NAPSNet Daily Report Thursday, August 23, 2007

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NAPSNet Daily Report Thursday, August 23, 2007

NAPSNet Daily Report Thursday, August 23, 2007

I. NAPSNet

Preceding NAPSNet Report

I. NAPSNet

1. ROK on NLL Maritime Border

UPI (“KOREA SUMMIT AGENDA NOT YET DECIDED”, 2007-08-23) reported that if the Northern Limit Line, drawn by the United States-led U.N. Command at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War to designate the maritime border, will be on the agenda at the three-day summit starting Oct. 2, because of the difference between the ROK’s military and its Unification Ministry. The ministry reportedly wants flexibility on the dispute, but the military does not want any change in the current arrangement.

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2. DPRK Refugee-Defectors

AHN (“INDONESIAN EMBASSY IN VIETNAM GETS SURPRISE VISIT FROM 5 NORTH KOREANS”, 2007-08-22) reported that the staff of the Indonesian embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam got a surprise visit from five DPR Koreans, who seemed to be seeking political asylum, four women and one man climbed the fence of the embassy to enter the place and showed a piece of paper with the written words, “We want to go to free countries from North Korea.”

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3. ROK Hostages in Afghanistan

Korea Times (“NO NEW DEADLINE ON HOSTAGES’ LIVES, TALKS”, 2007-08-23) reported that nineteen ROK nationals completed a month in captivity in Afghanistan, Sunday, as war-weary Afghans celebrated their 88th Independence Day. So far, two rounds of face-to-face talks have been held – the first lasted for nearly three days and resulted in the release of two female hostages, who were said to be seriously ill. The second round of talks lasted less than a day after which the militants suspended them for an indefinite period, saying the Afghan government and the ROK delegation was not interested in releasing Taliban prisoners, the main demand of the kidnappers.

(return to top) Chosun Ilbo (“RAMADAN AMNESTY OFFERS HOPE IN HOSTAGE CRISIS”, 2007-08-23) reported that a special Ramadan amnesty could provide a solution to the protracted hostage standoff involving 19 Koreans in Afghanistan. Purported Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi implied Wednesday that the militant group would free the Korean hostages if the Afghan government grants a Ramadan amnesty to eight Taliban prisoners. (return to top)

4. Japan-India Relations

Agence France-Presse (“JAPAN COURTS INDIA TO COUNTER CHINA: ANALYSTS”, 2007-08-23) reported that Japan’s bid for a strategic partnership with India aims to counter the PRC’s rising influence, with Tokyo omitting Beijing from its vision of an Asian ‘arc of freedom’, analysts said. The highlight of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s three-day visit to India was the signing of a roadmap for strategic and global partnership between the two Asian giants. “They are keen to consolidate their relations with India, which they see as a balance of power in the east against China’s growing influence,” said Sushila Narsimhan, professor of Japanese history at Delhi University.

(return to top) Agence France-Presse (“ABE PRAISES INDIANS WHO BACKED JAPAN IN WWII”, 2007-08-23) reported thatJapanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe voiced admiration for two controversial Indians who stood up to colonial ruler Britain during World War II and sided with Tokyo. Abe visited the eastern city of Kolkata to meet relatives of nationalist Subhash Chandra Bose, who advocated violent resistance, and Radhabinod Pal, the sole judge who dissented at the Allied tribunal that condemned to death war-time Japanese leaders. (return to top)

5. Bay of Bengal Naval Drill

Reuters (“BAY OF BENGAL WAR GAMES NOT AIMED AT CHINA: U.S.”, 2007-08-23) reported that the US said that next month’s joint naval exercises were not aimed at isolating Beijing. The navies of India, Japan, Singapore, Australia and the US will hold the war games in the Bay of Bengal, the first such joint exercises by the five nations. Admiral Timothy J. Keating, the commander of the US Pacific Command, told reporters in New Delhi the exercises were not an attempt to corner the PRC. “There is no, let me emphasize, no effort on our part or any of those (participating) countries’ part, I am sure, to isolate China, to put China in a closet,” Keating said.

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6. US on PRC Military

Agence France-Presse (“CHINA’S MILITARY BUILD-UP COULD THREATEN REGIONAL SECURITY: US COMMANDER”, 2007-08-23) reported that the region’s top US military commander expressed concern over the PRC’s rapid military build-up, just days after an unprecedented display of Beijing’s firepower during war games with Russia. “China professes to be advocating a peaceful rise,” said Admiral Timothy J. Keating, head of the US Pacific Command. “Some of the systems they’re developing and some of the capabilities that they’re demonstrating would indicate to us that perhaps their intentions aren’t exactly beneficial to security … throughout the pacific,” he said.

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7. SCO Energy Cooperation

Dow Jones Newswire (“SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION PLEDGES ENERGY COOPERATION”, 2007-08-23) reported that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, or SCO, a PRC and Russia-led regional security grouping, called on member states to cooperate on energy issues to create a unified energy infrastructure. “Considering existing resources, demand, opportunities and potential, SCO member states will support the development of a dialogue on energy issues, practical cooperation between producers, transit countries and consumers of energy resources,” the presidents of the PRC, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan said in a joint statement adopted at a summit in Kyrgyz capital Bishkek.

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8. US-PRC Trade Relations

The Associated Press (“CHINA PROTESTS U.S. TRADE MOVES”, 2007-08-23) reported that the PRC accused the US of being an overly protectionist and uncooperative trading partner and urged it to loosen its high technology export controls if it wants to bring down its trade deficit with Beijing. Most galling, the ministry said, was a recent US policy shift that reversed 23 years of US trade policy by treating the PRC, which is classified as a nonmarket economy, in the same way other US trading partners are treated in disputes involving government subsidies.

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9. PRC Media Control

Reuters (“CHINA CRACKS DOWN ON ‘RUMOUR-SPREADING'”, 2007-08-23) reported that police in east PRC have arrested or warned 60 people for spreading rumours by SMS or on the Internet so far this year and specified the threat of modern communications to society, state media said. Xia Cunxi, a public security spokesperson in the eastern province of Jiangsu, said 60 were accused of spreading rumours, lies or offensive messages, the official China Daily said in its online edition.

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