Korean Peninsula
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1. ROK-DPRK Summit
The ROK and the DPRK failed to reach agreement in their latest round of preparatory talks for the scheduled June summit meeting. The next round of talks is scheduled for May 8. The DPRK has indicated that it wants to include the issue of US troop withdrawal on the agenda, but the ROK has said that it does not consider that an appropriate topic for inter-Korean discussions.
“ROK-DPRK Summit” (Daily Report, May 4, US)
“Summit Preparation Talks” (Daily Report, May 4, ROK)
“Third Inter-Korean Summit Preparatory Talk” (Daily Report, May 3, US)
“DPRK-ROK Summit” (Daily Report, May 3, ROK)
“DPRK-ROK Summit” (Daily Report, May 2, ROK)
“ROK-US Talks” (Daily Report, May 4, ROK)
“World Media on ROK-DPRK Summit” (Special Report)
“THE DPRK REPORT, No. 23 (March-April 2000)”
PRC Premier Zhu Rongji told ROK Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Lee Joung-binn that the PRC gave its “full support” to the ROK-DPRK summit. The United States Information Agency carried a digest of world media reactions to the summit agreement.
“PRC View of Inter-Korean Summit” (Daily Report, May 2, ROK)
“ROK-PRC Relations” (Daily Report, May 4, PRC) |
2. US-DPRK Talks
ROK officials said that the US and the DPRK will likely concentrate on DPRK nuclear and missile issues during talks in Rome on May 24, rather than the question of a high-level DPRK visit to Washington.
“DPRK-US Talks” (Daily Report, May 4, ROK)
“US – DPRK Talks” (Daily Report, May 3, US)
“Future US-DPRK Relations” (Daily Report, May 3, US) |
3. DPRK on US Terrorism List
The US kept the DPRK on its list of states sponsoring terrorism. ROK analysts also warned that the failure of the US to remove the DPRK from the list could threaten the prospects for improved relations.
“DPRK Listing on Terrorism List” (Daily Report, May 1, US)
“DPRK on US Terrorist List” (Daily Report, May 2, ROK) |
4. US-ROK Policy Coordination
US State Department advisor Wendy Sherman traveled to the ROK for talks on the two countries’ policy toward the DPRK. Japanese newspapers reported that the US is pressing the ROK to include DPRK weapons development issues on the agenda for the ROK-DPRK summit talks.
“ROK-US Policy Coordination” (Daily Report, May 5, US)
“US View of ROK-DPRK Summit” (Daily Report, May 5, Japan) |
5. Japanese-DPRK Relations
The Japanese government decided to allow a group of 16 Japanese wives of DPRK citizens to visit Japan in June. Japanese citizens held a rally demanding that the government not send food aid or improve relations with the DPRK until the issue of alleged abductions of Japanese citizens by DPRK agents has been solved.
“Japanese-DPRK Relation” (Daily Report, May 5, Japan)
“Alleged DPRK Kidnapping of Japanese” (Daily Report, May 1, US) |
6. DPRK Diplomacy
The DPRK and Australia have agreed to normalize relations after a 25-year freeze. Belgium and Britain also plan to send delegations to the DPRK, and the DPRK is expected to normalize relations with the Philippines later this year. Myanmar said it would not object to the DPRK’s participation in the ASEAN Regional Forum.
“DPRK-Australian Relations” (Daily Report, May 4, PRC)
“DPRK External Relations” (Daily Report, May 2, ROK)
“Myanmar-DPRK Relations” (Daily Report, May 5, Japan)
The DPRK Ambassador to Nigeria said that the DPRK was exploring the possibilities for military cooperation between the two countries.
“DPRK-Nigerian Relations” (Daily Report, May 1, ROK) |
7. Light-Water Reactor Project
The Chosun Ilbo reported that about half of the DPRK workers on the light-water reactor project have gone on strike for higher wages.
“Light-Water Reactor Project” (Daily Report, May 2, ROK) |
8. DPRK Refugees in PRC
Yonhap reported that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees will look into allegations that the PRC has forcibly repatriated a number of DPRK refugees.
