NAPSNet Daily Report 25 April, 2000

Recommended Citation

"NAPSNet Daily Report 25 April, 2000", NAPSNet Daily Report, April 25, 2000, https://nautilus.org/napsnet/napsnet-daily-report/napsnet-daily-report-25-april-2000/

 
CONTENTS

I. United States

1. DPRK on US Terrorism List
2. DPRK-Japan Normalization Talks
3. PRC Military Exercises
4. Cross-Straits Relations
5. PRC Ratification of CTBT
6. PRC View of US Missile Defense
II. Republic of Korea 1. DPRK-ROK Summit
2. ROK-US Talks
3. Investment in DPRK
4. Inter-Korea Economic Cooperation Committee

I. United States

1. DPRK on US Terrorism List

The Washington Times (“NORTH KOREA MAY EXPEL RED ARMY MEMBERS,” Tokyo, 4/25/00) and the Associated Press (“NORTH KOREA DENOUNCES UNITED STATES,” Seoul, 4/25/00) reported that the DPRK denounced the US on Tuesday for designating it a terrorist state and said that it would continue to protect Japanese Red Army fugitives. The US reportedly wants the DPRK to expel several Red Army members who have been in the Pyongyang since hijacking a Japanese airliner 30 years ago. The DPRK’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, “the issue of members of the Japanese Red Army is not the problem that allows U.S. interference.” KCNA said that the Red Army members sought asylum for political reasons and “it is a legitimate right of a sovereign state” to protect political exiles. [Ed. note: The Washington Times article was included in the US Department of Defense’s Early Bird news service for April 25, 2000.]

2. DPRK-Japan Normalization Talks

Reuters (“N. KOREA DEMANDS JAPAN APOLOGY TO NORMALIZE TIES,” Tokyo, 4/25/00) reported that the official DPRK newspaper Rodong Sinmun said in an editorial on Tuesday that an apology from Japan was of the highest priority in continuing normalization talks, taking precedence even over compensation. The editorial said, “material compensation without apology is not a repentance of the past but a mere economic deal. The prospect of the DPRK-Japan normalization process will hinge, after all, on how Japan makes an apology. To this end, it is imperative for the chief executive of Japan to make a direct apology for its past wrongs and specify it in a legal document.” It also called on Japan’s parliament to adopt a resolution of apology.

3. PRC Military Exercises

The Associated Press (“OFFICIAL: CHINA STEPS UP MILITARY DRILLS ACROSS FROM TAIWAN,” Taipei, 4/25/00) reported that Taiwanese Defense Ministry spokesman Kung Fan-ding said on Tuesday that the PRC has stepped up military drills for bombers and other warplanes on its eastern coast across from Taiwan. Kung said that PRC H-6 bombers have been flying long-range sorties off the PRC coasts during recent weeks, and the planes have often been escorted by other aircraft. He added that the sorties were part of exercises involving naval vessels off the PRC’s eastern Zhejiang province. PRC Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi told reporters that the military exercises were routine and “aimed at enhancing the capability of the Chinese military.” Kung said that intelligence gathered by Taiwan’s military indicated that the PRC might mount an intimidation campaign when the island’s newly elected president, Chen Shui-bian, takes office on May 20. Meanwhile, an article in Taiwan’s United Daily News reported on Tuesday that a severe shortage of pilots has forced Taiwan’s military to consider putting US and French purchased jet fighters into storage.

4. Cross-Straits Relations

Reuters (“U.S. ENVOY SAYS HOPES TAIWAN-CHINA VISIT AIDS TIES,” Taipei, 4/25/00) reported that former US assistant secretary of state Winston Lord and former National Security Council official Douglas Paal wrapped up an unofficial visit to Taiwan and headed for the PRC on Tuesday. Lord stated, “it’s our hope that this discussion and our subsequent discussions on the mainland can improve mutual understanding and contribute to easing tensions. It remains for the two sides to resolve issues between them directly and peacefully.” Lord met president-elect Chen Shui- bian in an unofficial capacity. Hunter College professor Donald Zagoria, who was also a member of Lord’s delegation, said that Chen gave firm backing to unofficial “track two” contacts between Taiwan and PRC. He said, “the president- elect was very supportive of track two during his meeting with us. Track two efforts have been strongly appreciated in Washington, Beijing and Taipei.”

5. PRC Ratification of CTBT

Reuters (“CHINA TO SPEED APPROVAL OF NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY,” Beijing, 4/25/00) reported that the PRC said on Tuesday that it would “speed the process” towards ratifying the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), raising the possibility that the US may soon be the only declared nuclear power not to have ratified the document. PRC Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi said, “we welcome the approval of the CTBT by the Russian Duma. I believe the National People’s Congress will speed the process of approving the treaty.” However, he declined to give a specific timetable for ratification.

