NAPSNet Daily Report Wednesday, August 31, 2005

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NAPSNet Daily Report Wednesday, August 31, 2005

NAPSNet Daily Report Wednesday, August 31, 2005

I. United States

Preceding NAPSNet Report

I. United States

1. US on DPRK Nuclear Program

Reuters (“U.S. PRAISES LIBYA, WAGS FINGER AT IRAN, NORTH KOREA”, 2005-08-30) reported that, in an unclassified version of a “noncompliance report,” the US State Department urged tough action against countries violating arms control, nonproliferation and disarmament agreements. The State Department official called the DPRK a “full service” violator of international weapons agreements, which according to the report could probably produce sufficient quantities of biological agents for military purposes. The report, which was sent to members of Congress, did not specify what actions should be taken.

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2. ROK on DPRK Nuclear Program

Bloomberg News (“N. KOREA NUCLEAR REACTORS REMAIN VALID, S. KOREA MINISTER SAYS”, 2005-08-31) reported that ROK Foreign Minister Ban Ki Moon has said that a program to provide two light water reactors to the DPRK must exist “for the time being,” despite calls by the US for the DPRK to give up its civilian and military nuclear programs. Although he did not specify how long the program should remain valid, Ban stated in a press briefing, “the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization still needs to exist because it has to take legal and administrative measures.”

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3. Japan on Six Party Talks

Kyodo News (“JAPAN REGRETS N. KOREA NUKE TALKS NOT RESUMED AS PLANNED”, 2005-08-30) reported that Japan expressed regret that prospects have faded for the planned resumption of six party talks. The Foreign Ministry’s Deputy Press Secretary Tomohiko Taniguchi told a press conference on Tuesday that the postponement of the talks was “regrettable” and “not constructive.” Taniguchi also complained that the DPRK has been using “a lot of excuses to postpone” the talks. Taniguchi declined to say if the PRC has informed Japan of the DPRK’s intentions, simply saying Japan hopes bilateral talks between the PRC and DPRK would lead to an early resumption of the six party talks.

(return to top) Kyodo News (“JAPAN EXPECTS 6-WAY NUCLEAR TALKS TO RESUME IN WEEK OF SEPT. 12”, 2005-08-31) reported that Japan expects six party talks to resume in the week beginning September 12 as Pyongyang has proposed. “I think they will be held as the parties concerned, particularly North Korea, have signaled that direction,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda told a press conference. (return to top)

4. Expert on Six Party Talks

Interfax (“U.S., N. KOREA MAY BE CLOSE TO A COMPROMISE – RUSSIAN EXPERT”, 2005-08-31) reported that according to a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Alexander Vorontsov, the DPRK’s readiness to resume the fourth round of the six party talks indirectly confirms that Pyongyang and Washington may be close to reaching a compromise. “The readiness of the DPRK to continue the six party talks indirectly confirms that the US and the DPRK have probably reached a compromise formula to resolve the nuclear problem on the Korean Peninsula during consultations via their internal channels.”

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5. Inter-Korean Maritime Relations

Yonhap News (“FISHING BOAT CAPTAINS DETAINED FOR ILLEGALLY ENTERING N.K. WATERS”, 2005-08-31) reported that DPRK police sought warrants to arrest captains of three local fishing boats that were briefly seized by the DPRK on Sunday after crossing into the DPRK’s waters. The three captains were suspected of falsely reporting their locations to regional fisheries authorities to cover up their illegal entry into DPRK waters.

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6. Inter-Korean Family Reunions

The Chosun Ilbo (“FAMILY REUNION CENTER FOUNDATION STONE LAID”, 2005-08-31) reported that the DPRK and ROK held a ceremony on Wednesday marking the start of construction work on a center for the reunion of separated families in the DPRK’s Mt. Kumgang. The head of the ROK National Red Cross, Han Wan-sang, said the start of construction “really opens the door wide for resolving of the pain of separated families in a more humane manner.” His DPRK counterpart Chang Jae-on said the center “could become a symbol of reconciliation, togetherness and unification.”

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7. DPRK-US Relations

Yonhap News (“N. KOREA ACCUSES U.S. OF CONDUCTING 170 SPY FLIGHTS IN AUGUST”, 2005-08-31) reported that the DPRK claimed Wednesday that US spy planes flew 170 surveillance sorties over its territory in August alone. The US aerial surveillance flights were mostly conducted during its annual joint military exercises with the ROK, said the KCNA, citing a military source.

