Korean Peninsula
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1. Japan-DPRK Talks
Japan and the DPRK concluded talks in Pyongyang on Friday without reaching any major breakthroughs. The two sides agreed to hold a second round of talks in late May in Tokyo.
“DPRK-Japan Talks” (Daily Report, April 7, US)
“Japan-DPRK Talks” (Daily Report, April 7, Japan)
“DPRK-Japan Talks” (Daily Report, April 7, ROK)
“Japan-DPRK Talks” (Daily Report, April 6, US)
“DPRK-Japan Talks” (Daily Report, April 6, ROK)
“Japan-DPRK Talks” (Daily Report, April 5, US)
“DPRK-Japan Talks” (Daily Report, April 5, PRC)
“Japan-DPRK Talks” (Daily Report, April 4, US)
“DPRK-Japan Normalization Talks” (Daily Report, April 3, US)
“Japan to Apologize to DPRK” (Daily Report, April 3, ROK) |
2. DPRK-US Talks
The DPRK and the US did not hold talks on April 5, as had been earlier planned. US State Department spokesman James Rubin said that the two sides would not hold high-level talks this month.
“DPRK-US Talks” (Daily Report, April 7, US) |
3. DPRK-ROK Talks
DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun, on a visit to Germany, welcomed ROK President Kim Dae-jung’s call for direct ROK-DPRK talks, but reiterated the DPRK’s contention that the ROK must first accept certain preconditions. Germany urged the DPRK to accept the ROK’s offer. ROK officials said that they expected to reach an agreement soon on holding talks.
“DPRK-ROK Talks” (Daily Report, April 6, ROK)
“Germany on Inter-Korean Relations” (Daily Report, April 7, ROK)
“ROK-DPRK Talks” (Daily Report, April 5, US)
“ROK-DPRK Relations” (Daily Report, April 5, PRC)
“DPRK-ROK Talks” (Daily Report, April 4, ROK)
“PRC on Inter-Korean Talks” (Daily Report, April 4, ROK)
“DPRK-ROK Talks” (Daily Report, April 3, ROK)
“DPRK Conditions for Inter-Korea Talks” (Daily Report, April 3, ROK)
“ROK-DPRK relations” (Daily Report, April 3, US)
“Italian Foreign Minister’s DPRK Visit” (Daily Report, April 4, ROK) |
4. DPRK Economy
The DPRK announced its official state budget this week, totaling US$9.66 billion. Military spending remained frozen, while the budget called for increased spending on energy and infrastructure.
“DPRK Budget” (Daily Report, April 6, ROK)
” DPRK Budget” (Daily Report, April 5, US)
“DPRK Economy” (Daily Report, April 4, US) |
5. DPRK Food Aid
CARE announced that it was pulling out of the Private Voluntary Organization (PVO) Consortium for DPRK food aid. The group cited a lack of access that hampered its ability to carry out its agricultural development projects.
“DPRK Aid Consortium” (Daily Report, April 6) |
Taiwan Straits
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6. US Arms Sales to TaiwanTaiwan officials said that President-elect Chen Shui-bian would seek the same arms purchases from the US as his predecessor had. US officials said that the US has been quietly encouraging Chen to wait until after his inauguration to pursue weapons purchases.
“US Weapons Sales to Taiwan” (Daily Report, April 7, US)
“US Arms Sales to Taiwan” (Daily Report, April 5, US)
“US Weapons Sales to Taiwan” (Daily Report, April 3, US) |
7. Cross-Straits RelationsPRC Vice Premier Qian Qichen said in a speech that Taiwan President-elect Chen Shui-bian must take “substantial steps” to win the PRC’s trust. US officials said that they believed that the PRC is taking a “wait and see” approach to Chen’s election. Taiwan officials denied that Jeremy Stone of the Federation of American Scientists had traveled to the PRC as an unofficial envoy from Taiwan.
“Cross-Strait Relations” (Daily Report, April 7, US)
“US View of Cross-Straits Tensions” (Daily Report, April 6, US)
“Cross-Strait Relations” (Daily Report, April 3, US)
“Taiwan Envoy to the PRC” (Daily Report, April 3, US)
“Cross-Straits Tension” (NPP Flash, Vol. 2, N. 12) |
8. PRC Missile Threat to TaiwanA team of US military officials were to travel to Taiwan to discuss Taiwan’s vulnerability to PRC missile attack.
“PRC Missile Threat to Taiwan” (Daily Report, April 3, US) |
People’s Republic of China
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9. PRC Radar Purchase
US Congress members threatened to block aid to Israel unless Israel cancels a planned sale of advanced airborne radar systems to the PRC.
“US Reaction to PRC Military Purchases” (Daily Report, April 7, US)
“PRC Military Purchases” (Daily Report, April 4, US) |
10. PRC-Japan Relations
Zeng Qing-hong, head of the Chinese Communist Party, visited Japan to hold talks with officials from Japan’s ruling coalition. General Fu Quanyou, chief of general staff of the PRC’s People’s Liberation Army, met Defense Agency chief Tsutomu Kawara in Tokyo on April 3.
“Japanese-PRC Relations” (Daily Report, April 7, Japan)
“Japan-PRC Military Relations” (Daily Report, April 4, US) |
Japan
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11. Japanese Prime Minister
Yoshiro Mori, the number two official in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, was named new Prime Minister of Japan, replacing Keizo Obuchi, who remained in a coma after suffering a massive stroke. In his first speech, Mori pledged to try to improve relations with the PRC and the DPRK while retaining strong cooperation with the US and the ROK.
“Japanese Foreign Policy” (Daily Report, April 7, US)
“Japanese Prime Minister” (Daily Report, April 5, US)
“PRC-Japanese Relations” (Daily Report, April 5, PRC)
“Survey on New Japanese Prime Minister” (Daily Report, April 7, Japan) |
12. US-Japan Relations
John Bolton and Ralph Cossa both argued in separate editorials that the US and Japan should move toward a more equal security partnership.
“US-Japan Military Alliance” (Daily Report, April 5, US)
“US-Japan Alliance” (NPP Flash, V. 2, N. 12)
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