NAPSNet Daily Report Thursday, September 30, 2004

Recommended Citation

"NAPSNet Daily Report Thursday, September 30, 2004", NAPSNet Daily Report, September 30, 2004, https://nautilus.org/napsnet/napsnet-daily-report/napsnet-daily-report-thursday-september-30-2004/

NAPSNet Daily Report Thursday, September 30, 2004

NAPSNet Daily Report Thursday, September 30, 2004

United States

Preceding NAPSNet Report

I. United States

1. US on DPRK Nuclear Issue

Agence France-Presse (“US HAS NO OBJECTION TO NKOREA DELAYING NUCLEAR TALKS UNTIL AFTER US ELECTIONS”, 2004-09-30) reported that the US said it had no objection to the DPRK wanting to resume six-party talks on ending the Korean nuclear crisis after the November 2 US presidential elections. “If the North Koreans have come to the conclusion they want to wait for the result of the election, fine, let them do so,” Deputy US Secretary of State Richard Armitage said. But he cautioned the DPRK against assuming it would get a better deal in return for ending its nuclear weapons drive after the November 2 presidential elections, in which President George W. Bush is being challenged by Democratic Senator John Kerry.

(return to top)

2. US on US – DPRK Relations

Agence France-Presse (“NORTH KOREA DELAYING MULTILATERAL SECURITY GUARANTEE: POWELL”, 2004-09-30) reported that the DPRK’s reluctance to resume talks to end its nuclear weapons programs will delay a multilateral security guarantee and aid for the DPRK, US Secretary of State Colin Powell told AFP in an interview Wednesday. He said that a diplomatic solution to the nuclear crisis was still possible even though Pyongyang was almost certainly not participating in the fourth round of the six-party talks as scheduled by the end of this month. By putting off participation in the talks, Powell said the DPRK was delaying an opportunity to work with the global community to achieve denuclearization of the Korea peninsula.

(return to top)

3. US on DPRK Missile Program

Donga Ilbo (“U.S. DEPLOYS DESTROYERS IN EAST SEA TO WATCH NORTH KOREA”, 2004-09-30) reported that Fenghuangweishi, a satellite TV channel in Hong Kong, reported on September 30 that the US would be deploying the latest destroyers for patrol duty in the East Sea. The channel reported that the deployment is the first step in the Bush administration’s Missile Defense System plan. Rear Admiral Jonathan Greenert of the US Seventh Fleet implied that the DPRK is the main subject of the inspection, saying, “It’s difficult to say who is our enemy. However, we are keeping a strict watch over ‘rogue states.'”

(return to top)

4. DPRK on US – DPRK Relations

United Press International (“N KOREA VOWS TO BOOST DEFENSES AGAINST US”, 2004-09-30) reported that the DPRK Thursday accused the US of destroying the groundwork of the six-way talks on its nuclear weapons program. The DPRK’s state-run Korean Central News Agency also vowed to strengthen its “self-defense capability,” claiming the US had increased military tensions by bolstering its air and naval forces in the ROK. “The groundwork of the talks collapsed due to the deliberate provocation of the US hard-line conservatives,” KCNA said.

(return to top)

5. US on DPRK Missile Exports

Donga Ilbo (“U.S. DISCIPLINES NORTH KOREAN MISSILE EXPORT ENTITY”, 2004-09-30) reported that it was discovered on Wednesday that the US banned a DPRK missile export entity, Changgwang Sinyong Corporation, from supplying the US government and revoked its permission to export. This is due to the company’s selling of technology and equipments related to weapons of mass destruction (WMD), including missiles to Iran. The US Department of State announced through the Official Gazette that the penalties were effective from September 23. The US Department of State’s spokesman Richard Boucher said in a briefing, “We have information to believe that these entities or private firms have provided Iran with equipments necessary for producing weapons, including WMD and cruising or ballistic missiles.”

(return to top)

6. DPRK Energy

Oil & Gas Journal (“LONDON INDEPENDENT INKS 20-YEAR PACT TO ASSIST N KOREA”, 2004-09-30) reported that Aminex PLC, London independent, signed a 20-year petroleum agreement with the DPRK government to assist in developing the petroleum industry. Aminex initially will provide technical assistance to the country by assessing existing data, obtaining new data, assisting with drawing up a framework for licensing exploration areas, and for marketing the country’s potential to the international oil industry. Aminex and DPRK signed the agreement June 30 in Pyongyang, subject to certain closing conditions since fulfilled. Aminex has been reviewing the DPRK for several years and first visited the country in 2001, Hall said.

