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Northeast Asia Peace and Security Network DAILY REPORT For Wednesday, May 5, 1999, from Berkeley, California, USA |
1. Food Aid for DPRK
Agence France-Presse ("WFP DONOR MISSION ARRIVES IN NORTH KOREA," Seoul, 05/05/99) reported that the DPRK's official Korean Central News Agency said late Tuesday that a donor mission from the World Food Program (WFP) has arrived in the DPRK. The report said that the mission was led by Tun Myat, WFP director of resources and external relations. The delegation includes representatives from the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, the US, Switzerland and Australia.
2. Inter-Korean Soccer Match
The Associated Press ("KOREA WORKERS AGREE TO SOCCER GAMES," Seoul, 05/04/99) and Reuters ("UNIONS OF TWO KOREAS SET DATE FOR SOCCER MATCH," Seoul, 05/05/99) reported that the ROK's Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) said on Wednesday that it has agreed with the DPRK's General Federation of Korean Trade Unions to hold a soccer match on August 10 in Pyongyang and another one a year later in Seoul. KCTU said in a statement that the agreement was made when two KCTU representatives visited Pyongyang from April 27 to May 4. The statement said, "We hope it will be the first step toward building a solidarity between South and North Korean workers as well as bringing the two Koreas closer to reunification." It added that the representatives' overstay in the DPRK was "unavoidable," and that they planned to make an explanation to the government. Government officials were not immediately available for comment as the offices were closed for a holiday.
3. ROK-DPRK World Cup Co-Hosting
The Associated Press ("FIFA DOUBTS NK ABLE TO HOST GAMES IN 2002," Seoul, 05/05/99) reported that Antonio Matarrese, a vice president of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) on Tuesday called the idea of holding some of the 2002 World Cup soccer matches in the DPRK impractical. Matarrese stated, "It's too late for North Korea to participate." He added, "We must be practical.... If South Korea decided to build ten stadiums, it should use ten stadiums," but sharing matches with the DPRK would make some of the investment redundant. The ROK has the right to stage 32 matches as a co-host of the 2002 World Cup with Japan.
4. DPRK Soccer Team in US
The Associated Press (Jeffrey Gold, "N.KOREA SOCCER TEAM TO TRAIN IN US," Newark, 05/04/99) reported that Attorney Michael F. Coyne, president of Evergreen Sports Management in Cleveland, said Tuesday that the DPRK women's soccer team will prepare for their first appearance in the Women's World Cup by training in northern New Jersey from the first week of June. Coyne said that he did not yet know if the team would have any public appearances in New Jersey, but said it might stage an exhibition and youth clinic in Canton, Ohio, before its first game on June 20 against Nigeria in Los Angeles. Coyne said that the DPRK delegation would include 28 players and coaches, plus several others that he believes are "trainers and administrative people." He said that he did not think the DPRK would bring security officers to prevent defections, saying, "They've never expressed a concern about that." He also said that the delegation "have not expressed a desire to do any touring at all."
5. ROK-Japan Military Cooperation
Pacific Stars And Stripes (Jim Lea, "JAPAN, KOREA SET UP HOT LINES FOR MILITARY," Seoul, 05/06/99, 4) reported that the ROK Defense Ministry announced Tuesday that the ROK and Japan have established three hot lines to share information in the event of a military emergency on the Korean Peninsula. The communications links, which were to begin working on Wednesday, connect the ministry with the Japan Defense Agency, the ROK Combat Air Command with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and the ROK Naval Operations Command with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. A ministry spokesman said that military officers of the two countries would soon meet for detailed planning of a joint maritime exercise to be held between the two countries in July. The exercise will focus on search- and-rescue operations and will be held in waters east of Cheju Island. [Ed. note: This article appeared in the US Department of Defense's Early Bird news service for May 5.]
6. US Technology Transfers to PRC
The New York Times carried an opinion article by Gary Milhollin and Jordan Richie of the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control ("WHAT CHINA DIDN'T NEED TO STEAL," Washington, 05/05/99) which said that, in addition to nuclear weapons designs allegedly from the US, the PRC's nuclear development has benefited from transfers of US hardware. The article said, "A study we recently completed shows that the Commerce Department approved more than $15 billion worth of strategically sensitive exports to China in the last decade. Although supposedly intended for civilian purposes, the department's records show that much of this 'dual-use' equipment went directly to nuclear-missile and military sites, the vertebrae of China's strategic backbone." It added that several of these Chinese companies later resold the equipment to Iran and Pakistan. It noted that more than half of the exports consisted of computers. The article concluded, "Although China is not an enemy of the United States, it is not an ally.... 'Engagement,' the current policy toward China, is an abstraction connoting cultural visits and the opening of business ties. But in reality, this policy includes a trade in the means to make advanced weaponry." [Ed. note: This article appeared in the US Department of Defense's Early Bird news service for May 5.]
