NORTHEAST ASIA PEACE AND SECURITY NETWORK DAILY REPORT FOR Thursday, May 30, 1996 from Berkeley, California, USA This report is distributed to e-mail participants of the NAPS Network. Please send news items or contributions to the discussion section to Editor, npr@igc.apc.org Conventions for readers and a list of acronyms and abbreviations are sent to all recipients weekly. In today's Report: I. People's Republic of China I. People's Republic of China A. Government Statements 1. China's Positions on CTBT China will not continue to conduct nuclear tests indefinitely, Foreign Ministry spokesman Cui Tiankai said. He reiterated that China's attitudes and policies towards nuclear testing have always been responsible and restrained. "We have promised not to use nuclear weapons on non-nuclear countries or nuclear-free regions," Cui said. China supports the adoption of a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty before final disarmament, the spokesman said. He also said that China has adopted a "sincere and responsible" attitude in negotiations for a good test ban treaty before the end of this year. The document must be "just, reasonable, open for effective international supervision and participated in by all nuclear powers." At the news briefing, Cui also denied the "groundless rumor" that China is buying advanced missile technology from Russia and the Ukraine. "We have taken our international responsibilities as the basis of our military cooperation," Cui said. China Daily, Xu Yang ("CHINA HOPES FOR TEST BAN AGREEMENT," A1, 5/24/96) 2. Sino-US Relations When commenting on US President Bill Clinton's decision to unconditionally extend the most favored nation (MFN) status for China, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Cui Tiankai said at a news briefing that President Clinton has made a wise decision which China welcomes. Cui said that China has always believed that the mutual granting of MFN status by China and the US constitutes the basis of bilateral economic and trade relations, which facilitates bilateral cooperation and exchange in economic and trade areas and serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples. The annual review of MFN status by the US, however, is not conducive to the establishment of long-term, stable and normal economic and trade ties, Cui said. China urges the US to revise the erroneous practice which has long been antiquated. People's Daily ("CHINA WELCOMES US RENEWAL OF MFN STATUS", Beijing, A4, 5/22/96) China has always attached importance to its relations with the US and maintains that the two countries share many common interests. Foreign Minister Qian Qichen made these comments while answering questions from the press in Harare. It is in accordance with the basic interest of the peoples of both countries and is conducive to world peace and development to promote normal bilateral relations based on the three joint communiques between China and the US. While handling relations with the US, China has always followed the principles of "promoting mutual trust, strengthening cooperation, reducing friction and avoiding confrontation," Qian said. "It is natural that on questions concerning the fundamental interest of the nation and the people, we stand on principle and have to take necessary and appropriate measures," he stressed. Qian said it was wise for President Bill Clinton to unconditionally extend most favored nation trading status for China. On US Secretary of State Warren Christopher's May 17 speech on relations with China, Qian said that he appreciated Christopher's positive attitude towards promoting better relations with China. It was practical for Christopher to emphasize the importance of such relations, though China disagreed with some of his views, said the Chinese minister. Qian said he would like to meet Christopher in July for sincere discussions on the development of Sino-US relations, as was proposed by the secretary of state in the speech. China Daily ("NORMAL SINO-US TIES WORTH WORK -- QIAN," Harare, A1, 5/23/96) 3. Taiwan Issue Chinese Vice-Premier and Foreign Minister Qian Qichen, who was accompanying Chinese President Jiang Zemin in his African six- nation tour, answered reporters' questions on the Taiwan issue on May 21. When asked for comments on the May 20 speech by Lee Tenghui, Qian expressed that Lee's speech is just a deception, and a sharp drop of 246 points in the Taiwanese stock market is the reflection of the public opinion. Qian stated, "Our position on settling the Taiwan issue is always consistent." On January 30 last year, President Jiang Zemin put forward 8 principles concerning the relations across the Straits and the peaceful unification, and on January 30 this year, Premier Li Peng reiterated the above-mentioned ideas and proposed to hold negotiations on the peaceful unification across the Straits. As the first step, the two sides can hold talks on the subject of formally finishing the confrontation across the Straits under the "one China" principle, and reach an agreement; and Taiwan leaders' visits to the mainland under the appropriate title are welcome. Concerning Taiwan's authorities, he said that "We now are scrutinizing their words and deeds." People's Daily, Liu Jiang, Shi Zongxing and Wen Xian ("QIAN QICHEN COMMENTS ON TAIWAN ISSUE," Harare, A6, 5/23/96) B. Media 1. Inter-Korean Relations The DPRK reported an intrusion into its waters by eight South Korean warships on May 23. DPRK reports said the South Korean ships sailed into its waters of the Yellow Sea, which separates the Korean Peninsula from China, with "hostile" intent. "[South Korean] puppets intruded with a group of eight ships consisting of destroyers, guard ships, and fast ships at around 5:40 am on (May) 23 ... in a bid to carry out intentional hostile actions against us," they said. Radio Pyongyang said the intrusion "did not lead to a military clash solely because our sailors have high levels of patience and self-control." In Seoul, the ROK defense ministry denied the DPRK report, saying it was "not worthy of comment." Earlier on May 23, the ROK said that five boats from the DPRK intruded into its waters and were chased away by Southern naval vessels. "About 10 boats headed for the South before dawn and five of them entered our waters at 5:51 am (2051 GMT on May 23)," a South Korean spokesman told reporters. China Daily ("WARSHIP CONFLICT ON KOREAN PENINSULA," Tokyo, A11, 5/24/96) 2. Sino-DPRK Relations China cherishes its traditional friendship with the DPRK, Chinese Prime Minister Li Peng said when he met with visiting DPRK Administrative Council Vice-Premier Hong Song Nan in Beijing. During the meeting, Premier Li Peng said that it is China's consistent policy to maintain peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and reinforce and develop friendly cooperation between China and the DPRK. He believes that under the joint efforts of China and the DPRK, the long border-line shared by the two countries will always be a bond of friendly cooperation. At the same occasion, Premier Li expressed sympathy for the temporary hardship that the DPRK has encountered. He said that the DPRK people certainly will overcome difficulties under the leadership of Comrade Kim Jong Il. In the evening of May 22, China and the DPRK signed a bilateral economic and technological cooperative agreement and an exchange note on China's aid of 20,000 tons of grain to the DPRK. Jie Fang Daily ("LI PENG MEETS WITH DPRK GUEST", Beijing, A4, 5/23/96) 3. Sino-US Relations After US President Clinton announced an unconditional extension of China's most favored nation (MFN) status, the Journal of Commerce (a US newspaper) published an editorial which appealed to the US Congress and Clinton administration to give China permanent MFN status, just like other countries. The editorial said that the every year disputes on China's MFN status is not productive. As the threat of canceling China's MFN status is not feasible, the threat indicates the US' inability. The editorial pointed out every year's review of China's MFN status is an outdated practice left by the cold war. Not giving permanent MFN status to China will bring economic loss to the US, especially to US investors. People's Daily, Ying Qian ("US NEWSPAPER APPEALS TO GIVE CHINA PERMANENT MFN STATUS," Washington, A7, 5/24/96) Apparently fearing the loss of business opportunities to companies outside the US as well as being aware of their influence, the American auto makers General Motors (GM) and the Ford Motor Company are calling for action to prevent Sino-US relations from getting worse. Their appeals come in the wake of US President Bill Clinton's announcement that he had decided to unconditionally extend most favored nation (MFN) trading status to China. John Smith, Jr, GM's president and chief executive officer, in Detroit called for the US Government to grant permanent and unconditional MFN status to China. "China is looking for signs that we accept it as a major emerging power. We should start by granting China permanent and unconditional MFN status," Smith said. Also, Ford's Executive Vice-president Wayne Booker made a statement in Washington appealing for the two nations to continue negotiations for solutions to the dispute over intellectual property rights protection, although he acknowledged that negotiations would be difficult. China Daily, Chang Weimin ("US BUSINESS URGES BETTER CHINA TIES," A5, 5/23/96) 4. PRC's Missile Technology Import As US Defense Minister William Perry told reporters that China is going to buy SS-18 missile technology from Russia, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Panov expressed his doubts on this statement the next day. Panov said that Russia does not export this kind of technology to China, and in fact, that the US has not got any proof showing that Russia has exported missile technology to Beijing. People's Liberation Army Daily ("RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY DENOUNCES THE STATEMENT OF RUSSIA EXPORTING MISSILE TECHNOLOGY TO CHINA," Moscow, A4, 5/24/96) 5. China's Access into WTO China will not accept excessively strict conditions for obtaining membership in the World Trade Organization, Wu Yi, China's Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation said in Beijing. "Some countries, especially the US, are attempting to politicize the WTO issue, which adds to the complexity of the process," she said during a talk with Grete Knudsen, the visiting Norwegian Minister of Trade and Shipping. Wu criticized the practice of "trying to impose standards of developed countries on China," and said that China is still a developing country with a huge population, 15 million of whom live below the poverty line. She said that although China is determined to join the WTO and is willing to meet the requirements for developing countries set forth in the Uruguay round of the GATT talks, it will not pay an "overly high admission fee" for WTO membership. China Daily, Sun Hong ("WU YI SAYS WTO TERMS MUST BE EQUITABLE", A5, 5/28/96) According to the Japan Economic Journal, Japanese prime minister Ryutaro Hashimoto said that he expected China to join the World Trade Organization (WTO). He expressed his belief that it is important to incorporate China into the international economic community. Wen Hui Daily ("HASHIMOTO EXPECTS CHINA TO ACCEDE TO WTO", Tokyo, A4, 5/28/96) 6. US-Japanese Military Agreement The US-Japan accord signed last month made the regional security situation more complicated and could cause big problems later, according to exports at a recent Sino-Japanese Conference Association for International Understanding (CAFIU). "The original accord was simply a bilateral agreement under which the US provided nuclear protection for Japan. But the new accord tends to poke its nose into regional affairs," said Wu Xingtang, secretary-general of the CAFIU. Some Japanese believe that three factors could affect security in the region surrounding Japan: territorial disputes in the South China Sea, the uncertain fate of the Korean Peninsula and the issue of Taiwan, according to Feng Zhaokui, deputy director of the Institute of Japanese Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. All these issues seem to have something to do with China. The promulgation of the "China threat" theory seems to justify the consolidation of the US-Japan security system. "This accord is the result of a strategic rearrangement of US policy towards Asia and the Pacific region," said Lu Zhongwei, vice-president of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR). Since the early 1980s, there have been Japanese politicians who have argued that Japan should "infuse new energy into the US-Japan security accord" and "build Japan into a political power." The new security agreement is just one of several significant steps dissolving the boundaries drawn by the Japanese Constitution, which pledges a permanent stance of non- belligerence. Lu says that he believes Japan will not amend its Constitution but will violate its tenets by reinterpreting or surreptitiously abridging them. The problem is that Japan has enormous potential to be an important military power because its technology is so advanced. It might therefore activate its powerful military when it is not under direct threat of attack or invasion but merely facing a regional or international conflict. Lu believes the new treaty increases the likelihood of that happening. "The accord is not defensive," he said, "but offensive." Japan and the US represented their bilateral security agreement as laying a foundation for peace and prosperity in Asia and the Pacific region. However, it seems that these two countries will dominate the region together, Lu said. A Japanese scholar at the conference compared Japan to the fox and the US to the tiger. "Though the fox following the tiger is not admirable, it could be more horrible if the fox turns into a wolf," said Kinhide Mushakoji, a professor of Meiji Gakuin University. China Daily, Chen Yali ("US-JAPAN PACT DOES MORE HARM THAN GOOD", A4, 5/23/96) C. Other Related Issues 1. Japan's Anti-Missile System The Japanese Asahi Shinbun reported that an agreement, saying that the US will provide Japan the warning information on missile launching, was basically reached by the two countries' defense agencies. According to the report, the agreement was required by Japan. It also said that Japan has started to study the establishment of an anti-missile system with the help of US intelligence. Jie Fang Daily ("JAPAN TO ESTABLISH ANTI-MISSILE SYSTEM WITH THE HELP OF US", A4, 5/24/96) 2. US Strategy in Asia-Pacific US Defense Minister William Perry said that in order to safeguard vital security interests of the US and its allies in the Asia-Pacific area, the US will exert itself to carry out a defense strategy in this region, which puts prevention first. When speaking at a meeting of the Pacific Basin Economic Council, Mr. Perry said that the US preventive defense strategy in the Asia- Pacific region is based on four pillars, which are maintaining firm alliance with Japan, the ROK, Thailand and the Philippines; taking the initiative in multi-lateral security and establishing regional security trust; keeping "comprehensive engagement" not containment with China; and preventing the proliferation of mass-destructive weapons in this area. Mr. Perry said that his country will maintain a powerful military presence in the Asia-Pacific region while implementing the preventive defense strategy. Wen Hui Daily, Zhou Xisheng ("US TO PURSUE `PREVENTIVE DEFENCE STRATEGY' IN ASIA-PACIFIC," Washington, A4, 5/24/96) 3. Border Disarmament Diplomatic and military delegations from China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan and Tadzhikistan held the 19th round of negotiations in Moscow from May 13 to May 27. The representatives exchanged their views on the issue of reducing military forces in border areas. They also decided that the next round of negotiations will be held in Beijing in late August or early September. Jie Fang Daily ("CHINA AND FOUR FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS HELD NEGOTIATIONS ON DISARMAMENT", Moscow, A4, 5/28/96) --- The NAPSNet Daily Report aims to serve as a forum for dialogue and exchange among Peace and Security specialists and invites you to reply to today's report. We welcome commentary or papers for distribution to the network. Produced by the Nautilus Institute Dana Fisher: nautilus@netcom.com Berkeley, California Stephen Noerper: nautilusdc@igc.apc.org Washington, DC Timothy Savage: savage@plaza.snu.ac.kr Seoul, Republic of Korea Dingli Shen: dlshen@fudan.ihep.ac.cn Shanghai, People's Republic of China Chunsi Wu: dlshen@fudan.ihep.ac.cn Shanghai, People's Republic of China