(return to top)

7. PRC on DPRK Defectors

Reuters (“CHINA URGES CANADA TO HAND OVER N.KOREANS IN EMBASSY”, 2004-09-30) reported that the PRC urged Canada Thursday to hand over 44 DPRK asylum seekers who broke into the Canadian embassy in Beijing, promising to deal with the men, women and children in a humanitarian way. Assistant Foreign Minister Shen Guofang said the PRC opposed such break-ins. “We hope Canada will hand them over to the Chinese side to handle because we oppose this method of breaking into embassies as it relates to the issue of the security of embassies in China,” Shen told reporters. “With these people, we will also handle them in accordance with international law, domestic law and humanitarianism.”

(return to top)

8. DPRK Defectors

Chosun Ilbo (“U.S. INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL TURNED OVER NK DEFECTORS TO CHINESE POLICE “, 2004-09-30) reported that a total of nine DPRK defectors seeking asylum broke into the US international school in Shanghai, PRC on Monday, but the school turned them over to PRC police, said a source from the US Embassy in the PRC on Thursday. The defectors are currently being investigated while in the PRC authorities, but the ROK side is negotiating with the PRC for their deportation to the ROK.

(return to top)

9. ROK on DPRK Human Rights Act

Chosun Ilbo (“URI PARTY WARY OVER U.S. HUMAN RIGHTS ACT “, 2004-09-30) reported that the Uri Party expressed concerns over the DPRK human rights act recently passed with unanimous approval in the US Senate. The ruling Uri Party, which had been silent on its official position on the issue until now, expressed their doubts Thursday on the passing of the DPRK human rights act, saying that it could aggravate inter-Korean relations and exert a negative influence on the ROK economy.

(return to top)

10. DPRK Foreign Aid

Los Angeles Times (“NORTH KOREA INCREASES RESTRICTIONS ON FOREIGN AID GROUPS”, 2004-09-30) reported that in a disturbing sign that the DPRK is further closing its doors to the outside world, the reclusive regime is trying to reduce the presence of foreign aid agencies in the country, diplomats and aid officials said. Although it is not rejecting humanitarian aid entirely, the DPRK government has told the UN that it wants to discontinue an annual fundraising appeal. Officials also want to shut down some smaller aid agencies that they view as an intrusive presence. The DPRK appeared to be battening down the hatches and rolling back what were seen earlier this year as encouraging moves to open up the country.

(return to top)

11. DPRK Food Aid

Voice of America (“N. KOREA SEEKS SHIFT IN AID TO GROW ECONOMY, PREVENT HUNGER”, 2004-09-30) reported that the DPRK is now asking for help to find long-term solutions to its food shortages. The head of the Roman Catholic Church’s aid program in the DPRK says much work is needed to prevent hunger, but there are promising signs. Kathi Zellweger, the head of the Caritas aid program in the DPRK, says the food situation there has improved slightly over the past year. But there are concerns that the coming harvest might not be as good as hoped. “It was also interesting that the DPRK government announced that they feel although there is still a need for humanitarian aid they would welcome in future more technical assistance and more development-oriented support,” said Kathi Zellweger.

(return to top)

12. ROK Nuclear Experiment

Nucleonics Week (“ROK CLAIMED IAEA KNEW OF U WORK, PRESSED FOR NO IAEA BOARD REPORT”, 2004-09-29) reported that information reported in confidence by the Republic of Korea (ROK) to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in mid-August, specifying that the ROK had secretly enriched uranium four years ago, was deliberately leaked to the international media after Seoul strongly urged IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei not to pass the information on to the IAEA board, according to IAEA and Western government officials.

(return to top)

13. IAEA in the ROK

Joongang Ilbo (“ATOM AGENCY TO SEEK MORE KOREAN DATA “, 2004-09-30) reported that the International Atomic Energy Agency says it will dispatch another team of inspectors to the ROK this month to pursue an investigation into the ROK’s nuclear research. A second team of IAEA inspectors left the ROK on Sunday after a weeklong inspection of state-run research labs and other centers in the country. Based on the samples and data collected from the inspections in the ROK, the IAEA plans to submit a report at its board of directors meeting in November.

(return to top)

14. US – ROK Relations

Joongang Ilbo (“POLL SHOWS KOREANS BACK PRESENCE OF U.S.”, 2004-09-30) reported that a majority of ROK citizens say they believe the US military presence in their country benefits national security and that any withdrawal of US forces should be gradual, a recent poll shows. In the same poll, Americans named the ROK as the country that needs their troops the most. The poll was conducted in the US by the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations and in the ROK by the East Asia Institute. Their results were released yesterday.

(return to top)

15. ROK Military

Chosun Ilbo (“KOREA SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES LIGHTWEIGHT TORPEDO”, 2004-09-30) reported that the ROK has succeeded in developing and test firing a lightweight anti-submarine torpedo, which can be launched from either sea vessel or aircraft. The Agency for Defense Development (ADD) said Thursday that national defense bodies have been developing the new lightweight torpedo ‘Cheongsangeo’ or ‘Blue Shark’ for the past ten years and that it successfully test fired the torpedo in the East Sea on Sept. 23. The weapon will be deployed starting next year.