7. US Congress Views of PRC
Cox News Service (Scott Shepard, "SPY SCANDAL DARKENING CONGRESS'S VIEW OF CHINA, Washington, 05/04/99) carried an analytical article which said that allegations of PRC nuclear spying have led to increasing criticism in the US Congress of US President Bill Clinton's "strategic partnership" with the PRC. Representative Doug Bereuter, R-Nebraska, chairman of the Pacific Subcommittee of the House International Relations Committee, said that the reports on PRC espionage mark "a low point of Sino-American relations." Senator Richard Lugar, R-Indiana, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, recently wrote in the Washington Post, "The immediate focus of the president and Congress must be the recognition that the United States may now be at significantly greater risk from a Chinese ballistic missile attack. This recognition must inform the continuing debate about the efficacy of a strategic partnership with China." However, Senator Chuck Hagel, R-Nebraska, argued, "We can't overreact here, and I say this directly to my party. You can't hold these issues hostage to partisan games and political leverage." Representative Porter Goss, R-Florida, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said that in dealing with the PRC, "I think it's important to understand we need to emphasize friendship."
8. Russian Ratification of START II
The Associated Press (Greg Myre, "U.S., RUSSIA IN NUCLEAR STALEMATE," Moscow, 05/05/99) reported that Russian legislators and analysts said that, due to the NATO strikes on Yugoslavia, the Russian Duma appears unlikely to ratify the START II nuclear arms control treaty until after a new Duma is elected December. Alexander Pikayev, a military analyst with the Carnegie Center in Moscow, stated, "In practical terms, START II is finished for now and for some period into the future." He added, "It would be too risky (for Russian politicians) to move forward now." Valdimir Lukin, head of the Duma's International Affairs Committee, stated, "The Duma was ready to ratify START II. Honestly, it's to our advantage to ratify, but in the current situation it's impossible. There is no trust in the United States." Terry Taylor, assistant director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, stated, "Clearly, the Russians assign a high priority to their nuclear capability. It's the strongest card they have at the global security conference table." However, US Col. Robert Boudreau, chief of the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) office in Moscow, said that the CTR program, under which the US helps dismantle Russian nuclear equipment, "has continued with only minor bumps."
1. ROK-DPRK Relations
The Korea Times (Chang-sup Lee, "INTER-KOREAN ARMS CONTROL NEEDED," Seoul, 05/05/99) reported that ROK President Kim Dae-jung on Wednesday said that he hoped that the US and the DPRK would improve relations by reducing mutual threats. He suggested that the ROK and the DPRK realize arms control to dismantle the Cold War structure on the Korean peninsula. In an interview with CNN, Kim said that during his tenure, inter-Korean relations have made the most meaningful progress of any time in the history of the country, and that the atmosphere is becoming ripe for the resumption of dialogue. He outlined five tasks for realizing lasting peace and stability on the peninsula: inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation through faithful implementation of the provisions of the 1991 Basic Agreement; moves by the US and Japan toward improving and normalizing relations with the DPRK; fostering an environment conducive to the DPRK becoming responsible member of the international community; removal from the Korean peninsula of weapons of mass destruction; and replacement of the armistice with a peace regime. Kim stated, "When a peace structure is built on the Korean Peninsula, de facto unification will be realized. Peace of the South and North will be able to visit and help each other." He also said, "We do not believe that the United States and Japan must come to Seoul en route to Pyongyang. Nor do we believe we must make contact with North Korea ahead of the United States or Japan." He argued, "The most realistic North Korea policy for us is to make North Korea abandon the war option and choose peaceful coexistence on its own accord. In this respect, a comprehensive approach and engagement policy toward North Korea are the most rational and realistic alternatives for the basic resolution of the Korean issue." Kim stated that as long as the Korean Peninsula remains the last bastion of the Cold War, it will be difficult to realize peace and stability not only on the peninsula but also in Northeast Asia.
