NAPSNET Week in Review 3 March, 2000

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"NAPSNET Week in Review 3 March, 2000", NAPSNet Weekly Report, March 03, 2000, https://nautilus.org/napsnet/napsnet-weekly/napsnet-week-in-review-3-march-2000/

Korean Peninsula


1. US-DPRK Talks

US Ambassador Charles Kartman and DPRK Vice Foreign Minister Kim Gye-gwan will meet in New York from March 7 to finalize plans for a high-level DPRK visit to Washington. The high-level visit is expected to take place in April.
“US-DPRK Talks” (Daily Report, March 2, US)
“DPRK-US Talks” (Daily Report, March 3, ROK)
“DPRK-US Talks” (Daily Report, March 2, ROK)
“DPRK High-Level US Visit” (Daily Report, February 29, US)
“DPRK-US Talks” (Daily Report, February 29, ROK)
“DPRK High-Level Visit to US” (Daily Report, February 28, US)


2. US Policy toward DPRK

Joel Wit of the Brookings Institution reviews the history of US President Bill Clinton’s engagement policy of the DPRK, and argues that further progress in the near future could make it difficult for the next US administration to make drastic changes in the policy. Indong Oh of Korea 2000 argues that the continuance of US wartime operational control over ROK forces under the Combined Forces Command hinders the realization of ROK-DPRK dialogue. He calls for shifting the emphasis in peace talks away from US-DPRK bilateral talks and towards direct inter-Korean negotiations.
“Engaging North Korea” (Policy Forum Online)


3. Korean-Japanese Remittances to DPRK

The Chosun Ilbo reported that pro-DPRK Korean residents in Japan are using a passenger boat between Japan and the DPRK to smuggle up to hundreds of millions of yen to the DPRK.
“Korean-Japanese Remittances to DPRK” (Daily Report, ROK, March 2)


4. DPRK-Japan Relations

Yomiuri Shimbun reported that Japan plans to announce renewed food aid to the DPRK next week, in hopes of restarting talks on diplomatic normalization in April. The Kyodo News Agency reported that Japan has offered to help the DPRK treat its surviving atomic bomb victims.
“Japanese Food Aid to DPRK” (Daily Report, March 3, US)
“Japan’s Food Aid to DPRK” (Daily Report, March 3, Japan)
“DPRK Atomic Bomb Victims” (Daily Report, March 1, US)


5. DPRK-Australian Relations

A four-member Australian delegation returned from the DPRK on February 27. They reported that they had invited DPRK officials to visit Canberra this year, and that the DPRK had expressed interest in resuming diplomatic relations soon.
“DPRK-Australia Relations” (Daily Report, February 29, ROK)


6. ROK-DPRK Fishing Agreement

The ROK Korean Fishermen Union reached an agreement with the DPRK to allow ROK fishermen to fish in DPRK waters, with the DPRK receiving half of the net profits. ROK officials, however, expressed doubts about the accord, which was reached without prior government approval.
“Inter-Korean Fishing Accord” (Daily Report, February 29, ROK)
“ROK-DPRK Fishing Accord” (Daily Report, February 28, US)
“DPRK-ROK Fishing Agreement” (Daily Report, February 28, ROK)


7. DPRK Report #22

The latest issue of the DPRK Report by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) of the Monterey Institute of International Studies (Monterey, California, USA) and the Institute for Contemporary International Problems (ICIP) (Moscow, Russia) includes: 1. North Korean Views of the U.S. National Missile Defense Program; 2. North Korean Views of Japanese Plans to Develop TMD; 3. The New Phase in Russian-North Korean Relations; 4. Izvestiya Report on Alleged Russian Influence over Pyongyang’s Missile Tests; 5. North Korean Views on the Russian Presidential Elections.
“The DPRK Report, No. 22” (Special Report, February 28)


8. DPRK Missile Threat

The DPRK warned again on Monday that it could resume missile tests to counter US development of missile defense systems. Leon Sigal argues that plans to develop a theater missile defense system means increasing tensions in Northeast Asia in order to defend against a negligible DPRK threat. Nautilus Security Program Officer Timothy Savage reviews the use of the DPRK threat to justify US military policies.
“DPRK Missile Tests” (Daily Report, February 28, US)
“Theater Missile Defense” (NPP Flash, V2N7)


