during a breakfast meeting at the White House, according to the report. It said that the South Dakota Democrat has urged Bush not to withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. Bush will announce his decision as early as December 13, the report said.

People’s Daily (Huang Huizhu, “RUSSIAN-US DIVERGENCE ON ANTI-MISSILE DEFENSE REMAINS,” Moscow, 12/12/01, P3) reported that after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with US State Secretary Colin Powell on December 10, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov announced that Russia and US’s positions on the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty have not been changed, and Russia cannot exclude the possibility that the US will withdraw from the treaty. During the press conference jointly held by Ivanov and Powell, the report said, the Russian Foreign Minister emphasized that Russia still thinks that the ABM treaty is beneficial and should be maintained.

3. PRC-US Relations

People’s Daily (“CHINA AND US HOLD ANTI-TERRORISM CONSULTATIONS,” Beijing, 12/7/01, P4) reported that on December 4-6 General Francis X. Taylor, coordinator for anti-terrorism for the US State Department, visited Beijing and met with Li Zhaoxing and Wang Yi, both vice ministers of foreign affairs, and Xiong Guangkai, deputy chief of general staff of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Taylor held anti-terrorism consultations with Li Baodong, director of the International Department of the PRC Foreign Ministry. According to the report, the consultation has been a further step in the consensus that PRC President Jiang Zemin and US President George Bush reached in Shanghai in October during anti-terrorism exchanges and cooperation. The two sides exchanged views on the international and regional anti-terrorism situation, the Afghanistan situation, and bilateral anti-terrorism cooperation, and reached a broad-ranging consensus. During the consultations, the report said, both sides reiterated that terrorism severely threatens the peace and development of the world, and that the international community should, with joint efforts, take comprehensive measures to strike against any form of terrorism, with the UN and its Security Council playing an important role in this respect. It said that both sides agreed that the intensified anti-terrorism cooperation between the PRC and the US and the establishment of medium and long-term exchanges and cooperation mechanisms on anti-terrorism between the two countries are in their common interest and conducive to the development of constructive cooperative relations between the two countries, as well as helpful to the advancement of international anti-terrorism cooperation. Both parties expressed satisfaction over the results of the talks and agreed to continue with consultation, coordination and cooperation on anti-terrorism, said the report.

4. PRC-Russian Relations

China Daily (“STRENGTHENING TIES CRUCIAL,” 12/12/01, P1) reported that PRC President Jiang Zemin met with Gennady Seleznev, speaker of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, in Beijing on December 11. During the meeting, President Jiang said that efforts made by the PRC and Russia to strengthen their mutually beneficial relations are conducive to establishing a new international order. Under the current complicated international situation, it is necessary for the two countries to increase cooperation in all fields said Jiang, according to the report.

People’s Daily (Yu Zheng, “LI PENG HOLDS TALKS WITH SPEAKER OF RUSSIAN STATE DUMA,” Beijing, 12/11/01, P1) reported that Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) of China, held talks on December 10 with Gennady Seleznev, speaker of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, at the Great Hall of the People. Li said that with the deepening of the Sino-Russian strategic partnership of cooperation, the two countries have rapidly developed their friendship to a new height. Particularly this year, Li said, the two sides have kept up an active momentum for the development of their relations and found more common ground in bilateral and international issues. Li highly valued the fact that the State Duma led by Seleznev always sticks to the “one China” policy and has made great contributions to bilateral friendship. With joint efforts, the two countries will surely make new achievements in promoting their relations in the new century, Li said. Seleznev said that the friendly relationship between Russia and the PRC has been strengthened, symbolized by the meetings between President Jiang and Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2001 as well as the further cooperation between the two countries within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). He believes that the two countries will continue to boost their friendship in the coming year.

5. PRC-Japanese Relations

China Daily (Fu Jing, “CHEMICAL WEAPONS’ VICTIMS TO BE HEARD,” 12/10/01, P1) reported that a group of Chinese severely injured by chemical weapons left by Japanese troops during World War II have been given a chance to have their statements heard in court. The Tokyo District Court has decided to hear the statements from the 18 victims of Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province suing the Japanese Government, the newspaper said. A hearing of lawyers for the case is to take place from December 17-18, the report said. The victims, involved in seven poisonings and explosions since the 1980s in the province, filed the accusations in 1996 and 1997. They demanded an official apology from the Japanese Government and 300 million yen (US$2.5 million) in compensation, the report said. According to the report, the Japanese lawyer group said that five out of the 18 plaintiffs will be allowed to appear at the hearing in Tokyo in February and March next year. Chinese lawyer Su Xiangxiang, with the Xiangxiang Lawyer Agency in Harbin, the province’s capital, is confident that the Chinese victims are going to win, the report said.