(return to top)

16. ROK – Russian Relations

Korea Times (“RUSSIAN ECONOMIC DELEGATION TO VISIT KOREA”, 2004-09-30) reported that President Roh Moo-hyun’s recent visit to Russia is already beginning to serve as a turning point in ROK-Russian economic exchanges. According to the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Thursday, a Russian economic delegation composed of the representatives of major Russian conglomerates that belong to the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry will visit the ROK late next month to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries. The MCCI chairman has reportedly shown great interest in Korea’s economic growth and expressed hope for establishing close bilateral economic ties.

(return to top)

17. Japan Extremist Protest

The Associated Press (“EXTREMIST CRASHES AT JAPANESE PARLIAMENT”, 2004-09-30) reported that a man drove a burning car up to an entrance gate at Japan’s lower house of Parliament on Thursday to protest the status of talks over people abducted to the DPRK years ago, police said. No injuries were reported. A Tokyo Metropolitan Police spokesman said authorities arrested the driver, who they identified as 54-year-old Mitsuyoshi Hasegawa. He claimed to be the former chairman of a extreme rightist group, the Japanese People’s Union, said Akihiro Sakita, a police spokesman. Hasegawa allegedly told police he was protesting the slow progress in talks with the DPRK over abductions of Japanese citizens by Northern agents in the 1970s and 1980s.

(return to top)

18. Cross Strait Relations

Reuters (“CHINESE PREMIER PLEDGES REUNIFICATION WITH TAIWAN”, 2004-09-30) reported that PRC Premier Wen Jiabao pledged to reunify the mainland with the island of Taiwan, vowing to contain forces intent on independence for the island to ensure the sacred goal of national unity. In a speech to mark Friday’s 55th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic, Wen said the PRC would press ahead with the political and economic reforms that have made it the world’s fastest-growing major economy but gave no hint that the Communist Party was ready to relax its iron rule. Wen touched on the thorny issue of relations with Taiwan, saying the PRC would pursue its basic policy of peaceful reunification with the democratic, self-governing island that the PRC views as a renegade province.

(return to top)

19. PRC on Cross Strait Relations

Reuters (“CHINA’S PARTY CHIEF TELLS ARMY TO BE READY FOR WAR”, 2004-09-30) reported that the PRC Communist Party chief and President Hu Jintao has urged the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to prepare for a military struggle, but stopped short of singling out rival Taiwan as the target. Hu, who assumed the role of military chief less than two weeks ago, told the 2.5-million-strong PLA to “seize the moment and do a good job of preparing for a military struggle,” the People’s Daily and the Liberation Army Daily said on Thursday. Hu did not say against whom the struggle might be fought.

(return to top)

20. Taiwan on Cross Strait Relations

Reuters (“TAIWAN MILITARY WARNS OF CHINA MISSILE THREAT”, 2004-09-30) reported that Taiwan Defense Minister Lee Jye said on Thursday that the PRC could have as many as 800 ballistic missiles poised to strike the island in an intensive bombardment by 2006, but said Taipei had no intention of starting a war. “As long as both sides do not provoke each other, there won’t be a war,” Lee told lawmakers. “As long as Communist China does not attack, we will not be looking for war.” Citing the presence of numerous Taiwan businessmen working in Shanghai, Lee said Taiwan’s aim would be to strike only military targets if it was pushed into war.

(return to top)

21. HK Pro-Democracy Movement

Agence France-Presse (“HONG KONG DEMOCRATS VISIT BEIJING FOR NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATIONS”, 2004-09-30) reported that a group of Hong Kong democratic legislators left for Beijing for National Day celebrations following an invitation from the PRC government seen by many as a goodwill gesture following months of political turmoil. However, their more radical colleagues are banned from mainland PRC on political grounds. Hong Kong’s PRC-anointed leader Tung Chee-hwa is leading a 200-plus delegation, including pro-government legislators, to the capital. They will meet communist party officials but are not expected to meet any senior leaders.

(return to top)

22. PRC on HK Pro-Democracy Movement

BBC News (“CHINA ‘MAY INTERVENE MORE’ IN HK”, 2004-09-30) reported that analysts in Hong Kong say the PRC is signalling its intention to take a more active role in the territory’s affairs. Senior mainland officials have revealed that a new set of directives will be issued for the former British colony. The head of an influential Beijing think-tank is quoted as saying that the PRC needs new approaches to the way it implements “one country, two systems”. He did not say what these might be, or when they would be issued, but he added that Beijing would widen and deepen its involvement in Hong Kong.

