CONTENTS
1. PRC Weapons Proliferation
2. PRC-Russia Relations
3. ROK-DPRK-US Diplomatic Relations
4. US-Georgia Anti-terror War
5. US Missile Defense
II. People’s Republic of China 1. ROK-DPRK-US Relations
2. PRC-US Relations
3. PRC-US Weapons Proliferation
4. PRC-Japan Relations
5. Cross-straits Relations
6. Japan’s Domestic Political Situation
III. Japan 1. Japanese New Security Legislation
2. Japan-DPRK Spy Boat Incident
I. United States
1. PRC Weapons Proliferation
Agence France-Presse (“CHINA PLEDGES TO ‘STEP UP’ WEAPONS PROLIFERATION CONTROLS,” 02/28/02) reported that the PRC said that it wanted to “step up” controls on the export of weapons technology. PRC Foreign ministry spokesperson Kong Quan also confirmed that the PRC planned to dispatch arms control negotiators to the US in early March for a bilateral seminar on the issue. Meanwhile, Kong insisted that the PRC “has conducted a prudent and responsible attitude on weapons proliferation. We have very strict controls.” But he added, “On the export of related technologies, we also are in favor of effective efforts to step up the control regime.” Kong said that the talks in Washington would “touch upon all issues in this field between the two countries.”
2. PRC-Russia Relations
Reuters (Jeremy Page, “CHINA AND RUSSIA SWAP FAIR-WEATHER FRIENDSHIP PACT,” Beijing, 02/28/02) reported that the friendship treaty signed in July of last year was ratified by the Russian duma on February 28. The treaty prohibits Russia and the PRC from launching nuclear strikes against each other or targeting each other with nuclear weapons, Russian officials said. It also recognizes the PRC’s sovereignty over Taiwan and Russia’s rule over its north Caucasus republic of Chechnya. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov stated, “This treaty shows that relations are now on a high level and will also create conditions for Russo-Sino relations to jump another step forward.” Losyukov signed the treaty with PRC’s Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Guchang before exchanging the document and then toasted the occasion with champagne in a low key ceremony in Beijing. “The document lays the foundation for relations between the two countries, built on mutual political trust and growing interaction in economics and trade,” Liu said.
3. ROK-DPRK-US Diplomatic Relations
Agence France-Presse (“US AND SOUTH KOREA STUDY WAYS TO EASE TENSIONS WITH NORTH,” 02/28/02) reported that the US is conducting a study with the ROK on ways to ease military tensions with the DPRK. The study, begun eight months ago, is aimed at reducing threats from the DPRK’s conventional weapons. US and ROK experts are developing measures to build confidence, reduce the DPRK’s arms and eventually establish a peace regime, the ROK defense ministry said. The US and the ROK agree that military trust must be established before any demand that the DPRK cut its conventional forces along the inter-Korean frontier. “The joint team has worked out various confidence-building measures, along with discussions on how to implement them,” the ministry said in a statement. The first recommendations, unveiled on Wednesday, included inter-Korean military exchanges and the opening of regular channels to avoid accidental conflict. The proposals have been sent to top policymakers in the ROK and the US. “The study indicated that the two nations will first push for a series of trust-building measures with the DPRK. And the issue of arms reduction, including the withdrawal of the DPRK’s forward- deployed forces, will be dealt with later,” ROK ministry spokesman Hwang Eui-Don told reporters.
4. US-Georgia Anti-terror War
The New York Times (Patrick E. Tyler, “MOSCOW FEARS G.I.’S ROLE COULD DEEPEN CONFLICTS,” Moscow, 02/28/02) and the Washington Post (Sharon LaFraniere, “U.S. MILITARY IN GEORGIA RANKLES RUSSIA,” Moscow, 02/28/02) reported that Russia’s foreign minister, Igor S. Ivanov, said today that a US proposal to deploy about 200 military specialists to train and equip Georgian armed forces to fight terrorism “could further aggravate the situation in the region, which is difficult as it is.” Ivanov was responding to reports from Washington that the US planned the training mission to assist Georgia in rooting out Afghan and Arab extremists, some of them possibly linked to Al Qaeda, from the Pankisi Gorge, northeast of Tbilisi, the capital. President Bush said today that assistance to Georgia would be “mostly equipment and technical advice.” Pentagon officials and a senior US diplomat in Moscow said that no weapons sales beyond 10 unarmed transport helicopters were planned and that training courses would comprise classroom sessions in Tbilisi and, later, military training at Georgian bases outside Pankisi. The Pentagon has already begun providing combat helicopters to the Georgian military and will soon begin training several Georgian battalions to combat rebels from Chechnya. [This article also appeared in the US State Department’s Early Bird Report for February 27, 2002.]
5. US Missile Defense
The Associated Press (Matt Kelley, “PENTAGON SEES SAMPLE ROCKET BY ’04,” Washington, 02/27/02) reported that US Pentagon officials told Congress Wednesday that the US will probably have prototype rockets capable of destroying an enemy’s long-range missile available in about two years. US Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee that four prototype interceptors capable of shooting down an enemy missile should be in place there by September 2004. However, Chris Madison of the Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation expressed that expecting to have prototype rockets capable of shooting down missiles ready by 2004 is unrealistic. “It’s wishful thinking,” he said Wednesday. The land-based program aimed at destroying long-range missiles in space is the furthest along – and is the program that Wolfowitz said should have prototypes capable of shooting down a missile by 2004. General Ronald Kadish, head of the Defense Department’s Missile Defense Agency, told the House Armed Services Committee Wednesday about plans to have operational prototypes ready in two years. [This article also appeared in the US State Department’s Early Bird Report for February 27, 2002.]
