|
|
||
|
|
|
Policy Forum Online: Ethical Governance Of Investment Biweekly Update
Browse Past Reports:
Email Services:
|
|
I. United States1. Bush PRC Visit Agence France-Presse ("JIANG USHER IN NEW ERA OF SINO-US TIES," 02/21/02) reported that after US President George W. Bush and PRC President Jiang Zemin met behind closed doors, Jiang stated, "It is my hope and conviction that today's meeting will have a positive impact on improvement and growth of China-US relations." Bush said relations were "mature, respectful and important to both our nations and to the world." No announcement was made on a missile agreement, but US officials said they still hoped to negotiate a deal under which the PRC would implement a November 2000 pact to curb ballistic missile exports. "My government hopes that China will strongly oppose the proliferation of missiles and other deadly technologies," said Bush. He revealed he had also sought Jiang's help in restarting US-DPRK talks on security issues. "I asked his help in conveying that message to Kim Jong-Il," said Bush. Jiang's response was he "sincerely hope(s) that the contacts between (the) United States and DPRK will resume." 2. PRC-US Weapons Proliferation Reuters (Randall Mikkelsen, "BUSH MEETS JIANG BUT NO DEAL ON WEAPONS PROLIFERATION," Beijing, 02/21/02) reported that although US President George W. Bush urged the PRC to "strongly oppose" arms proliferation, the two sides failed to secure an early deal on the spread of weapons technology. Bush's National Security Adviser, Condoleeza Rice, said that she did not expect a deal to be reached during Bush's current visit to China, which denies the U.S. charges. "The talks are getting a little bit better but it's going to take a while," Rice told reporters. PRC President Jiang Zemin, when asked about how best to proceed on Iraq, urged the US to be patient in its war on terrorism. Reuters ("TAIWAN DEFENCE MINISTER SAYS READY FOR CHINA THREAT," Taipei, 02/21/02) reported that Taiwan's new defence minister Tang Yiau-ming declared that Taiwan's defense forces stand ready to counter a growing threat from the PRC, but preventing war is more important than winning one. "We fully support government efforts to establish confidence building measures through security dialogue and exchanges to pursue lasting peace in the Taiwan Strait," Yiau-ming told reporters. Although Bush stated that there was no change in US policy on Taiwan, Taiwan set up a high-level task force to watch Bush's visit to Asia around the clock. Tang, who took office this month in a cabinet reshuffle, said transparency could help avoid miscalculation, which could lead to war. "We'll avoid war but we do not fear war. We are prepared for war, but do not seek war," Tang said. In the early days of his presidency, Bush vowed to do "whatever it took" to defend Taiwan but has not repeated the statement recently. 3. PRC-US role with DPRK The New York Times (Elisabeth Bumiller, "U.S. AND CHINA AIM TO OPEN TALKS WITH NORTH KOREA," Beijing, 02/21/02) and Reuters (Arshad Mohammed, "BUSH SEEKS CHINESE HELP TO REVIVE NORTH KOREA TALKS," Beijing, 02/21/02 reported that US President George W. Bush and PRC President Jiang Zemin said today that they would work together on opening negotiations between the DPRK and the US. At a joint news conference, Bush said that he asked Jiang to help him make contact with DPRK leader Kim Jong Il and convey to Kim that the US was serious about an offer that Bush made yesterday in Seoul to sit down for talks. "We would be willing to meet with the North Korean regime, and I asked his help in conveying that message, " Bush said, with Jiang at his side. "If he speaks to the leader of North Korea, he can assure him I am sincere in my desire to have our folks meet." US National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice later told reporters that Jiang did not explicitly agree to speak to Kim Jong-il on Bush's behalf. But she added, "He seemed to acknowledge that China had a role to play in trying to send the message to North Korea that the United States is absolutely serious about keeping open the possibility for dialogue." Jiang did state, "We also sincerely hope that the contacts between the United States and North Korea can be resumed. " 4. Jiang US Visit Reuters (Randall Mikkelsen, "CHINA'S JIANG AND HEIR APPARENT HU JINTAO TO VISIT U.S.," Beijing, 02/21/02) reported that PRC President Jiang Zemin said on Thursday he would visit the US in October. Jiang's heir apparent Hu Jintao would make a separate trip as well. Both trips underscore Bush and Jiang's intention, stated on Thursday, to step up contacts between the two countries, who have found common ground in the war on terrorism. "I have accepted with pleasure and appreciate President Bush's invitation," Jiang said at a joint news conference with Bush. His last official visit to the United States was in October 1997. Jiang said that Hu would visit "in the near future" at the invitation of US Vice President Dick Cheney. Jiang is due to step down as General Secretary of the Communist Party at a five-yearly congress this autumn and his second and final term as president expires in March 2003. 5. Cross-Straits Relations Agence France-Presse ("TAIWAN CALLS FOR RESUMPTION OF DIALOGUE AS BUSH BEGINS CHINA VISIT," 02/21/02) reported that Taiwan called on the PRC to reopen rapprochement talks as US President George W. Bush began a two-day visit to Beijing. Taiwan Premier Yu Shyi-kun on Thursday asked Chinese leaders to set aside the differences and engage in talks in the aftermath of their entry to the World Trade Organization (WTO). "Now both sides have become WTO members, we should respect each other ... and put aside the disputes and engage in talks on topics of mutual concerns to normalize bilateral economic and trade ties," Yu told a seminar of businessmen who do business with the mainland. Yu, who took office on February 1, recommended talks on topics including economic cooperation, a proposed investment guarantee agreement, post, commerce and transportation links and the concept of "one China." 