2. Inter-Korean Soccer Game
The Korea Times ("INTER-KOREAN WORKERS' SOCCER GAME TO BE HELD IN P'YANG AUG. 10," Seoul, 05/05/99) reported that the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) said in a press conference on Wednesday that its delegation has agreed to stage a soccer match in the DPRK capital on August 10. "We have reached a final agreement with workers of the North to help promote inter-Korean human exchanges and speed up the unification," KCTU president Lee Kap-yong said. He added that the KCTU plans to host a second match in Seoul in August next year if the Pyongyang game takes place successfully as scheduled. Lee said that the two sides set the match date on August 10 to celebrate the 54th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule on August 15, 1945. The proposed match, if realized, would be the first of its kind since the Korean peninsula was divided. Lee revealed a further plan to regularize an annual sporting event among workers of the ROK and the DPRK. The KCTU also agreed to create a joint preparation committee to successfully realize the game. The envisaged committee will be composed of five representatives each from the KCTU and the DPRK's General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea. The two labor groups have decided to use an emblem for the soccer match consisting of a soccer ball on the map of the Korean peninsula. The KCTU said it has not yet decided on how to form a soccer team, adding that details on the selection of team members will be discussed in committee meetings. Lee unveiled that the labor organization is considering another plan to promote inter-Korean exchanges of teachers, doctors, nurses and other workers between the two Koreas.
III. People's Republic of China
1. ROK-Japan Military Cooperation
People's Daily ("ROK AND JAPAN ESTABLISH HOT LINES," Seoul, 5/5/99, A6) reported that an ROK Defense Ministry spokesman said on May 4 that the militaries of the ROK and Japan have established and formally started using hot lines to speedily exchange information in case of an emergency. The hot lines connect the ROK Defense Ministry with the Japanese Defense Agency, ROK Combat Air Command with the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force, and ROK Naval Operation Command with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. Under an emergency, the two sides will change related information and their policies, according to the report. Those hot lines were established according to the agreement reached by ROK Defense Minister Chun Yong-taek and his Japanese Counterpart Hosei Norota in January.
2. ROK Economy
Business Weekly ("CRISIS OVER?" 5/2-8/99, Seoul, A2) reported that the ROK last week showed off a battery of impressive economic indicators amid warnings that the economy could overheat dangerously as it emerges from crisis. Industrial output growth hit a four-year high of 18.4 percent in March, the National Statistical Office of the ROK said. The current account surplus swelled to US$2.62 billion in the month, the ROK central bank revealed. Factory utilization improvements in key indicators sparked optimism that the economy is poised on the brink of a full recovery.
3. PRC-Japanese Relations
Wen Hui Daily ("DEVELOPING SINO-JAPANESE RELATIONSHIP," Beijing, 5/5/99, A4) reported that Li Peng, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee of China met with a Japanese delegation on May 4 from the Dietmen's League for Japan-China Friendship, led by Director-General Machimura Nobutaka. The delegation is composed of young Diet members from major parties of Japan. During the meeting, Li Peng said that young politicians from both the PRC and Japan must maintain the bilateral friendship initiated by their predecessors. The delegation's visit coincides with the PRC's commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the May 4 Movement, a mass patriotic movement, Li said. He recalled this period of history with the young Japanese Diet members, with the purpose of learning from history, looking forward to the future, eliminating problems and ensuring healthy development of Sino-Japanese friendship.
4. Across-Taiwan Strait Relations
China Daily ("ARATS URGES SEF TO ABIDE BY CONSENSUS," 4/29/99, A1) reported that the Beijing-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) is calling on its Taiwan counterpart to sincerely implement the consensus reached in October. "Presently, the basis for contacts and consultations between ARATS and the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) is the implementation of the four-point consensus reached by ARATS President Wang Daohan and SEF Chairman Koo Chen-fu," ARATS explained on April 28 in a letter to SEF. The first point requires the two bodies to agree to hold political and economic discussions, and the groups' leaders to make the arrangement. ARATS sent SEF a letter on April 16 indicating that its officials were ready to discuss political disputes arising from talks on routine matters. "But SEF's letter (on April 23) did not respond to the (first point) ... suggesting that leaders of the two bodies arrange the dialogues," ARATS wrote. "We expect SEF to raise specific suggestions on the implementation of the first point of the consensus, so the staff of ARATS and SEF can hold discussions and the leaders can make specific arrangements," ARATS added.
China Daily ("'ONE CHINA' STRESSED," Shanghai, 5/1/99, A2) reported that Wang Daohan, president of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), met with Kan Naoto, head of the Democratic Party of Japan, and his party on April 30. Wang stressed that both the mainland and Taiwan should exert efforts to discuss issues through consultation under the one-China principle.
5. Obuchi's Visit to the US
Jie Fang Daily ("US, JAPAN REACH A CONSENSUS TO SUPPORT CHINA'S ACCESS TO WTO," Washington, 5/5/99, A7) reported that Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, who is visiting the US, said in Washington on May 3 that he and US President Bill Clinton had reached a consensus on the matter of pushing for the PRC's access to the World Trade Organization (WTO) this year. He pointed out that it is important to further develop bilateral cooperation between Japan, the US and the PRC.
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