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8. DPRK-Japanese Relations

Yonhap News (“N. KOREAN BODY RAPS JAPAN FOR MASSIVE KILLING IN 1923”, 2005-08-31) reported that an anti-Japan body in the DPRK condemned Tokyo Wednesday for failing to compensate the families of Koreans killed following a powerful earthquake in Japan in 1923, the DPRK’s state media reported. Halfway into Japan’s colonial rule of Korea (1910-45), a magnitude 7.9 temblor hit the eastern part of Japan on September 1, killing nearly 100,000 people there. At that time, Japanese soldiers and police, amid rumors that they planned a riot, allegedly killed an estimated 6,000 Koreans.

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9. DPRK-Thai Relations

Yonhap News (“N. KOREAN LEADER INVITES THAI PRIME MINISTER”, 2005-08-31) reported that Kim Jong-il has invited Thai Prime Minister Thaskin Shinawatra to visit Pyongyang to further bilateral relations, the Thai foreign minister said Wednesday. Kantathi Suphamongkhon, who returned home Tuesday after a four-day trip to Pyongyang to mark the 30th anniversary of bilateral ties with the DPRK, said Thaskin could visit the DPRK as early as late this year or early next year.

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10. DPRK Food Shortage

The Joongang Ilbo (“POTATO PROJECT TO EASE NORTH’S FOOD CRISIS”, 2005-08-31) reported that Joongang Ilbo and World Vision will launch a three-month fund-raising campaign to enable the DPRK to increase potato production and help ease the country’s food crisis. World Vision and the DPRK’s National Economic Cooperation Federation said they have so far succeeded in mass-producing a virus-free seed potato inside greenhouses. However, World Vision representatives said they need further assistance to supply the seed potato to farms nationwide. “North Korea’s chronic food crisis cannot be resolved by one-time assistance,” said World Vision chairman Park Jong-sam. “To resolve the fundamental issue, we need to devise long-term, consistent approaches, such as this seed potato project.” With aid, the DPRK’s potato production is expected to increase from its current 2 million tons to nearly 6 million tons by 2008.

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11. DPRK Rationing System

The Donga Ilbo (“NORTH KOREA SENDS NATIONWIDE ORDER TO RESUME RATIONING SYSTEM STARTING OCTOBER”, 2005-08-31) reported that the DPRK is showing signs of resuming its food rationing system. According to informants, the DPRK sent a ministerial order through the phone lines on August 19 calling for normalizing the operation of its nationwide distributing system from October 1. A news source said on August 30, “After receiving the order, each province and city held meetings for food administration officials and discussed countermeasures”. Another resource reaffirmed the fact and added, “The regime’s order to revive the rationing system is the first time in 10 years since the mid 1990s when the food crisis practically emerged.”

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12. World Biological Weapons

The Associated Press (“NEW REPORT COMMENTS ON BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS”, 2005-08-31) reported that evidence indicates that Russia, Iran, DPRK and Syria all continue to maintain biological weapons programs, according to the State Department. In a report released Tuesday, the department said the PRC maintains “some elements” of an offensive biological weapons program. US analysts believe the DPRK has a “dedicated, national-level effort to develop a BW capability.” The US judges that, based on all available evidence, Russia “continues to maintain” an offensive bioweapons program.

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13. DPRK Oil Smuggling

Kyodo News (“INDONESIA SAID TO HOLD NORTH KOREAN-FLAGGED SHIP FOR OIL SMUGGLING”, 2005-08-31) reported that Indonesia has detained a DPRK-flagged tanker and its 15 Indonesian crew members on suspicion of attempting to smuggle marine fuel oil out of the country, a navy official told Kyodo News on Wednesday. The tanker MT Tioman was detained while loading marine fuel oil into two PRC-flagged ships, Bambang said.

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14. Japan Defense Spending

Kyodo (“DEFENSE AGENCY SEEKS BUDGET BOOST, 150 BIL. YEN FOR MISSILE DEFENSE”, 2005-08-31) reported that Japan’s Defense Agency is seeking a 1.2 percent year-to-year increase in its fiscal 2006 budget, including 150 billion yen for missile defense, agency officials said Wednesday. The agency’s request for 4,885.7 billion yen for the fiscal year beginning next April includes 5.8 billion yen for upgrading the antisubmarine capabilities of the Maritime Self-Defense Force.

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15. ROK Weapons Purchases

Korea Times (“SEOUL EIGHTH IN WEAPONS PURCHASES”, 2005-08-31) reported that the ROK has been the eighth largest recipient of arms among developing nations since 1997, according to a US Congressional Research Service report. Seoul received weapons worth $7.7 billion between 1997 and 2004, the report said.

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16. Japan Textbook Issue

Agence France Presse (“LESS THAN 1 PER CENT OF CLASSES OPEN JAPANESE NATIONALIST TEXTBOOK”, 2005-08-31) reported that fewer than one percent of junior high schools in Japan will use a textbook that the PRC and ROK say glosses over Japanese atrocities, far below the target of its nationalist authors. Forty-eight of Japan’s 11,035 public and private schools for students aged 13 to 15 have adopted the controversial textbook for the school year starting in April, said a textbook division official at its publisher, Fuso.