(return to top)

23. PRC Haiti Dispatch

Washington Post (“CHINA READIES RIOT FORCE FOR PEACEKEEPING IN HAITI”, 2004-09-30) reported that the PRC’s Public Security Ministry put a Haiti-bound contingent of specially trained People’s Armed Police on display Wednesday, underlining what officials described as Beijing’s willingness to play an increasing role in UN peacekeeping operations around the world after years of reluctance to get involved. The 125-member police unit’s assignment to Haiti marks a new level of PRC participation in UN peacekeeping, said Tan Jun, who heads the peacekeeping division at the Public Security Ministry. The riot police, who will depart in about two weeks after three months of training, will be the first PRC police officers to serve as full-blown UN peacekeepers and as an integrated unit, with their own commander, logistics and support, Tan said.

(return to top)

24. Sino – Indian Relations

Agence France-Presse (“INDIA STRENGTHENS SECURITY AROUND CHINESE EMBASSY”, 2004-09-30) reported that India has strengthened security around the PRC embassy following a request from the mission, a home ministry official said, amid reports Beijing feared attack from an Islamist group. “Security for the Chinese embassy has been increased recently,” the official said Thursday, adding that routine checks by Indian security agencies had not revealed any extra threat. A report in Thursday’s Times of India said the Chinese government had asked New Delhi for tighter security following fears that separatists from the militant East Turkestan Islamic Movement could target their missions in South Asia.

(return to top)

25. Sino – Russian Technological Development

Xinhua (“CHINA, RUSSIA TO BUILD HI-TECH PARKS”, 2004-09-30) reported that President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Lu Yongxiang said here Thursday that his academy and the Academy of Sciences of Russia (ASR) planned to build high-technology parks both in Northeast PRC and Russia’s Novosibirsk. Representatives from the CAS Changchun Academy and the ASR Siberia Academy signed a memorandum on seven cooperative projects Thursday morning at the CAS headquarters. Cooperation in science and technology is an important part of the strategic partnership between the PRC and Russia, Lu said.

(return to top)

26. Sino – Russian Energy Trade

The Associated Press (“YUKOS’ SHIPMENTS TO CHINA ARE SUSPENDED”, 2004-09-30) reported that embattled oil giant Yukos’ shipments to the PRC have been suspended until at least Oct. 20, company and government officials confirmed Thursday. But Russian Railways chief Gennady Fadeyev did not explain why oil deliveries would resume on that date. A Yukos spokesman also said he could neither confirm nor deny that supplies would resume at the end of October. A senior official at the China National Petroleum Corporation, whom the Interfax news agency identified by the surname Liu, confirmed the stoppage Wednesday but downplayed its effect.

(return to top)

27. PRC Energy Supply

Voice of America (“MIDDLE EAST HELPS QUENCH CHINA’S THIRST FOR OIL”, 2004-09-30) reported that the PRC’s rising demand for oil and gas makes Middle East oil producers its natural partners. They provide PRC with about half its oil imports. Analysts predict oil exports from the Middle East to the Asian giant could triple by 2010 in order to meet the PRC’s steadily rising demand for energy. Saudi Arabia, Iran and Oman are the top three suppliers. Iraq could well become the fourth.

(return to top)

28. PRC Economy

The Associated Press (“IMF SAYS CHINA ABLE TO SLOW ECONOMY”, 2004-09-30) reported that the PRC can manage to slow its roaring economy to a sustainable level, but only if it avoids loosening curbs on lending and investment too quickly, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday. The IMF forecast that the PRC’s economy will grow 9 percent in 2004, almost level with the 9.1 percent surge in the gross domestic product last year and well above an official target of 7 percent set by the government earlier this year. But annual growth will slow to 7.5 percent in 2005, the IMF said in its latest World Economic Outlook.

(return to top)

29. PRC Bird Flu Issue

Reuters (“CHINA ON ALERT AGAINST BIRD FLU”, 2004-09-30) reported that the PRC ordered strengthened poultry disinfection measures on Thursday under a bird flu alert during the wildfowl migration season and as Thailand announced its first probable case of human-to-human transmission. The PRC had not detected any new cases of bird flu since an outbreak in July in the eastern province of Anhui, an Agriculture Ministry official said on Thursday.

(return to top)

30. PRC Wildlife Smuggling

Agence France-Presse (“ENDANGERED WILDLIFE TRADE FLOURISHING IN CHINA DESPITE GOVERNMENT EFFORTS”, 2004-09-30) reported that the PRC has emerged as the world’s fastest growing market for illegal wildlife smuggling, although activists credit it as the only country in Asia proactively hunting ringleaders of the global trade. TRAFFIC, which monitors international wildlife laws, said the PRC was a major destination and source country for medicines, ornaments and clothes made from almost every endangered species favored by smugglers. “Since 2002 what we have seen in terms of wildlife trade in China is unprecedented, but much of this is because much tougher enforcement has revealed the full scale of the problem,” said James Compton, regional director of TRAFFIC.