Chinese Foreign Policy: A Chronology April - June 2009 - Defence ...

iot police25 June - Shaoguan City, Guangdong -Clash between Han and Uygur workers -5,000 people - Riot between 500 workers from Xinjiang and 5,000 Han Chinesepeople.29 June 2009 According to a report by Japanese weekly magazine AERA, the DPRK’sdefence minister Kim Yong Chun has defected."The minister of defence departed from Pyongyang in a group of eight inclusive of hiswife, arrived at Beijing Airport, and flew to Europe. The group's destination wasBritain. The purpose was for treatment of liver and kidney problems, but he himselfhas no plans to return to Pyongyang. Supposedly, his three children have alreadybeen relocated to Beijing."The article justifies its claim that the information was made available by a North Koreansource in Beijing. There is no clear evidence that Kim has defected; nevertheless he notes:“there is no mistaking that the minister of defence had appeared at the Beijing Airport on 13June.” His visit was acknowledged by a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman at a pressconference. Minister of Defence Kim Yong Chun turned 73 in 2009. He is a member of theelite class who spent his childhood days at Mankyo'ngtae Revolutionary Institute attended byorphans of heroes of the motherland who died in combat during the Korean War. When heassumed duties as chief of staff of the Korean People's Army in 1994 he was appointed as ageneral of the army, under a system wherein only General Secretary Kim carries the title ofgeneral of the armies. Supposedly, he was awarded the promotion in recognition of hisachievements in resolving an anti-establishment uprising in the military ranks. The articlesuggests that the defence minister has been closely associated with eldest son Jong-nam forsome time and supposedly was assuming a wait-and-see stance after Jong-un surfaced inconnection with the successor issue. The possibility exists that he has been branded as ananti-Jong-un element and faces the possibility of dismissal.29 June 2009 Beijing - Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi told his Tunisian counterpartAbdelwahab Abdallah that: "China is ready to work with Tunisia to cement the traditionalfriendship and promote mutual beneficial cooperation." The two foreign ministers signed aneconomic and technical cooperation pact on behalf of the two governments after their talks.29 June 2009 Beijing - Wang Jiarui, head of the International Department of the CCP CentralCommittee met Zimbabwe’s Defence Minister Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa who isheading the Zimbabwe ruling party's delegation. Senior officials of the CCP and theZimbabwe Africa National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) met and pledged cooperationover “mining, agriculture and infrastructure construction”.29 June 2009 Seoul – According to a ROK government source, the DPRK has been usingoverland routes through China and Russia to export weapons. The South Korean newspaperChoson Ilbo website reports:“South Korean and US intelligence agencies believe the North exported someUS$800 million worth of weapons including missiles, submarines, multi-launchrockets and field artillery to Iran, Syria and Burma between 2000 and last year.”In addition, the DPRK no longer uses its own cargo ships for exports, following harsherenforcement of export-controls; instead:“To circumvent an entry ban on its ships in ports, North Korea chartered ships underthe names of foreigners, falsified the country of origin, or did business through a thirdcountry. That is mostly how it was able to export to Iran, Syria, Burma and Laos.”136