ANALYSIS: North Korea nuke fears spare China on U.N. resolution violations

June 13, 2012
By YOSHIHIRO MAKINO/ Staff Writer
Asahi Shimbun (Japan)

Security experts suspect that Cambodian-registered ships operated mainly by Chinese crews have been used to provide underground support to such nations as North Korea, Myanmar and Laos.

When North Korea held an elaborate parade to show off its military might, it inadvertently provided further damning evidence against its only ally.

Images of the April 15 parade in Pyongyang, held to commemorate the centennial of the birth of North Korea founder Kim Il Sung, featured large 16-wheeler transport vehicles carrying ballistic missiles.

The vehicles were believed to have come from China, the same ones mentioned in a shipping report obtained by the Japanese government.

Japan, the United States and South Korea had solid evidence to prove that China, despite its repeated denials, had violated a U.N. Security Council resolution banning weapons exports to North Korea.

But the three countries decided not to pursue the matter in the Security Council, underscoring the complexities in international horse trading.

Ship flying Cambodian flag of convenience used to transport missile vehicles from China to North Korea

In this April 15, 2012, file photo, a North Korean vehicle carrying a missile passes by during a mass military parade in Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square. The enormous 16-wheel truck used to carry the missile was found to be exported from China. (AP photo)

Document confirms Chinese firm sold missile transport vehicles to N. Korea

June 13, 2012
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN (Japan)

Japanese government sources have confirmed that a Chinese company exported four large vehicles capable of transporting and launching ballistic missiles to North Korea last August, which would be a violation of a United Nations Security Council resolution.

While the Security Council mandate prohibits the sale of major weapons systems to Pyongyang, the official Chinese government position continues to be that it has never broken such a resolution.

Because the United States, Japan and South Korea need Chinese pressure on North Korea to prevent it testing a nuclear weapon for the third time, the three governments have not pressed Beijing on the issue, sources said.

On the urging of the United States, the three governments also decided not to publicize the shipment of the vehicles to avoid publicly embarrassing China.

The Japanese government obtained a document last October that recorded the export of the vehicles from China to North Korea.

The four vehicles believed to have been exported were likely the same ones that were prominently displayed by North Korea at a military parade in April commemorating the centennial of the birth of Kim Il Sung, North Korea's founder.

According to several Japanese government sources, the four vehicles were transported aboard the 1,999-ton Harmony Wish, a cargo ship registered with Cambodia.

North Korean launches long-range missile; launch fails

A North Korean long-range missile launch has failed, U.S. officials confirm (AP Photo)

13 April 2012
By Eric Pfeiffer
The Upshot

UPDATE: [8:20pm ET]: This story will be updated as events unfold.

• U.S. officials say they believe the launch failed.
• U.N. Security Council is meeting Friday to discuss a response.
• This is the third failed attempt at an orbital launch since 1998.

Defying international pressure, North Korea launched a long-range missile Friday morning. However, U.S. officials say they believe the attempted launch failed before the missile was able to leave the Earth's atmosphere.

U.S. officials confirm that a North Korean long-range missile appears to have broken apart midair after launch. Officials say they believe the missile fell apart within the Earth's atmosphere before crashing into the sea.

Japan's Defense Minister Naoki Tanaka has backed U.S. reports that the launch failed. "We have confirmed that a certain flying object has been launched and fell after flying for just over a minute," Tanaka said.

Politiktoons No. 84: The Missile

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

Crisis, North Korea to top ASEAN talks

April 9, 2009
Adam Gartrell
AAP

The global financial crisis and North Korea's recent rocket launch will dominate Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's talks with Asian leaders in Thailand at the weekend.

But Rudd is also likely to use the East Asia Summit as another opportunity to talk up his ambitious plan to create an EU-style Asia Pacific Community (APC).

The prime minister will travel to the Thai resort town of Pattaya on Saturday, ahead of Sunday's summit, a meeting of leaders from the 10 ASEAN nations, plus Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, South Korea and India.

The leaders will issue a joint statement on the region's response to the financial crisis and will receive briefings from the heads of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Asian Development Bank.

The leaders will also discuss the regional security threat posed by North Korea's provocative long-range rocket launch, trade, food and energy security, and disaster relief cooperation.

Australian National University ASEAN expert Professor Hal Hill says Mr Rudd will use any bilateral meetings with leaders to push his "bold" APC plan.

"I think it's still at the stage where people are being sounded out - are they interested or not?" Hill said.

"It's very early days, but my understanding is that most of the countries that have been consulted are at least listening, and they're interested."

But Rudd should avoid being too pushy because Australia was still the "new kid on the block" in regional talks, Hill said.

"Australia's got to play its hand fairly carefully and not be seen to be as a new member trying to throw its weight around," he said.

The summit is expected to go ahead, though it's likely to be targeted by protesters who want to force Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva from power.

The meeting was originally scheduled to take place late last year, but was postponed after political unrest in the Thai capital Bangkok.

The 10 members of ASEAN are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.