6. PRC Nuclear Industry

People’s Daily (Zhang Qiang, “LING’AO NUKE PLANT BEGINS TRIAL OPERATION,” Shenzhen, 12/9/01, P1) reported that Chinese workers loaded the reactor with fuel on the night of December 8 on the first generating nuclear island of Ling’ao Nuclear Power Plant in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. This is the first generating unit that has started a trial operation, and the nuclear plant operator has taken over the responsibility for nuclear security, the report said. According to the construction plan, four nuclear generators with a combined generating capacity of one gigawatt, will be installed at the plant, it said. For the first phase of construction, two nuclear generations will be installed at the plant at a cost of US$4 billion, according to the newspaper. It said, the first and second nuclear generators will start commercial operation in July 2002 and March 2003. The electricity generated will be brought into the local power grid in Guangdong Province, the report said.

IV. Japan

1. Japanese Logistical Support for US

Kyodo (“MSDF DOCKS IN KARACHI WITH SUPPLIES,” Karachi, 12/13/01) reported that a Maritime Self-Defense Forces (MSDF) ship arrived Wednesday morning in the Pakistani port of Karachi on a mission to deliver relief supplies for Afghan refugees. The 5,650-ton minesweeper tender Uraga is carrying about 200 tons of relief goods, including some 1,000 tents, 20,000 blankets and 20,000 water containers, which will take two or three days to unload. Uraga is scheduled to return to Japan on December 31. The logistical support operation, which is carried out by around 1,000 service members, is to last until March 31.

2. Japanese Military Laws

Kyodo (“NAKATANI HOPES FOR EMERGENCY LEGISLATION,” Washington, 12/11/01) reported that Japanese Defense Agency chief Gen Nakatani expressed hope that emergency contingency legislation that would restrict private citizens’ rights in the event of the foreign attack on Japan will be enacted during the next Diet session convening in January. The intended legislation would include amendments to the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) Law to allow the SDF to pass through private land, destroy buildings and expropriate real estate and other assets, as well as revise laws under the jurisdiction of government departments other than the Defense Agency, including the Road Traffic Law, Nakatani said. There are other measures for which jurisdiction is not clear, such as evacuation of residents, that merit further discussion, he said. The legislation will cover domestic measures against terrorism, including suicide attacks using airplanes as in the attacks on September 11 in the US.

3. Japanese Military Purchases

The Asahi Shimbun (“ASDF REFUELING PLAN BACK ON TRACK,” Tokyo, 12/07/01) reported that the process of choosing an air-to-air refueling plane for the Air Self-Defense Forces (ASDF), postponed over criticism about the increased range that the system would give fighter jets, is back on track. The government’s Security Council will kick off the selection process at a meeting in the middle of this month, following the Cabinet approval late last year of the midterm defense procurement program for fiscal 2001-05. The plan included for the first time the introduction of four tanker aircraft to provide in-flight refueling for the ASDF’s F-15 fighter jets, and an airborne warning and control system (AWACS). Because of hesitation on the part of coalition partner New Komeito, however, no budget had been earmarked this fiscal year for the projects. Some have expressed concern that the extended range the tankers would give ASDF fighters would be seen as a provocation by neighboring Asian nations. Others are questioning the need for such a capability in the post-Cold War era. According to a top Defense Agency official, however, the government has already made up its mind. “A decision on the type of aircraft to adopt virtually means the government will introduce the air-to-air refueling,” he said. The agency plans to allocate 10 million yen from next fiscal year’s budget as a down payment on a single aircraft, for which it will pay up to 27.5 billion yen, sources said. Agency sources said that the aircraft eventually selected will not enter service until about five years after the decision is made, and that one will be formally chosen each year for a four-year period.

4. Japanese Counter-Terrorism

The Japan Times (“MINISTRY OPENS COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICE,” 12/13/01) reported that the Japanese Foreign Ministry said that it set up a new division Wednesday to deal with the aftermath of the September 11 terrorism in the US, centering on cooperating with the international community in the fight against terrorism. The International Counter-terrorism Cooperation Division is aimed at facilitating Japan’s participation in global efforts to prevent and eliminate terrorism and strengthening the ministry’s overseas cooperation toward that end.

