China, Hongkong, Taiwan - The Greater China Desk

China, Hongkong, Taiwan - The Greater China Desk

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  • Cornelius Mueller
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    China wants peace on Korean Peninsula: HK Legco speaker - N. Korea deploys surface-to-air missiles near Yellow Sea border
    China has a clear stance on North Korea's abrupt attack on a South Korean island and objects to escalation of tension on the Korean Peninsula, Hong Kong's legislative speaker said Thursday.

    "I have noticed China's position is very clear. China's government wants to see peace and dialogue between North and South Korea," Jasper Tsang, president of the Legislative Council, said in an exclusive interview with Yonhap News Agency.

    Tsang, while admitting there are limitations to what Hong Kong can do in international relations, stressed what China wants on the Korean Peninsula is dialogue and peace.

    "I am, of course, aware that according to China's one country, two systems policy, the foreign policy should be in the hands of the central government," he said.

    "But I think I won't be wrong to stress China wants to see peace, cooperation and dialogue on the Korean Peninsula."

    At the invitation of South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, Tsang will begin a five-day visit to South Korea later on Thursday. While in South Korea, Tsang will visit the National Assembly and meet with Park Hee-tae, speaker of South Korea's National Assembly.

    "Hong Kong is moving towards a democratic government system. I believe there is much we can learn from South Korea in that aspect," he said.

    "Some of the issues that many of my colleagues are very interested to study as we move toward full democracy are how the (South Korean) legislature and executive branches cooperate, how various political parties in South Korea play their parts in their National Assembly."

    Asked whether Hong Kong's experiment with democracy can be a model for China's political reform, the legislative speaker cautiously said it could provide a stepping stone.

    "Let me put it this way. We are still in a stage of transition. We are still debating on what the eventual, ultimate system should look like. Therefore, the coming 10 years or so will be a challenging period for us," he said.

    "But that said, I am very confident that we will come up with a democratic system suitable for Hong Kong. That will be a valuable experience for other parts of China to study and consider."

    He added that it would be too "impetuous" to assume that what the Hong Kong system develops into will be suitable for China, saying the country is different from Hong Kong in terms of its vastness and diversity.

    Source: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2010/11/25/56/03010...

    Cornelius Mueller

    Update

    N. Korea deploys SA-2 surface-to-air missiles near Yellow Sea border

    North Korea has deployed SA-2 surface-to-air missiles to its west coast near the Yellow Sea border with South Korea as U.S.-led naval drills got underway in a show of force against the North's deadly artillery attack on a South Korean island earlier last week, government sources said Sunday.

    "(The missiles) appear to be targeting our fighter jets that fly near the Northern Limit Line (NLL)," the source said on customary condition of anonymity, referring to the Yellow Sea border.

    South Korea and the U.S. on Sunday launched large-scale naval drills off the Korean Peninsula's west coast, far south of the border where four people were killed and 18 others wounded in Tuesday's surprise attack on Yeonpyeong Island.

    The Soviet-designed SA-2 missile has a range of between 13 and 30 kilometers. Other missiles on the North's west coast, such as the Samlet and Silkworm with ranges of up to 95km, have also been put onto launch pads, the source said.

    "The military is preparing for the possibility of further provocations as the North Korean military has deployed firepower near the NLL and is preparing to fire," the source said.

    Source: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2010/11/28/91/03010...

    Personal comment: The missile deployment news has not yet been confirmed by independent sources as of 10:45 CST (11:45 Korea time), November 28, 2010. CNN & BBC TV refer to Yonhap news, so far.

    Cornelius Mueller
    • 28 Nov 2010, 03:44 am