In today's Report:
I. United States
1. DPRK High-Level US Visit
2. US-PRC Talks
3. US Congress View of Taiwan Elections
II. Republic of Korea
1. DPRK Policy toward ROK

I. United States

1. DPRK High-Level US Visit

The Washington Post (John Pomfret, "N. KOREA THREATENS TO SKIP TALKS,"
3/29/00, Beijing, A20) reported that the DPRK said on March 28 that it
will not follow through with plans to send a high-level delegation to the
US for talks on improving ties unless it is removed from the US list of
countries accused of sponsoring terrorism. The DPRK ambassador to the
PRC, Chu Chang-jun, said at a news conference at the DPRK Embassy in
Beijing, "we cannot visit the United States with the cap of a terrorist.
The talks should be held with an equal position for both sides. When one
side's position is higher than the other's, then we cannot expect success
from the talks." The author wrote that it was not immediately clear
whether Chu's statement presaged trouble for the talks or was a tactical
maneuver by the DPRK before a US declaration that the DPRK no longer
sponsors terrorism. US officials have said that they are considering
removing the DPRK from the list, although when pressed, no US official
has been able to point to specific steps that the DPRK has taken to
distance itself from terrorist and other criminal activities. Western
officials have said the visit is now unlikely to take place at least
until May. [Ed. note: This article was included in the US Department of
Defense's Early Bird news service for March 29, 2000.]

2. US-PRC Talks

Agence France Presse ("SINO-US TIES AT CRITICAL JUNCTURE, CHINESE LEADERS
TELL BERGER," Beijing, 3/29/00) reported that US National Security
Advisor Samuel Berger met top PRC leaders in Beijing on Wednesday. PRC
Premier Zhu Rongji told Berger, "your visit to Beijing is of great
significance because the China-US relationship at the moment is at an
important, if not critical juncture. I wish your current visit a success
and hope the two sides can reach a consensus." China Central Television
(CCTV) reported that regarding Taiwan, Zhu said, "no matter who comes to
power in Taiwan, no Taiwan independence will be allowed. We will not
permit any form of independence on Taiwan. We demand that the US be
fully aware of the important and sensitive nature of the Taiwan issue."
CCTV said that Berger agreed with Zhu that the relationship was at a
critical impasse and pledged to support the PRC's "smooth" entry into the
World Trade Organization and to seek passage in the US Congress of the
PRC's "permanent normal-trading-relation" status with the US. Berger
also met with Vice Premier Qian Qichen and Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan
earlier on Wednesday and will meet PRC President Jiang Zemin and Liu
Huaqiu, director of the office of Foreign Affairs of the State Council,
on March 30.

The Associated Press (John Leicester, "CHINA SAYS DON'T ENCOURAGE
TAIWAN," Beijing, 3/29/00) reported that PRC Vice Premier Qian Qichen in
a meeting in Beijing on Wednesday urged US Security Advisor Sandy Berger
to curb US support for Taiwan. Qian warned that the US should tread
carefully over Taiwan and should abide by commitments not to support
Taiwanese independence. Qian signaled the PRC's growing impatience with
Taiwan president-elect Chen Shui-bian, saying that the PRC wants Chen to
quickly accept that the island is part of Chinese territory. According
to an account by the official PRC Xinhua News Agency, Qian said, "we urge
the new leader in Taiwan to return to the 'one China' principle as soon
as possible." Qian also told Berger that the US "should fully recognize
the sensitivity and complexity of the current situation and take
practical actions to adhere to the 'one China' principle."

3. US Congress View of Taiwan Elections

The US Department of State's Office of International Information
Programs, ("HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 292 ON TAIWAN ELECTIONS,"
3/28/00) reported that the US House of Representatives passed the House
Concurrent Resolution 292 (418-1) on March 28 which congratulated the
people of Taiwan for their successful presidential elections on March 18.
The resolution said Taiwan "has become a multiparty democracy in which
all citizens have the right to participate freely in the political
process. It is the sense of the House of Representatives that the
People's Republic of China should abandon its provocative threats against
Taiwan and undertake steps that would lead to a substantive dialogue."
The House resolution also called on the PRC to renounce the use of force
against Taiwan, and make progress "toward democracy, the rule of law, and
protection of human and religious rights in the People's Republic of
China." The resolution affirmed that the provisions of the Taiwan
Relations Act (Public Law 96-8) are "the legal standard by which United
States policy toward Taiwan shall be determined."

II. Republic of Korea

1. DPRK Policy toward ROK

Joongang Ilbo (Lee Chul-hee, "NORTH'S DEMARCATION OF WEST SEA WATERS TEST
OF SUNSHINE POLICY," Seoul, 03/28/00) reported that ROK Foreign Affairs
and Trade Minister Lee Joung-binn said on March 27 that the DPRK's recent
unilateral announcement of its "Demarcation of waters around five West
Sea islands" appears to be a test of the ROK's engagement policy with the
DPRK as outlined in the "Sunshine Policy" and ROK President Kim Dae-
jung's recent "Berlin Declaration." Lee added, "this incident still
indicates North Korea is a difficult counterpart to deal with. Korea's
engagement policy toward the North will continue to be based upon the
maintenance of firm security."

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