“DPRK Refugees in PRC” (Daily Report, May 3, ROK) |
9. Korean War Massacre
An ROK fact-finding committee on the Nogunri massacre met with its US counterpart to discuss a joint investigation into the incident.
“Korean War Massacre” (Daily Report, May 3, ROK)
“Korean War Massacre” (Daily Report, May 1, US) |
Taiwan Straits
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10. Cross-Straits Relations
Tsai Ying-wen, incoming chairwoman of the Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, said that Taiwan will stop using the term “special state-to-state relations” to describe relations with the PRC. Tang Shubei, Vice President of the PRC’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, said that cross-Straits talks could be held on an equal basis if Taiwan President-elect Chen Shui-bian accepted the “one-China” principle.
“Cross-Straits Relations” (Daily Report, May 5, US)
“The Taiwan Issue” (Daily Report, May 4, PRC)
“Cross-Straits Relations” (Daily Report, May 1, US) |
11. PRC Threat to Taiwan
Admiral Denis Blair, Commander in Chief of the US Pacific Command, warned the PRC that deployments of missiles could lead the US to supply Taiwan with a Theater Missile Defense system. Taiwan military spokesman Kung Fan-ding downplayed earlier reports of stepped-up PRC military exercises.
“PRC Missile Threat to Taiwan” (Daily Report, May 5, US)
“PRC Military Exercises” (Daily Report, May 2, US) |
12. Japanese View of Cross-Straits Relations
Barbara Wanner reviews the Japanese reaction to Chen’s victory, and the challenges Japan faces due to developments in cross-Straits relations.
“Japanese View of Cross-Straits Relations” (NPP Flash, V. 2, N. 16) |
People’s Republic of China
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13. PRC-India Relations
The PRC and India began the twelfth round of their working group dealing with border issues.
“India-China Relations” (South Asia Nuclear Dialogue, May 3) |
Japan
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14. PRC-Japan Relations
The PRC criticized the latest demonstration by Japanese nationalists on the disputed Diaoyu islands.
“PRC-Japanese Relations” (Daily Report, May 4, PRC) |
15. Japanese Constitution
The Japanese Diet began hearings to discuss revising the constitution to allow the Japanese military to take a more active role.
“Japanese Constitutional Revisions” (Daily Report, May 5, Japan)
“Japanese Constitutional Revisions” (Daily Report, May 3, US) |
16. US Forces in Japan
Richard Armitage, advisor to Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush, said that the structure of US forces in Japan could be reduced if tensions on the Korean Peninsula are further lowered.
“US View of US Forces in Japan” (Daily Report, May 5, Japan) |
17. Japan-Russia Talks
Russian President-elect Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori pledged to complete a peace treaty by the end of the year.
“Japan-Russia Talks” (Daily Report, May 1, US) |
Nuclear Issues
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18. NPT Review Conference
The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference continued in New York. The Nuclear Policy Project and South Asia Nuclear Dialogue networks have extensive coverage of the conference.
“Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty Convention” (South Asia Nuclear Dialogue, May 3)
“NPT Review Conference” (NPP Flash, V. 2, N. 16)
“P-5 Statement at NPT Conference” (NPP Flash, V. 2, N. 16)
“Israeli Nuclear Weapons” (NPP Flash, V. 2, N. 16)
“Nuclear Proliferation” (NPP Flash, V. 2, N. 16)
“Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference” (Daily Report, May 2, US) |
19. Missile Defense
The Congressional Budget Office estimated that US missile defense would cost at least US$60 billion. Analysts noted that European countries are against US missile defense plans because they fear renewed tensions with Russia. The Center for Nonproliferation Studies has an annotated chronology of Theater Missile Defense in Northeast Asia.
“US National Missile Defense” (NPP Flash, V. 2, N. 16)
“European Reactions to NMD” (NPP Flash, V. 2, N. 16)
“Russian Reaction to NMD” (NPP Flash, V. 2, N. 16)
“Theater Missile Defense” (NPP Flash, V. 2, N. 16)
“Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty” (South Asia Nuclear Dialogue, May 3)
“US National Missile Defense” (Daily Report, May 5, US)
“Future Missile Threats and US Plans for NMD” (Daily Report, May 3, US)
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