Foreign Correspondence

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Gates says U.S. won't stand idly by as N Korea boosts nuclear arsenal
30th May, 05:56 PM JST

SINGAPORE —

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned at an Asian security forum Saturday that the United States will not ‘‘stand idly by’’ as North Korea builds up its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities. At the same high-powered forum in Singapore, a top Chinese military official later Saturday urged all sides to remain ‘’ coolheaded’’ in the wake of North Korea’s recent nuclear and missile tests. ‘‘We will not stand idly by as North Korea builds the capability to reap destruction on any target in the region or on us,’’ Gates said at the three-day Shangri-La Dialogue, which began Friday night.

‘‘At the end of the day the choice to continue as a destitute international pariah or chart a new course is North Korea’s alone to make. The world is waiting,’’ he said. Gates also said the United States will not accept North Korea as a nuclear weapons state. Lt Gen Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of China’s general staff, acknowledged the concerns of ‘‘certain countries in the international community, especially Japan and South Korea’’ about North Korea’s recent actions and added, ‘‘We understand your concerns and your worries.’’

But he also expressed a hope that ‘‘all parties concerned will be coolheaded and take measured measures to address the problem.’’

China, Ma said, has expressed its firm opposition to North Korea’s second underground nuclear test, which was carried out last Monday at a time he said the Korean Peninsula should be moving toward denuclearization.

In response to a question from the audience on whether Japan’s insecurities over North Korea’s provocations might prompt Japan to pursue nuclear capability, Gates said, ‘‘I think that the likelihood of that at this point is remote.’’

At the same time, he expressed concern about the risk of North Korea’s recent actions ‘‘creating instability in the region and provoking its neighbors into taking defensive actions.’’

‘‘I think if they continue on the path they are on...I think it poses the potential for some kind of arms race in this region.’’

Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada voiced expectations for a new U.N. Security Council resolution, saying North Korea’s nuclear test ‘‘constitutes a grave threat to the security not only of Northeast Asia but of the entire international community when taken together with the enhancement of its ballistic missile capability.’’

Japan expects that ‘‘the U.N. Security Council will soon adopt a strong new resolution and
that the international community will undertake concerted measures for its implementation.’’

Calling the nuclear test ‘‘totally unacceptable,’’ he said it clearly violates Security
Council Resolution 1718, adopted in October 2006 after North Korea’s first nuclear test.

That resolution demanded North Korea not conduct another nuclear test and abandon all
nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.

Hamada said the second nuclear test also contravenes an agreement reached in the talks on North Korea’s denuclearization held in recent years among North and South Korea, Japan, China, the United States and Russia.

‘‘Japan urges North Korea once again to abandon its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs,’’ he said.

South Korean National Defense Minister Lee Sang Hee said he does not see Japan and South Korea pursuing military cooperation to counter the North Korea threat in the near term, saying such cooperation is hindered by ‘‘political and diplomatic factors.’’

Military cooperation between the two countries could be possible ‘‘once we have a change in our historic perspectives,’’ he said in response to a question from the floor.

The South Korean government has called on Japan to ‘‘wholeheartedly reflect’’ on its 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula and has been angered by occasional denials that Japan waged a war of aggression in Asia in the last century.

In his speech, Lee had urged the international community ‘‘to take proper measures against North Korea’s wrongdoings, so that it could give up its nuclear development and return to the six-party-talks framework as soon as possible.’’

He added that his government ‘‘will work to resolve the North Korean
nuclear issue peacefully’’ in consultation with other concerned governments.

The annual forum organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies is being
attended by nearly 400 delegates from 27 nations, including almost 30 defense ministers and chiefs.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/gates-says-us-wont-stand-idly-by-as-n-korea-boosts-might