NAPSNet Daily Report 30 August, 2010
Contents in this Issue:
1. Sino-DPRK Relations
Associated Press (David Wivell, “NKOREAN LEADER KIM LEAVES CHINESE CITY HARBIN”, Harbin, 2010/08/30) reported that DPRK leader Kim Jong Il left the PRC’s northeastern city of Harbin on Monday, news reports said. In Harbin, Kim toured a historic site commemorating his father’s communist movement, Yonhap news agency said. Chosun Ilbo and Yonhap both reported Kim is believed to have met PRC President Hu Jintao in the city of Changchun on Friday.
http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1360504&lang=eng_news&cate_img=logo_world&cate_rss=WORLD_eng
2. DPRK Arms Trade
Yonhap (Yoo Jee-ho, “U.S. OFFICIAL SAYS N. KOREAN NUCLEAR TRADE THREATENS GLOBAL SECURITY”, Seoul, 2010/08/30) reported that Laura Holgate, senior director for weapons of mass destruction terrorism and threat reduction at the National Security Council in Washington, said Monday illicit trading of nuclear material and technology with other countries presents a major concern for global nuclear security. “In regards to the nuclear security issue, in particular nuclear material security, obviously, one of the big concerns is that North Korea sells a lot of nuclear technology illegally to people who shouldn’t have it,” Holgate said at a security forum in Seoul. “There’s a very strong concern that there might be some kind of illicit sale of nuclear material that we know North Korea has, to people who might do bad things with it.” “That’s one of the important things about beefing up … nuclear detection and nuclear forensics. Problems have come from that,” she said. “I think there are pieces of the global puzzle that apply there, given that they do have material. It’s very concerning.”
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2010/08/30/0301000000AEN20100830003900315.HTML
3. Japan-PRC Climate Change Cooperation
China Daily (“CHINA, JAPAN WILLING TO PUSH FORWARD CLIMATE TALKS”, 2010/08/29) reported that Zhang Ping, minister of the PRC National Development and Reform Commission, said at the sideline of the third China-Japan high-level economic dialogue that the PRC and Japan are willing to push forward international climate change talks. Zhang that he believed the forthcoming talks of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to be held in Cancun, Mexico in November and December should stick to the principle of common but differentiated responsibility. He said the PRC and Japan regard energy-saving and environmental protection as very important areas and a growth engine of economic cooperation between both countries.
http://english.eastday.com/e/100829/u1a5420675.html
4. PRC Mineral Exports
China Daily (Ding Qingfen, “CHINA RESTRICTS RARE EARTHS FOR ENVIRONMENT: MINISTER”, Tianjin, 2010/08/30) reported that the PRC’s decision to impose limits on production and exports of rare earths is based on concerns about environmental protection and national security and it is not contradictory to the rules of the World Trade Organization, Chen Deming, minister of commerce, told reporters after the third China-Japan high-level economic dialogue in Beijing. He hoped Japan, a big consumer of the minerals, can understand the decision. “Rare earths exist in land where environment is very fragile, so a large amount of extraction hurts China’s natural environment. Thus, we had to impose limits on production and trade of rare earths,” he said.
http://tianjin.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-08/28/content_11219259.htm
5. Taiwan Nuclear Power
Taipei Times (Loa Iok-sin, “PROTESTORS THRONG NUCLEAR PLANT”, Taipei, 2010/08/30) reported that holding hands to form a human chain while chanting slogans, several hundred anti-nuclear power activists yesterday blocked off the main entrance to the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in Taipei County’s Gongliao Township. “No to uranium filling!” “No to restoration of nuclear power!” Hundreds of activists — Gongliao residents and non-residents alike — shouted as they formed a human chain in front of the plant. Despite the occurrence of at least five incidents — some that could have triggered serious disasters if there had been uranium fuel inside the reactors — at the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant since test operations started in March, the government and Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) are set to begin uranium-filled test operations in December and start commercial operation in October next year.
http://61-63-34-host204.kbtelecom.net.tw/News/taiwan/archives/2010/08/30/2003481669