DATE=8/24/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA - SOUTH KOREA (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-253064
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: China's defense minister has accepted an
invitation to visit South Korea, in what diplomats say
is a sign of the increasing closeness between the two
former Korean War adversaries. VOA correspondent
Roger Wilkison reports on the first-ever talks between
the two countries' defense chiefs.
TEXT: Chinese defense minister Chi Haotian fought
against South Korean and United States forces during
the Korean War nearly 50 years ago. Now, he has
accepted an invitation to visit South Korea for the
first time.
The invitation was extended by visiting South Korean
defense minister Cho Sung-tae, who is making the first
official trip to China by a South Korean defense
chief.
Mr. Cho's visit has been a low-key one. There has
been only minimum coverage of his landmark trip in the
state-controlled Chinese news media. Diplomats say
that is because China does not want to offend its
longtime ally, North Korea.
A South Korean diplomat says Mr. Cho conveyed to the
Chinese Seoul's concerns about what he described as
North Korea's erratic behavior. The diplomat said a
key concern -- but not the only one -- is the
possibility Pyongyang will test-fire a new ballistic
missile that could upset the security situation in
Northeast Asia. South Korea's Yonhap news agency and
the KBS television network report General Chi promised
to try to dissuade North Korea from carrying out the
missile test. The Chinese Defense Ministry would not
comment on the meeting.
Yonhap also reports Mr. Cho asked Chinese premier Zhu
Rongji to reassure North Korea that Seoul has no
intention of making a hard push for reunification of
the divided peninsula. It says Mr. Cho specifically
told Mr. Zhu that South Korea does not want to
absorb North Korea.
North Korea's firing of a ballistic missile nearly a
year ago led Japan to enhance its military ties with
the United States. Tokyo and Washington promised to
research a regional anti-missile shield. Beijing
fears such a shield could stymie its own military
power. It is especially worried that the anti-missile
defense might be extended to Taiwan, which it
considers part of China.
China-North Korea relations were strained when Beijing
established ties with Seoul in 1992. But Beijing has
recently strengthened ties with its reclusive neighbor
while maintaining strong links with South Korea. One
Asian diplomat says China wants to have good relations
with both Koreas and is prepared to play one off
against the other to maintain the status quo on the
peninsula. (Signed)
NEB/RW/FC/KL
24-Aug-1999 07:49 AM EDT (24-Aug-1999 1149 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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