Week of June 28, 2002
Week of June 28, 2002
The U.S. and China This Week
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DOMESTIC: Deadly Flooding Continues to Devastate China
After a three major waves of rain swept through China, 19 provinces and
regions have been severally affected by flooding, which as swamped some
five million acres of land and affected 57 million people. In three
of the hardest hit area–Shaanxi, Sichuan and Chongqing municipality–hundreds
of people are considered missing, while the actual number of died remains
unknown, reported the China Daily. Given that the worst of
flood season usually peaks in July and August, many fear that even more
people could die this year than in the 1998 floods, when over 4,000 people
were killed. As more rain is predicted throughout the week,
Chinese officials have issued citywide alerts in the financially hub of
Shanghai, where estimates report that some 40,000 local households would
suffer from this year’s rainy season. More troublesome, however,
continues to be the damage inflicted upon China’s poorer regions, leaving
thousands of people homeless waiting for disaster relief.
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INTERNATIONAL: China’s Navy Prepares Submarine Purchase
China and Russia have begun negotiations on the purchase of eight 636 Kilo-class
submarines that would cost around $1.6 billion dollars, according to the
Washington Post Foreign Service. Once obtained, these additional
submarines would significantly improve Beijing’s ability to blockade Taiwan
and strategically enable China’s army to recover Taiwan by force.
China’s influence in the East China Sea would also be affected, perhaps
even deterring an intervention by the United States, which has in the past
defended Taiwan from aggressive Chinese actions and is Taiwan’s main military
weapons supplier.
The eight submarines are part of a $4 billion weapons deal that Russia
has committed to provide China over the next five years. Four Russian
producers are currently contending for the opportunity to build the submarines.
The new Kilo-class vessels will be equipped with an anti-ship missile system
with a range of 140 miles. However, according to a U.S. defense official,
China has yet to develop an open ocean surveillance ability and thus still
is unable to find ships at sea.
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INTERNATIONAL: North Korean Refugee Stand off ends then begins Again
After weeks of high level talks, China allowed the 26 North Korean refugees
holed up in foreign diplomatic compounds to leave for South Korea via a
third country. This decision is an about-face from China’s previous
stance that demanded the refugees be turned over to proper Chinese authorities.
However, the day after the North Koreans left China another North Korean
woman illegally entered the South Korean consulate in Beijing. This
seemingly constant flow of refugees has worried China who is concerned
that a flood of North Koreans could get out of control causing domestic
security concerns. Moreover, Beijing has a treaty with Pyongyang
that commits China to return any North Korean who illegally enters China.
To complicate matters, South Korea is bound by it’s constitution to recognize
anyone from the Korean peninsula as a South Korean, thus making it illegal
to turn away any asylum-seekers. Both countries acknowledge each
other’s positions, however the situation may get worse before it gets better.
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The U.S. and China This Week
uscpf@uscpf.org
Last updated: 17 January 2001
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