II. People’s Republic of China
1. ROK-DPRK-US Relations
China Daily (“US BLAMED FOR DERAILED FESTIVAL,” Seoul, 02/28/02, P11) reported that the DPRK blamed the US on February 27 for helping derail the joint DPRK-ROK celebrations for the lunar new year. In the first significant citizen exchange between the DPRK and the ROK since last August, the ROK had given more than 300 people in its jurisdiction permission to travel to the DPRK for the celebration. However, the DPRK cancelled the party due to the ROK’s rejection of applications by 46 pro-DPRK activists who were not allowed to attend the festivities.
2. PRC-US Relations
People’s Daily (“FM SPOKESMAN: US SHOULD ABIDE BY THREE JOINT COMMUNIQUES,” Beijing, 02/27/02, P4) reported that PRC Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kong Quan reiterated on February 26 that the US government should abide by the three Sino-US joint communiques and handle the Taiwan issue in a proper way in an effort to maintain a stable and healthy growth of the Sino-US relations. Kong made the statement at a regular press conference held in Beijing in response to a question on the US government’s implementation of the Taiwan Relations Act, the report said. The US government has pledged that it adheres to the “one China” policy and has followed the three joint communiques since Nixon’s government, according to Kong. He said, US President Bush also noted in last week’s visit to China that the position of the US government on the Taiwan issue has remained unchanged over the years.
3. PRC-US Weapons Proliferation
China Daily (Guo Nei, “BUSH ENDS SUBSTANTIAL WORKING VISITING,” 02/23-24/02, P1) said that PRC President Jiang Zemin on February 22 hailed US President George W. Bush’s visit to the PRC as substantial, efficient and fruitful. “The two sides have achieved consensus on many important issues through candid and in-depth talks although President Bush’s schedule was very tight,” PRC Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kong Quan quoted Jiang as saying. Kong said the issue of non-proliferation was discussed during the meeting between Jiang and Bush and that the PRC has always been opposed to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
4. PRC-Japan Relations
China Daily (Hu Qihua, “CONCERN EXPRESSED OVER JAPAN’S NAVAL MOVE,” 02/27/02, P1) reported that the PRC on February 26 urged Japan to respect the PRC’s rights and concerns when salvaging the sunken mystery ship in the PRC’s exclusive economic zone. Since the sinking of the unidentified ship two months ago, the PRC has expressed serious concerns about the incident, requesting Japan’s respect of PRC’s rights, interests and concerns. PRC Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kong Quan said that according to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the rights of the coastal country should be considered in its exclusive economic zone. Kong said that the PRC has has sent law enforcement boats to the sea area in question.
5. Cross-straits Relations
China Daily (Hu Qihua, “TAIWAN’S NEW SEPARATIST MOVE OPPOSED,” 02/27/02, P1) reported that at a press conference on February 26 PRC Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kong Quan expressed serious concern about Taiwan’s plan to rename its representative office abroad. “If they are to reflect a separate identity for incremental independence, it will meet opposition from Chinese people,” Kong said. Currently the representative offices go by such names as trade missions, special delegations or Taipei economic and cultural offices in countries that do not recognize Taiwan, the report said. Taiwanese media reported that the names would be changed to either the “Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office” or the “Taiwan Representative Office.” “This can only increase the tension between the two sides, and the Taiwanese authorities will ‘pay for it’,” Kong said. Kong called on countries with diplomatic relations with the PRC to guard against this act by Taiwan to create two Chinas or one China and one Taiwan.
6. Japan’s Domestic Political Situation
China Daily (“PM FACES TEST OVER AID SCANDAL,” Tokyo, 02/25/02, P11) reported that Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s commitment to reform is being tested by a furor over an overseas aid scandal engulfing the foreign ministry and a lawmaker in his own ruling party. At issue is alleged collusion between bureaucrats and politicians, and whether the prime minister can show strong enough leadership to boost his sagging popularity, the report said. It said, the controversy involves allegations that ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Muneo Suzuki was involved in bid-rigging by Japanese contractors for overseas aid projects. Suzuki denies any wrong-doing, said the report.
III. Japan
1. Japanese New Security Legislation
The Japan Times (“BILL PUTS LOCALITIES UNDER STATE’S CONTROL IN EVENT OF ATTACK,” Tokyo, 02/25/02) reported that a bill designed to deal with direct military attacks on Japan will make it clear that local governments must obey a government task force on war contingencies headed by the Prime Minister, according to a copy of the bill’s outline. The outline for Japan’s first legislation says the emergency task force “can issue necessary orders to local governments.” The government plans to finalize the bill by mid-March and submit it to the Diet with another bill to amend the SDF Law by the end of next month. It hopes both bills will be passed by the end of the current Diet session, slated for June 19. The SDF Law amendment is aimed at resolving problems with the forces’ deployment and actions in such areas as road construction and traffic control that stem from the lack of relevant ordinances. The outline indicates the central government is “responsible for taking all possible measures to protect the lives and property of citizens as well as national territory.”
2. Japan-DPRK Spy Boat Incident
The Asahi Shimbun (“COAST GUARD PINPOINTS MYSTERY SHIP,” Tokyo, 02/27/02) reported that the Japan Coast Guard said Tuesday that a search using an unmanned underwater camera has located what is believed to be the unidentified ship that sank after a shootout in the East China Sea with Japanese coast guard vessels in December. The vessel was discovered about 370 meters north of the spot where it went down December 22. Coast guard officials released undersea photos taken during the search, which showed two Chinese characters meaning “long” and “fishing” as well as the roman numeral “3705” on the vessel’s hull. The undersea camera also captured what appeared to be damage sustained by the ship during the shootout with the coast guard. Officials said the ship is resting on the seabed in an upright position.
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Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
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