Korean Peninsula

1. Northern Limit Line
2. Japan-DPRK Talks
3. ROK-DPRK Talks
4. Inter-Korean Railway
5. US Policy toward DPRK
6. PRC-DPRK Talks

Korean Peninsula

The DPRK announced that it had designated a navigation channel for five islands it claimed in the Yellow Sea that are also claimed by the ROK. The ROK warned that it would not tolerate any violations of the Northern Limit Line by DPRK vessels.
"DPRK-ROK Territorial Dispute" (Daily Report, March 24, ROK)
"ROK-DPRK Territorial Dispute" (Daily Report, March 24, US)
"Northern Limit Line Dispute" (Daily Report, March 23, US)

Japanese Foreign Minister Yohei Kono announced on March 22 that the Japanese and DPRK governments would resume normalization talks in Pyongyang on April 4. Kono will visit Seoul prior to the meeting to coordinate with ROK officials.
"Japanese-DPRK Relations" (Daily Report, March 24, Japan)
"DPRK-Japan Talks" (Daily Report, March 23, ROK)
"Japan-DPRK Normalization Talks" (Daily Report, March 21, US)
"Japanese Foreign Minister to Visit ROK" (Daily Report, March 23, ROK)

ROK President Kim Dae-jung said that he expects that an inter-Korean dialogue will materialize in the not-too-distant future. The European Union praised Kim's calls for dialogue.
"DPRK-ROK Talks" (Daily Report, March 24, ROK)
"Inter-Korean Summit" (Daily Report, March 23, ROK)
"EU on Berlin Proposal" (Daily Report, March 21, ROK)
"ROK-DPRK Relations" (Daily Report, March 21, ROK)

ROK officials revealed that Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov proposed during his visit to the DPRK that the ROK and the DPRK build a railway connecting the two countries into Siberia. ROK and Russian experts will meet next week to discuss the proposal.
"Russia-DPRK Relations" (Daily Report, March 24, ROK)

Ambassador Wendy R. Sherman, Counselor of the Department of State, testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, on US policy toward the DPRK. She said that the US continues to pursue a "constructive dialogue" with the DPRK. Mitchell Reiss, Dean of International Affairs and Director of the Wendy and Emery Reves Center for International Studies, College of William & Mary testified before the Committee on International Relations US House of Representatives. Reiss discussed the "three myths" that currently influence US policy toward the DPRK.
"US-DPRK Relations" (Daily Report, March 21, US)
"Reiss Congressional Testimony" (Special Report, March 22)

PRC Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi said that the PRC and the DPRK are discussing a possible exchange of leaders' visits. The announcement followed talks between PRC Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan and visiting DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sum.
"PRC-DPRK Talks" (Daily Report, March 21, US)
"DPRK-PRC Relations" (Daily Report, March 21, ROK)
"DPRK-PRC Relations" (Daily Report, March 21, PRC)

Taiwan Straits

The US sent former Congressman Lee Hamilton to Taiwan to meet with President-elect Chen Shui-bian to discuss his policy toward the PRC. Japan announced that it would not change its policy in the wake of Chen's election. The Washington Post reported that pragmatists among the Democratic Progressive Party were pushing for a softer stance toward the PRC following their victory.
"US-Taiwan Relations" (Daily Report, March 24, US)
"Japan's Reaction to the Taiwan Election" (Daily Report, March 24, Japan)
"Cross-Strait Relations" (Daily Report, March 21, US)

The United States Information Agency released a digest of international reaction to the Taiwan presidential election. Another Special Report provides links to international reactions and official government statements on the election.
"Repercussions of Taiwan's Election" (Special Report, March 23)
"World Media on Taiwan Election" (Special Report, March 21)

PRC analysts said that the process of reunification could proceed slowly and peacefully as long as the new Taiwan president adhered to the "one-China" principle. PRC Vice Premier Qian Qichen said that Chen Shui-bian's acceptance of that principle was a prerequisite for talks.
"Cross-Straits Relations" (Daily Report, March 24, US)

Haowangjian, the official journal of the People's Liberation Army, said that the PRC is prepared to resort to nuclear weapons if necessary to keep the US from intervening in any attempt to unify with Taiwan by force. Russian Vice Premier Ilya Klebanov said that the PRC is interested in purchasing a number of Russian destroyers.
"PLA's Unification Scenario" (Daily Report, March 24, Japan)
"Cross-Strait Relations" (Daily Report, March 21, US)
"RF-PRC Arms Trade and Taiwan Defenses" (Daily Report, March 21, Russia)

US Republicans analysts said that it would not be wise for Taiwan to seek more missile purchases from the US during this transition period.
"US Missile Sales to Taiwan" (Daily Report, March 24, US)

Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui resigned as head of the Kuomintang or Nationalist Party to take responsibility for the party's loss in the presidential election.
"Taiwan Political Developments" (Daily Report, March 24, US)
"Political Change in Taiwan" (Daily Report, March 23, US)

People's Republic of China

A report by a US Defense Department study group concluded that the PRC will remain a competitor of the US. Nautilus Associate Hans M. Kristensen writes that the role of the PRC in US strategic nuclear planning has grown steadily during the 1990s.
"Pentagon Study Foresees Decade-Long Chinese Challenge" (NPP Flash, v 2, n 10)
"U.S. Strategic Nuclear Reform in the 1990s" (Working Paper)

South Asia

US President Bill Clinton, during his trip to South Asia, urged India to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Indian Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee said that the treaty would not be signed during Clinton's visit. The two leaders pledged that they would forgo further nuclear tests and work together with others for an early commencement of negotiations on a treaty for the production of fissile materials.
"India: Nuclear Issues" (South Asia Nuclear Dialogue, March 23)
"US-India Pledge Nuclear Arms Control"

Produced by the Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainable Development in partnership with:
International Policy Studies Institute Seoul, Republic of Korea
The Center for Global Communications, Tokyo, Japan
Center for American Studies,
Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China

Timothy L. Savage: napsnet@nautilus.org
Berkeley, California, United States

Gee Gee Wong: napsnet@nautilus.org
Berkeley, California, United States

Kim Hee-sun: khs688@hotmail.com
Seoul, Republic of Korea

Hiroyasu Akutsu: akutsu@glocomnet.or.jp
Tokyo, Japan

Peter Razvin: icipu@glas.apc.org
Moscow, Russian Federation

Chunsi Wu: dlshen@fudan.ac.cn
Shanghai, People's Republic of China

Dingli Shen: dlshen@fudan.ac.cn
Shanghai, People's Republic of China