5. Japanese Role in Afghan Rehabilitation

The Yomiuri Shinbun (“OPENING NGO TOKYO CONFERENCE,” 12/12/01) and the Asahi Shinbun (Yumiko Baba, “NGOS AGREED ON 7-POINT AFGHAN APPEAL,” 12/14/01) reported that the Tokyo Conference for Afghan Rehabilitation, attended by Afghan, Japanese and European non-government organizations (NGOs), opened on December 11. Apart from NGOs, persons from the Japanese government and international organizations also participated in this conference. Japan Platform, which organized the conference, said that this is the first government- private network in Japan, and that it must make urgent humanitarian aid more efficiently and promptly. As they wrapped a three-day conference Thursday, Afghan and Japanese NGOs appealed for long-term, sustained commitment to rebuild post-Taliban Afghanistan. The Afghan NGO leader also thanked Japanese NGOs, which promised to move quickly to help the people in Afghanistan rebuild the devastated nation.

6. Afghan Refugees in Japan

The Japan Times (“FOUR AFGHANS DENIED REFUGEE STATUS TAKE CASE TO COURT” 12/13/01) reported that four Afghan men, whose applications for refugee status were rejected by the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau in November, filed a case against the decision with the Tokyo District Court on Wednesday. The men asked the court to repeal the decision and suspend a Justice Ministry deportation order. The four men are being detained at a bureau detention center in Ushiku, Ibaraki Prefecture. They were arrested October 3 along with five other Afghan men for illegal entry. Although a November 6 ruling by the Tokyo District Court freed the five other Afghans from detention, the ministry denied them refugee status. The nine, who belong to minority ethnic groups persecuted by Afghanistan’s embattled Taliban militia, arrived in Japan between June and August.

7. Shipment of Nuclear Wastes

Kyodo (“NUCLEAR WASTE SHIP HEADS FOR JAPAN,” Brussels, 12/07/01) reported that the Pacific Sandpiper, a 5,000-ton British-flagged freighter, departed on December 5 for Japan from Cherbourg in northern France with a cargo of highly radioactive nuclear waste destined for storage in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture. The nuclear waste, which belongs to Japanese nuclear companies, was reprocessed by France’s state-owned nuclear fuel company COGEMA from spent nuclear fuel removed from Japanese reactors. The Pacific Sandpiper shipment contains 152 containers of glass-solidified nuclear waste, which will be stored at the Rokkasho nuclear waste storage facility. The waste belongs to Tokyo, Chubu, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu Electric Power companies.

8. Atomic Bomb Survivors

The Asahi Shimbun (“FUND EYED FOR FOREIGN A-BOMB VICTIMS, Tokyo, 12/12/01) reported that the Japanese government will create a 500 million yen fund to improve support for overseas survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, government sources said. The plan by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry will streamline procedures for overseas A-bomb survivors. Currently, they are certified as eligible when they visit Japan for treatment. However, this certification is lost when they leave the country and they must go through time- consuming paperwork to make another visit for treatment. The changes will allow repeat trips to Japan using the initial documentation, the sources said. To effect the change, a 1974 rule stipulating that the survivors lose their status if they leave Japan will be abolished. Despite the reforms, the government will not apply the Atomic Bomb Relief Law to provide special relief for victims living overseas. The health ministry will soon enter negotiations with financial authorities to earmark in next year’s budget about 500 million yen for the new fund, ministry sources said. The ministry estimates there are 4,500 survivors living overseas, most of them in the ROK and North and South America. [Ed. Note: According to research done by Nautilus Institute Executive Director Peter Hayes, about 30,000 Koreans survived the atomic bombings. After World War II, about 20,000 returned to the ROK, 2-3,000 to the DPRK, and 7,000 remained in Japan.]

9. Chinese Immigrants in Japan

The Japan Times (“COLLEGE TARGETED FOR VISA VIOLATIONS” 12/13/01) reported that Yamagata Immigration authorities have searched the Tokyo office of a private junior college based in Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture, over suspicions that Chinese exchange students registered with the school are violating their student visas. According to the Sendai Immigration Bureau, officials of the Tokyo Immigration Bureau conducted an inspection of the Kanda, Tokyo, office of Sakata Junior College late last month. Some 200 Chinese students are registered with the school’s Tokyo office. The inspection was carried out with the consent of school officials, immigration authorities said, adding that they confiscated attendance registers and quizzed school staffers as to what sort of education they were providing for students in the Tokyo area. In July, the school sent warning notices to students after class attendance dropped sharply. Then it posted a notice saying students who do not show up for three months would be expelled.

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:
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

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

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 *