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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, July 21, 2003

Chinese Special Envoy Shuttles between US & DPRK: Commentary

The international community is aware that the Korean nuclear issue has reached a "critical point", and the various sides have obviously quickened the rhythm of their mediation activities, Australian Prime Minister John Howard and British Prime Minister Tony Blair have been visiting Asia almost at the same time, what is more attractive is Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo's America trip.


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The Korean Peninsula has continued to be the focus of people's attention in the past two days. A US intelligence official has disclosed that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) may have secretly made a second nuclear reactor; the National Defense Ministry of the Republic of Korea (ROK) claimed on July 18 that DPRK had deployed a missile group with a firing range capable of covering the whole of Japan; these pieces of news have aroused much more anxiety from the people.

The international community is aware that the Korean nuclear issue has reached a "critical point", and the various sides have obviously quickened the rhythm of their mediation activities, Australian Prime Minister John Howard and British Prime Minister Tony Blair have been visiting Asia almost at the same time, what is more attractive is Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo's America trip.

Chinese special envoy receives high-standard reception in USA
Not long ago, Dai Bingguo went to Russia for consultations with Russian leaders on the Korean nuclear issue, again a few days ago he visited Pyongyang in the capacity as a special envoy and transmitted a letter from President Hu Jintao to the DPRK leader Kim Jong Il, therefore, his US visit has attracted great attention from the media.

The five-member delegation led by Dai arrived in Washington on July 17. In two-days' time, Dai and his party met with ranking decision-making officials of the US government, it is the general view of US media that the Chinese special envoy has been given unexpected, high-standard reception. On July 18, Dai Bingguo briefed US Vice-President Dick Cheney at the White House on his earlier visits to Russia and DPRK and transmitted through Cheney Chinese President Hu Jintao's letter to US President George W. Bush. At 2:00 p.m., Dai met with US National Security Affairs Assistant Condoleeza Rice at the White House. At four o'clock, Dai went to US State Department for talks with Secretary of State Colin Powell. US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said that the Dai-Powell talks lasted "unusually" two-and-a-half hours. Powell expressed his thanks to China for its enormous efforts made in order to solve this crisis. On the morning of July 19, Dai and his party went to the Pentagon to meet with US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

US media disclosed Dai Bingguo stated that the US-DPRK-China negotiation held in Beijing this April would continue this August . At the same time, he also presented a proposal for negotiation with multilateral talks as primary and US-DPRK bilateral talks as supplementary. Boucher held it was time for including all parties into negotiation on the Korean nuclear issue, so as to conduct discussions on major issues in this region.

'Beijing becomes key mediator to resolve the Korean nuclear issue'
Foreign news agencies highly appraise Dai's trip. VOA said in a commentary that Dai's present trip to the United States was widely viewed as a new beginning of China's efforts to promote a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. The Los Angeles Times said on July 19 Dai Bingguo has become a special diplomatic envoy shuttling between DPRK leader Kim Jong Il and US Secretary of State Colin Powell and Beijing has become a key mediator to solve the Pyongyang nuke problem. BBC commented that China's energetic diplomatic mediation efforts has focused the attention of the international community, Bush has also realized that China's active involvement will add an opportunity for peacefully solving the Korean nuclear issue.

UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan on July 18 praised China for its effort in promoting and encouraging the peaceful solution of the Korean nuclear issue through diplomatic channels. He expressed his confidence in a quick resumption of the US-DPRK-China Beijing talks. IAEA (International Atom Energy Agency) Responsible Person Mohamed Baradei said on July 18 that he was encouraged by China's effort to draw Korea back to the negotiating table.

US claims DPRK has another nuclear reactor
As various countries are engaged in active mediation, the United States again released another shocking news. An American official divulged on July 19 that the content of Kr-85 has noticeably increased over the sky of DPRK, and that the result of computer analysis indicated the Kr-85 appeared over the Korean Peninsula did not come from the Yongbyon nuclear reactor, that is to say, it is likely DPRK has secretly built a second nuclear reactor.

US intelligence agencies declared that DPRK has set up many key departments, such as tanks factories and command control centers in safety mountainous cave works. Experts said since DPRK is so fond of "digging holes", it is likely that it has secretly set up another nuclear reactor in a certain mountain area. Analysts held that if the above news is true, the United States would certainly further bring pressure on DPRK, so the diplomatic efforts for solving the Korean nuclear issue would face still greater difficulties.

DPRK sternly rejects US invitation
DPRK's attitude is very stiff. On July 18, representative of the DPRK People's Army in Panmunjom informed the US military by phone that DPRK refused to attend the "commemorative activities" held in Panmunjom by the United States to mark the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Korean Armistice. According to the Korean Central News Agency, the representative of the People's Army indicated in a telephone notice that not long ago the United States still violated the Korean Armistice, published its "plan for enhancing combat effectiveness" which was directed against DPRK, and declared that it would adopt a measure of "blockade" against DPRK, and now it has the effrontery to invite DPRK to attend the "commemorative activities" marking the Korean Armistice, its aim is to deceive world opinion.

DPRK's media continue to censure the United States, saying that the US related call for the holding of multilateral talks in order to solve the Korean nuclear issue is nothing but a pretext for covering up its military ambition. The Korean Central News Agency also said that the US redeployment of its troops in the Republic of Korea (ROK) is aimed to occupy "a favorable position for a preemptive strike against DPRK", "it is crystal clear, the dangerous military activities carried out by the United States behind multilateral talks are aimed at launching surprise attacks on Korea".

ROK white paper announces DPRK's threat
On the day after the incident on July 17 when DPRK and ROK armies crossed fire on the military demarcation line of the north and south, ROK Defense Ministry indicated that accidental discharge is quite possible when the DPRK side cleans the gun, but the possibility of its deliberate provocation cannot be ruled out. According to Router's analysis, DPRK's strong move taken at this time is possibly a forewarning of preparation for the resumption of talks, because previously DPRK invariably tried to aggravate the tense situation before it made any compromise or concession so as to attract others' attention".

The National Defense Policy White Paper published by the ROK Defense Ministry on July 18 declared that DPRK deployed an added "labor" missile group at the end of June last year, which was strong enough to pose threat to the entire Japanese islands including US military base in Japan's Okinawa. At the same time, DPRK had advanced its deployment of 170 mm and 240 mm long-range heavy artillery along the military demarcation line on the Korean Peninsula, and kept the surrounding areas of Seoul within the firing range of its long-range heavy artillery. Sources say, one Korean missile group usually has nine mobile launchers as well as over 30 missiles. ROK Defense Ministry claimed Korea actually possessed as many as over 200 missiles. It was reported that this was the first time the ROK government announced DPRK's threat.

The present Korean Peninsular situation can be described as a relentless fight between the parties concerned, which worried the bystanders. In this case, analysts point out that despite the efforts made by China and other surrounding countries to encourage talks among the parties concerned to promote peace, the key to solving the Korean nuclear issue lies in the interested parties, only when both the United States and DPRK make concessions, can substantive results be achieved in the talks.

By People's Daily Online


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