NAPSNet Daily Report 29 March, 2000

Recommended Citation

"NAPSNet Daily Report 29 March, 2000", NAPSNet Daily Report, March 29, 2000, https://nautilus.org/napsnet/napsnet-daily-report/napsnet-daily-report-29-march-2000/

 
CONTENTS

I. United States

1. DPRK High-Level US Visit
2. US-PRC Talks
3. US Congress View of Taiwan Elections
II. Republic of Korea 1. DPRK Policy toward ROK

I. United States

1. DPRK High-Level US Visit

The Washington Post (John Pomfret, “N. KOREA THREATENS TO SKIP TALKS,” 3/29/00, Beijing, A20) reported that the DPRK said on March 28 that it will not follow through with plans to send a high-level delegation to the US for talks on improving ties unless it is removed from the US list of countries accused of sponsoring terrorism. The DPRK ambassador to the PRC, Chu Chang-jun, said at a news conference at the DPRK Embassy in Beijing, “we cannot visit the United States with the cap of a terrorist. The talks should be held with an equal position for both sides. When one side’s position is higher than the other’s, then we cannot expect success from the talks.” The author wrote that it was not immediately clear whether Chu’s statement presaged trouble for the talks or was a tactical maneuver by the DPRK before a US declaration that the DPRK no longer sponsors terrorism. US officials have said that they are considering removing the DPRK from the list, although when pressed, no US official has been able to point to specific steps that the DPRK has taken to distance itself from terrorist and other criminal activities. Western officials have said the visit is now unlikely to take place at least until May. [Ed. note: This article was included in the US Department of Defense’s Early Bird news service for March 29, 2000.]

2. US-PRC Talks

Agence France Presse (“SINO-US TIES AT CRITICAL JUNCTURE, CHINESE LEADERS TELL BERGER,” Beijing, 3/29/00) reported that US National Security Advisor Samuel Berger met top PRC leaders in Beijing on Wednesday. PRC Premier Zhu Rongji told Berger, “your visit to Beijing is of great significance because the China-US relationship at the moment is at an important, if not critical juncture. I wish your current visit a success and hope the two sides can reach a consensus.” China Central Television (CCTV) reported that regarding Taiwan, Zhu said, “no matter who comes to power in Taiwan, no Taiwan independence will be allowed. We will not permit any form of independence on Taiwan. We demand that the US be fully aware of the important and sensitive nature of the Taiwan issue.” CCTV said that Berger agreed with Zhu that the relationship was at a critical impasse and pledged to support the PRC’s “smooth” entry into the World Trade Organization and to seek passage in the US Congress of the PRC’s “permanent normal-trading-relation” status with the US. Berger also met with Vice Premier Qian Qichen and Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan earlier on Wednesday and will meet PRC President Jiang Zemin and Liu Huaqiu, director of the office of Foreign Affairs of the State Council, on March 30.

The Associated Press (John Leicester, “CHINA SAYS DON’T ENCOURAGE TAIWAN,” Beijing, 3/29/00) reported that PRC Vice Premier Qian Qichen in a meeting in Beijing on Wednesday urged US Security Advisor Sandy Berger to curb US support for Taiwan. Qian warned that the US should tread carefully over Taiwan and should abide by commitments not to support Taiwanese independence. Qian signaled the PRC’s growing impatience with Taiwan president-elect Chen Shui-bian, saying that the PRC wants Chen to quickly accept that the island is part of Chinese territory. According to an account by the official PRC Xinhua News Agency, Qian said, “we urge the new leader in Taiwan to return to the ‘one China’ principle as soon as possible.” Qian also told Berger that the US “should fully recognize the sensitivity and complexity of the current situation and take practical actions to adhere to the ‘one China’ principle.”

3. US Congress View of Taiwan Elections

The US Department of State’s Office of International Information Programs, (“HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 292 ON TAIWAN ELECTIONS,” 3/28/00) reported that the US House of Representatives passed the House Concurrent Resolution 292 (418-1) on March 28 which congratulated the people of Taiwan for their successful presidential elections on March 18. The resolution said Taiwan “has become a multiparty democracy in which all citizens have the right to participate freely in the political process. It is the sense of the House of Representatives that the People’s Republic of China should abandon its provocative threats against Taiwan and undertake steps that would lead to a substantive dialogue.” The House resolution also called on the PRC to renounce the use of force against Taiwan, and make progress “toward democracy, the rule of law, and protection of human and religious rights in the People’s Republic of China.” The resolution affirmed that the provisions of the Taiwan Relations Act (Public Law 96-8) are “the legal standard by which United States policy toward Taiwan shall be determined.”

II. Republic of Korea

1. DPRK Policy toward ROK

Joongang Ilbo (Lee Chul-hee, “NORTH’S DEMARCATION OF WEST SEA WATERS TEST OF SUNSHINE POLICY,” Seoul, 03/28/00) reported that ROK Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Lee Joung-binn said on March 27 that the DPRK’s recent unilateral announcement of its “Demarcation of waters around five West Sea islands” appears to be a test of the ROK’s engagement policy with the DPRK as outlined in the “Sunshine Policy” and ROK President Kim Dae- jung’s recent “Berlin Declaration.” Lee added, “this incident still indicates North Korea is a difficult counterpart to deal with. Korea’s engagement policy toward the North will continue to be based upon the maintenance of firm security.”

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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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