6. Taiwan's View of Bush Asia Tour Reuters (Alice Hung, "TAIWAN RELIEVED AFTER BUSH-JIANG SUMMIT PASSES SAFELY" Taipei, 02/21/02) reported that Taiwan breathed a sigh of relief on Thursday that US President George W. Bush did not undermine Taiwan's interests during a summit with the PRC's president Jiang Zemin. "President Bush did not make any remark that undermined the interests of Taiwan and remained firm in his position of support to Taiwan," Taiwan Foreign Minister Eugene Chien said after the Bush-Jiang meeting in Beijing. "We are very grateful to the United States for its commitments to Taiwan," Chien stated. "The Bush-Jiang meeting and Bush's visit to the East are positive to cross-strait relations. As long as mainland China moves towards the direction of embracing universal values of democracy and freedom, I believe tensions in the Taiwan Strait will abate significantly," he said. 7. ROK's View of Bush Asia Tour Reuters (Paul Eckert, "S.KOREA SAYS BUSH ALLAYS FEARS, NEXT MOVE NORTH'S, " Seoul, 02/21/02) and Agence France-Presse ("SOUTH KOREA WELCOMES BUSH'S NO INVASION ASSURANCE," 02/21/02) reported that the ROK government welcomed President George W. Bush's assurance that the United States would not invade the rival North. The South Korean presidential office said Bush's statement on Wednesday after a summit with President Kim Dae-Jung had put to rest fears of confrontation on the Korean peninsula that mounted after Bush had said North Korea was part of "an axis of evil". "There has been public concerns about peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and we believe President Bush's visit lifted those concerns," presidential spokeswoman Park Sun-Sook said Thursday. "President Bush's statement that the United States has no intention to invade North Korea has erased those concerns," she said. She noted that Kim and Bush had agreed to use peaceful means and seek dialogue with Pyongyang to resolve the threats from North Korea's missiles and weapons of mass destruction. Other highlights of the visit included the two leaders' reaffirmation of the strong US-ROK alliance and their agreement to cooperate closely in the war against terrorism, she said. "On the basis of the Kim-Bush talks, the (South Korean) government will be consistent and patient in pursuing rapprochement with North Korea," she said. Foreign Minister Choi Sung-Hong said "through the summit, the two countries renewed the invitation to North Korea to dialogue. I hope North Korea will pick up our true intention and come forward at an early date." 1. Japan's Role in US-Iran Relations The Yomiuri Shinbun ("AXIS OF EVEIL: TRANSMIT IRANIAN DISCONTENT," 02/20/02) reported that Iranian deputy Foreign Minister, Mohsen Aminzadeh visited Japan and the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on February 14. Aminzadeh had the meeting with the former vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, Yoshiji Nogami. At the meeting, Aminzadeh expressed, "We Iranians were betrayed by the US which called us an 'axis of evil,' in spite of our cooperation with the US on Afghan issues." Consequently, Japanese prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi relayed this discontent against the US in the summit meeting with US President George W. Bush on February 18. Additionally, Japanese Foreign Minister, Junko Kawaguchi, told US Secretary of State, Colin Powell in the foreign minister meeting the same thing. After these meetings, an executive in Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reportedly said that Japan which has good relations with Iran would be the point of contact between the US and Iran. 2. Japan's Embassy in Kabul The Yomiuri Shinbun (Tetsuya Kubo, "REOPEN OF JAPANESE EMBASSY IN KABUL," 02/20/02, Kabul) reported that Kinichi Komano, Japan's provisional deputy ambassador to Afghanistan, arrived in Kabul on February 19. Komano said that he intends to cope with refugee, medical treatment, and education issues. Japanese liaison office in Kabul received the status of embassy upon Komano's arrival at Kabul. 3. Japan-Pakistan Relations The Yomiuri Shinbun (Asanobu Sato, "PAKISTANI PRESIDENT'S VISIT," Islamabad, 02/20/02) reported that Pakistani president, General Pervez Musharaf, will visit Japan in March. Musharaf is to have a meeting with Japan's prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, to discuss Afghan affairs, and the easing of India-Pakistan tensions.
The NAPSNet Daily Report aims to serve as a forum for dialogue
and exchange among peace and security specialists.
Conventions for readers and a list of acronyms and
abbreviations are available to all recipients.
For descriptions of the world wide web sites used to gather
information for this report, or for more information on web
sites with related information, see the collection of
other NAPSNet resources.
Produced by the Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainable Development in partnership with:
BK21 The Education and Research Corps for East Asian Studies
Center for American Studies,
International Peace Research Institute (PRIME),
Monash Asia Institute,
Brandon Yu: napsnet@nautilus.org
Timothy L. Savage: napsnet@nautilus.org
Kim Young-soo: yskim328@hotmail.com
Hibiki Yamaguchi: hibikiy84@hotmail.com
Saiko Iwata: saiko@akira.ne.jp
Hiroya Takagi: hiroya_takagi@hotmail.com
Peter Razvin: icipu@glas.apc.org
Wu Chunsi: cswu@fudan.ac.cn
Dingli Shen: dlshen@fudan.ac.cn
John McKay: John.McKay@adm.monash.edu.au
|
||
