Relaxed Situation Should Be ContinuedA full year has passed since the North-South Summit Meeting of the Korean Peninsula and the signing of the North-South Joint Declaration of worldwide attention.Over the past year, active change has taken place in the peninsular situation, the tense situation in the peninsula has relaxed somewhat, and some achievements have been gained by both sides in implementing the agreement of the summit meeting, all this has received universal welcome and support from the international community. All peace-loving countries and people have a high opinion about this. On June 15, on the occasion of the anniversary of the publication of the North-South Joint Declaration, the two sides of North and South Korea, in the name of the representatives of the North and South Ministerial Talks exchanged letters at Panmunjom, mutually congratulated the anniversary of the publication of the North South Joint Declaration; various political parties and social organizations of the Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK) respectively sent out over 200 representatives to hold a large-scale discussion in Mt. Kumgang of the DPRK on national reunification; lectures were given by people of various circles in Pyongyang city of Korea, at which, Yang Hyong Sop, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Korean Supreme People's Assembly, stressed the need to hold high the banner of the North-South Joint Declaration and use the strength of national unity to independently solve the problem concerning the reunification of the Korean Peninsula; at the commemoration meeting held by the new millenium Democratic Party of the ROK, Kim Dae Jung, president of the Republic of Korea, indicated that the ROK would unswervingly carry forward the conciliatory policy, make every preparation for realizing peaceful reunification of the peninsula in the future. In addition, not long ago, the DPRK and the ROK also reached an agreement on expanding the Mt. Kumgang tourist items. Facts have proved that the North-South Joint Declaration signed by the DPRK and the ROK heads of State has clearly shown the direction for achieving peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula, persistently improving relations and maintaining the situation of relaxation by the two sides conform to the common desires and fundamental interests of the peninsular people. The two sides of the North and the South are the main characters in handling the peninsular affairs, so long as the two sides place themselves on the basis of constantly improving their relations, further consolidate and expand the foundation for exchanges and cooperation, the general trend of the peninsular relaxation is irreversible. The subjective efforts of both the DPRK and the ROK are decisive to consolidating and developing the achievements of the DPRK and ROK summit and the North-South Joint Declaration, however, energetic support from the international community is also necessary. At present, the main obstacle to the relaxation process of the Korean Peninsula is the Bush administration's attitude toward Korea. Since the new Bush administration took office, it has changed the practice of keeping contacts and dialogs with Korea during the Clinton period and, under the pretext of making all-round examination and deliberation of policy toward Korea, it has not only unilaterally suspended dialogs and contacts with the Korean side, but also has adopted a series of strongly hostile policies toward Korea. The Bush administration's retrogressive stance toward the US-Korean relations has arrested the pace of relaxation in the Korean Peninsula, bringing about detrimental influence on peace and development in this region. Although Bush announced on June 6 that the United States would resume dialogs with Korea and on June 13, diplomats of the United States and Korea also had a contact, the current US government's "proposal on resuming dialogs" is essentially unilateral and attached with pre-conditions and with a hostile intention. It is hoped that the United States can give up its hostile policy toward Korea and improve US-Korean relations through equal and sincere dialogs, and that the new US government can play its due role in peace and development in the Northeast Asian region and in the process of relaxation, the United States should bear firmly in mind the serious consequences resulted from the more than half a century's antagonism between the United States and Korea. As a neighbor of the Korean Peninsula, China has always devoted its efforts to safeguarding peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula, firmly supporting North-South reconciliation and cooperation and eventual realization of independent and peaceful reunification of the peninsula. China welcomes the active changes appeared in the Peninsula situation after the summit meeting between heads of State of the DPRK and the ROK, highly appraises the efforts made by both the North and South sides to improve relations and relax the Peninsular situation. On the occasion of the anniversary of the publication of the North and South Joint Declaration, China hopes that the hard-won relaxed situation can be maintained and continues to develop. |
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