6. PRC View of US Missile Defense

Reuters (“US ARMS BY SEEKING ANTI-MISSILE DEFENSE – CHINA,” United Nations, 4/25/00) reported that the PRC on Monday criticized the US for seeking to develop an anti-missile defense system, calling this another form of nuclear armament. Director General of the PRC’s Department of Arms Control and Disarmament Sha Zukang said on the opening day of the Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference, “disarmament should be conducive to the enhancement of every country’s general security instead of becoming the instrument and means for a few countries to strengthen their military superiority by weakening or restricting other countries.” Sha also said that “a certain superpower, which rampantly intervenes in other countries’ internal affairs and willfully resorts to force,” kept improving its overwhelming first-strike nuclear capability. At the same time, he continued, “it spares no efforts to acquire an advanced missile defense system, capable of neutralizing any counterstrike that a small-and medium-sized nuclear weapon state can possibly launch after sustaining a nuclear first strike.” He continued that “a certain military power” was vigorously pursuing the development of a national missile defense system “in an attempt to seek absolute security of its own.” Sha added that whether or not such security existed, “this kind of action is another way of nuclear armament” and would impede the international disarmament process. He continued, “certain countries have classified the world according to their preferences and called those countries they dislike by a host of weird names, such as ‘rogue states,’ and have grossly deprived them of the right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy.”

II. Republic of Korea

1. DPRK-ROK Summit

The Korea Herald (Kim Ji-ho, “SEOUL MAPPING OUT STRATEGY FOR SECOND ROUND OF PRE-SUMMIT TALKS THURSDAY,” Seoul, 04/25/00) reported that the ROK government is busy mapping out its strategy for a second round of preliminary talks with DPRK officials regarding the inter-Korean summit in June. An ROK Unification Ministry official said that the government would not formulate any new initiatives for the next preparatory meeting but will give an opportunity for the DPRK to respond to the proposals made by the ROK during the first round of negotiations. The official said, “since we fully conveyed our positions at the first meeting, we are simply conducting negotiation ‘simulations’ based on possible North Korean responses.” A local ROK daily reported Monday that the ROK delegation proposed that ROK President Kim Dae-jung and DPRK leader Kim Jong-il hold at least two exclusive meetings during the ROK head of state’s three-day stay in Pyongyang. The paper also said that the delegation called for the DPRK leader’s “return visit” to the ROK to make the summit talks “regular” events. ROK Ministry officials refused to confirm the reports. Some officials and private analysts expressed concern about the “delicate” differences between the two sides. While the ROK officials hoped the agenda for the summit would be discussed, their DPRK counterparts apparently wanted to deal only with working-level procedures. In order to discourage any possible attempts by the DPRK to downgrade the preliminary contacts and postpone substantive discussions, Vice Unification Minister Yang Young-shik suggested that the two sides launch lower-level consultations to discuss minor issues, including summit protocols, security, and communications.

2. ROK-US Talks

The Korea Herald (Shin Yong-bae, “KOREA, U.S. OFFICIALS CONFER ON JUNE INTER-KOREAN SUMMIT,” Seoul, 04/25/00) reported that four top diplomatic and military officials from the ROK and the US met on April 24 to coordinate their stances on the historic inter-Korean summit in June and other matters involving the Korean Peninsula. An official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said, “they exchanged views on overall pending issues on the peninsula, particularly the scheduled summit between South and North Korea.” Participants at the meeting included ROK Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Lee Joung-binn, ROK Defense Minister Cho Seong-tae, US Ambassador Stephen Bosworth, and General Thomas A. Schwartz, commander-in-chief of the US Forces in Korea (USFK).

3. Investment in DPRK

Joongang Ilbo (Kim Si-rae, “FOREIGN COUNTRIES PLAN TO INVEST IN NORTH KOREA,” Seoul, 04/24/00) reported that Park Jae-kyu, the ROK Minister of Unification, spoke at a luncheon meeting held by the Committee on Inter-Korea Trade and Investment of the Federation of Korean Industries on April 24. Park stated, “Italian businessmen, the Russian and Taiwan governments, and Japanese business organizations have shown their intentions to actively invest in businesses in North Korea. The government is planning to carry out the planned North Korea Social Overhead Capital (SOC) construction project through a form of multinational consortium and by receiving international financing.”

4. Inter-Korea Economic Cooperation Committee

Joongang Ilbo (Min Byung-kwan, “FKI HOSTS INTER-KOREA ECONOMIC COOPERATION COMMITTEE, 04/24/00) reported that the Federation of Korea Industries (FKI) will hold the first ROK-DPRK economic cooperation committee of this year on April 24. The meeting will be attended by representatives from 15 member firms and their heads who hope to promote investment in the DPRK. They include Kohap Chairman Chang Chi-hyeok, Rinnai Korea Chairman Kang Sung-mo, and Hyundai Asan President Kim Yoon-kyu. Chang plans to inform the participants of the results of working-level meetings with the DPRK held in Beijing and to discuss with them the issue of business investment in the DPRK.

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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
The Center for Global Communications, Tokyo, Japan
Center for American Studies,
Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Monash Asia Institute,
Monash University, Clayton, Australia

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

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

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

Hiroyasu Akutsu: akutsu@glocomnet.or.jp
Tokyo, Japan

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

Chunsi Wu: 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

 


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