9. ROK Military Strategy

Natalie Crawford and Chung-in Moon argue in a study for the Rand Corporation that, so long as the ROK continues to confront a threat from the DPRK, it can not afford to downgrade its ground forces or to ignore critical land-based missions. In the long-term, however, the ROK must develop a new national security strategy and concomitant military doctrines that would include more attention to the air force.
“ROK Air Force” (NPP Flash, V.2 N.7)


Taiwan Straits


10. PRC-Taiwan Military Balance

Vice Admiral Thomas Wilson, director of the US Defense Intelligence Agency, said that it was unlikely that the PRC would launch an invasion of Taiwan in the near-future, but that military modernization may give the PRC an increasingly credible threat against Taiwan by 2015. However, PRC foreign ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao said that the People’s Liberation Army is fully capable of “defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China.”
“US Views of PRC Threat to Taiwan” (Daily Report, March 2, US)
“PRC Threat to Taiwan” (Daily Report, March 2, US)
“Military Balance in Taiwan Straits” (Daily Report, February 28, US)


11. PRC White Paper on Taiwan

Analysts disagreed on whether the recently published PRC white paper on Taiwan represented a more aggressive PRC stance, or was meant as a warning for Taiwanese presidential candidates in the run-up to the March 18 election. Taiwanese candidates said that the white paper is not a major issue in the campaign. PRC officials disputed characterizations of the paper as “provocative.”
“PRC White Paper on Taiwan” (NPP Flash, V.2n.7)
“PRC Policy on Taiwan Issue” (Daily Report, March 1, PRC)
“PRC Policy toward Taiwan” (Daily Report, March 1, US)
“Taiwan Elections” (Daily Report, March 1, US)
“Taiwan Elections” (NPP Flash, V.2 N. 7)
“US Response to PRC White Paper” (Daily Report, February 28, US)
“PRC White Paper on Taiwan” (Daily Report, February 28, US)


12. US Arms Sales to Taiwan

A Taiwanese lawmaker said that Taiwan is seeking to obtain more advanced components for a missile defense system from the US, including Aegis guided missile destroyers. Peter Brookes, advisor to the House of Representatives International Relations Committee, said that the US should deter aggression by increasing its security relationship with Taiwan.
“US Arms Sales to Taiwan” (Daily Report, March 1, US)
“US Policy toward Taiwan” (NPP Flash, V.2 N.7)


People’s Republic of China


13. PRC-Russian Relations

Russian Vice Premier Ilya Klebanov arrived in Beijing Thursday for three-day talks about Russian-PRC military trade. Earlier in the week, PRC Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan met with Russian Minister Igor Ivanov in Moscow. Stratfor argued that domestic concerns have distracted Russia and the PRC in their movement toward a strategic partnership.
“PRC-Russia Military Trade” (Daily Report, March 2, US)
“PRC-Russia Talks” (Daily Report, March 1, US)
“PRC-Russian Relations” (Daily Report, March 1, PRC)
“PRC-Russian Relations” (NPP Flash, V.2 N.7)


14. PRC-South Asian Relations

The Indian Foreign Ministry announced that the PRC and India will hold their first ever security dialogue in Beijing beginning March 6. Zhang Jiuhuan, the Director General of the Asian Department of the PRC Foreign Ministry, held bilateral consultations with senior Pakistan foreign officials in Islamabad on February 19.
“PRC-India Security Talks” (Daily Report, March 2, US)
“Pakistan-China Relations” (South Asia Nuclear Dialogue)


15. PRC-Japan Relations

Yomiuri Shimbun reported that Japan plans to invite PRC Prime Minister Zhu Rongji to visit before the Group of 8 summit in July, so that PRC concerns can be reflected in the summit despite the PRC’s refusal to attend. The PRC and Japan on February 27 completed a fisheries pact, effective in June, settling zoning differences in the East China Sea.
“Japanese-PRC Relations” (Daily Report, March 3, Japan)
“Japanese-PRC Fisheries Agreement” (Daily Report, March 3, Japan)
“PRC-Japanese Relations” (Daily Report, March 1, PRC)


Japan


16. US Troops in Japan

Rust Deming, US principal deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said that Japanese financial contributions to the maintenance of US troops in Japan is vital for security in the region. He added that US troops will have reason to stay even when the DPRK threat is removed.
“US Troops in Japan” (Daily Report, March 1, US)


17. Japanese-Russian Relations

Japan and Russia began negotiations to hold a summit meeting in May in Irkutsk, Siberia.
“Japanese-Russian Relations” (Daily Report, March 3)

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