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17. Japan on East China Sea Gas Dispute

Kyodo (“JAPAN REGRETS CHINA MOVE TO PRODUCE GAS IN E. CHINA SEA”, 2005-08-31) reported that Japan expressed regret that a PRC consortium is set to begin production of natural gas at the Chunxiao gas field in the East China Sea where the two countries have a dispute over demarcation, a Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

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18. Russia-US on Sakhalin Energy Project

The Vladivostok News (“RUSSIA AND AMERICA DISCUSS SAKHALIN COOPERATION “, 2005-08-31) reported that Russia and the US discussed cooperation in the Sakhalin Shelf and other projects involving energy, a press release from the Russian Industry and Energy Ministry stated. Russian Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko announced future projects to incorporate liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies to the US. According to the US ambassador, America is interested in several energy projects, including Sakhalin-1, Sakhalin-2, the Shtokmanovskoye gas field, and the Caspian pipeline consortium.

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19. Sino-Russian Financial Cooperation

People’s Daily Online (“CHINA, RUSSIA BEGIN STRATEGIC FINANCIAL COOPERATION “, 2005-08-31) reported that the 3rd session of the PRC-Russia Financial Cooperation Forum was held in Moscow from Aug 29 and Aug 30. Insufficient knowledge of the other country’s economic and legal environment is the biggest difficult for financial cooperation between the PRC and Russia, Wu Xiaoling, deputy governor of PBOC, told reporter of Xinhua News Agency.

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20. Sino-Russian Military-Technical Cooperation

RIA Novosti (“RUSSIA TO INCREASE MILITARY-TECHNICAL COOPERATION WITH CHINA”, 2005-08-31) reported that the Russian Defense Ministry wants to reverse a fall in the level of military-technical cooperation with the PRC and instead secure a sharp increase, an analytical weekly magazine said. According to Konstantin Makiyenko, the deputy director of the Center for Strategic and Technological Analysis, a Moscow-based think tank, the PRC wants to buy Russian-made AWACS planes, strategic bombers, a manufacturing license for the Su-30MK2 Flanker multi-role fighter and its engines, and some other sensitive information.

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21. PRC-Angola Relations

Mail and Guardian (“WITH CHINA’S HELP, ANGOLA TO REBUILD ROADS”, 2005-08-31 ) reported that Angola plans to begin rebuilding its roads destroyed in the 1975-2002 civil war, starting with a 300km stretch between the capital Luanda and the northern agricultural and mining province of Uige. The PRC has granted Angola a $211-million loan to finance the first stage of the project, which will be carried out by the private PRC company over the next two years. By 2008, Angola’s oil production is expected to double.

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22. PRC Anti-Terrorism Center

BBC News (“CHINA PLANS ANTI-TERRORISM CENTRE”, 2005-08-31) reported that the PRC is planning to set up a regional centre aimed at training policemen in anti-terror operations, according to a state-run website. The centre, which would be based in the restive province of Xinjiang, would cost $86m, Xinjiang Tianshan said. It is reportedly aimed at training police from the so-called Shanghai Five – the PRC, Russia, Kazahkstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

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23. PRC Human Rights

The Associated Press (“CHINA, U.N. AGENCY SIGN LEGAL REFORM PACT”, 2005-08-31) reported that the PRC government signed an agreement with the UN human rights agency on Wednesday to collaborate on reforming the PRC’s legal system in preparation for adopting a key UN treaty on civil and political rights, the UN said. The agreement was signed by a senior PRC diplomat and visiting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour. It represented a step forward in Arbour’s effort to persuade Beijing to embrace the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

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24. PRC Mine Safety Reform

The Associated Press (“CHINA TO CLOSE 7,000 COAL MINES “, 2005-08-31) reported that the PRC is suspending production at 7,000 coal mines — nearly one-third of the nationwide total — in a safety crackdown on the accident-plagued industry, a government newspaper reported Wednesday. The mines, most of them small and poorly equipped, will be required to improve safety measures and will not be allowed to reopen if they fail to meet national standards, the China Daily said.

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25. PRC Journalist Arrest

The New York Times (“SECRECY VEILS CHINA’S JAILING OF A JOURNALIST”, 2005-08-31) reported that for the more than 11 months that he has been incarcerated, Zhao Yan has been held in one of the darkest corners of the PRC’s legal system because of the accusation against him: that he leaked state secrets to his employer, The New York Times. The accusation, which Mr. Zhao and The Times deny, deprives a defendant in the PRC of almost all rights. Mr. Zhao still has not had a court hearing. No public explanation has been given for his arrest. His lawyer’s efforts to post bail were denied not by a judge but by the Ministry of State Security, the agency that arrested him.

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