Six party talks with North Korea

The Six-Party Talks are aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear program through a negotiating process involving China, the United States, North and South Korea, Japan, and Russia. Since the talks began in August 2003, the negotiations have been bedeviled by diplomatic standoffs among individual Six-Party member states – particularly between the United States and North Korea. In April 2009, North Korea quit the talks and announced that it would reverse the ongoing disablement process called for under the Six-Party agreements and restart its Yongbyon nuclear facilities. Because Pyongyang appears intent on maintaining its nuclear program, some experts are pessimistic the talks can achieve anything beyond managing the North Korean threat. The Obama administration has been pursuing talks with the other four countries in the process to bring Pyongyang back to the negotiation table. Alongside the United Nations' effort to sanction North Korea's nuclear and missile tests, "this regional partnership between the United States and the countries of Northeast Asia remains the best vehicle ... for building stable relationships on and around the Korean peninsula," writes CFR's Sheila Smith.

So far, the Six-Party Talks have failed to denuclearize North Korea and have brought few results. Several experts think North Korea is now determined to be recognized as a nuclear weapons state rather than to negotiate an end to its nuclear program. Former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger writes in the Washington Post that "the issue for diplomacy has become whether the goal should be to manage North Korea's nuclear arsenal or to eliminate it." He argues any policy that does not eliminate the North's nuclear military capability "in effect acquiesces in its continuation."
After Pyongyang walked out of the Six-Party Talks in May 2009, the Obama administration has pursued negotiations with the other parties in the forum to signal that it hasn't abandoned the goal of North Korea's denuclearization. In testimony to a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee in June 2009, CFR's Snyder said this new process "provides the best available means by which to increase pressure on North Korea to return to the Six-Party Talks and to honor its commitments to denuclearization."

Negotiation Efforts in Asia: India-China border issue

The Sino-Indian boundary question was left over from history. In 1914, the British colonialists concocted the illegal "McMahon Line", which was not recognized by all previous Chinese central governments. After its independence in 1947, India inherited British occupation of part of Chinese territory and extended this to the "McMahon Line" in 1953. Based on its revised map, in 1959, India brazenly laid territorial claim to the Aksaiqin prefecture of Xinjiang, China. In October 1962, the Sino-Indian border war broke out.

Since then, there have been talks held by the two countries, but neither one has been willing to budge. In 2004, when Vajapee was in power, he suggested that each side send a “special representative” who would work out the issue and the world though that there was hope of the issue being resolved. However, nothing came out of it as China was too busy dealing with other issues with Korea.

Vajapee is one of the rare Prime Ministers to take such bold steps towards the negotiation of territories. Other Ministers before him have not because they fear that they will be working against what Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India stated in his speech; that India’s boundaries are fixed, final and non-negotiable.
Most of the time, much like the present situation, the government had refused to hold talks with China regarding the border issue. One of the areas of dispute is Arunachal Pradesh, and to the Indians it is their soil, but the Chinese refuse to accept it. While they do not act on it, they are not going to let go anytime soon. The Indian government is also feeling the heat from its opposition party, know for its ruthless attacks and ready acquisitions. They would say “You’re selling out sacred Indian soil”, leaving the ruling party helpless against the mobs of civilians who are known for their pride and patriotism in their country.

China had in the past informally proposed an east-west 'package deal' under which if India made territorial concessions in Aksai Chin (in the western sector), China would reciprocate and renounce its claims in the eastern sector (the area corresponding to Arunachal Pradesh). However India refused this offer, stating that it would not compromise on any of its territories.

Both countries are involved in talks and close relations in all fields like trade, all except for the border issue. They both acknowledge the fact that they need to have close and string ties since they are the two biggest and fastest growing economic powers in the world, and this can only be achieved if they solve the border issue. India in the meanwhile refuses to budge, so till then they will continue to push away having to deal with the border issue. Wonder how long that will last!

China, ASEAN to conclude FTA negotiation during premier's Thailand trip (04/08/09)

BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will conclude their Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiation during Premier Wen Jiabao's upcoming Thailand trip for ASEAN involved meetings.
As a highlight of the 12th summit between the ASEAN and China (10+1), the two sides would ink an investment deal, which marks the conclusion of the FTA negotiation, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue told a press briefing.
China and the ASEAN had agreed to establish a free trade area by 2010. "This goal will be achieved on schedule," Hu said.
Besides the 10+1 summit, Wen's trip from April 10-12 to Pattayain Thailand will also include the 12th summit between the ASEAN and China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK)(10+3), the 4th East Asia Summit, and the breakfast meeting of leaders from China, Japan, and the ROK.
Wen will discuss with leaders of the ASEAN countries measures to combat the global financial crisis, and offer proposals to boost east Asian cooperation.
"China attaches great importance to these meetings, and will attend in the spirit of increasing confidence and cooperation," Hu said.
"We will work with other participants to build Asian nations' confidence in development, promote pragmatic cooperation in east Asia, safeguard developing countries' interests and jointly survive the global financial crisis," he noted.
Hu also expressed China's expectation to push forward the integration process of ASEAN and the building of ASEAN Community.
All concerned parties should support the ASEAN's effort in promoting the integration process, he said, especially calling for assistance to less developed ASEAN countries.
As to the prospect of China-ASEAN relations, the assistant foreign minister said the two sides should try to maintain the growth of bilateral trade, increase investment and expand cooperation in infrastructure facility construction and tourism.
"We will consider increasing assistance to the less developed ASEAN countries to help them overcome the current difficulties," he noted.
In the financial area, Hu said countries in the region should facilitate financial cooperation, expand foreign exchange reserve and speed up putting into operation the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization (CMIM), a regional foreign reserve pool in case of currency flow shortage.
China and the ASEAN have established a strategic partnership aiming at peace and prosperity and have defined 11 major cooperative fields such as agriculture, information and communication, transportation, tourism and human resources exploitation.
The ASEAN, founded in 1967, groups 10 members of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.