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North Korea Extends Missile Reach

North Korea experts say the country has made progress in missile launchsystems. They say its launch systems could send a nuclear bomb as far as the United States.

The U.S. military says it is concerned about North Korea’s development ofsmall nuclear devices and missile launchers.

The commander of U.S. Forces Korea spoke to reporters late last week aboutNorth Korea’s missile launch systems. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti saidNorth Korea has the right technology to develop a small nuclear weapon thatcan work with a mobile launcher.

A few days later, the South Korean Defense Minister said the North’s ability toreduce the size of a nuclear weapon appears to have reached what he called“a significant level.” He also said he believes North Korea is able to build auranium-based nuclear bomb.

Bruce Bechtol is with Angelo State University in Texas. He also served aspresident of the International Council on Korean Studies. He told VOA thatNorth Korea observers have thought for years that the country possessesthat technology.

“North Korea has a highly enriched uranium program. They probably had itweaponized by 2010. Which means they probably had a device small enoughto put on a missile — probably the Nodong — four years ago.”

The Nodong or Rodong 1 is a North Korean ballistic missile. After the missileis launched from North Korea, it could fly as far as Japan.

Mr. Bechtol said he is even more concerned about the plans for North Korea’sKN-08 missile, which can travel even greater distances. He said such amissile could hit the United States.

Also worrying is North Korea’s development of mobile missile launchers. Mr.Bechtol says those launchers are difficult to detect by satellite.

“The United States is very worried about this. It’s also very worried about thenew long range mobile missile that the North Koreans have, that is the KN-08, and I think that is something that has come as rather a surprise in the pastcouple of years.”

North Korea has violated United Nations Security Council resolutions withnuclear tests, short-range missile launches, and the launch of a small satelliteinto space.

Groups that support stronger measures against North Korea say the U.S.military should take preventive action. One of their ideas is to bomb NorthKorean missile sites.

But North Korea expert Sergey Radchenko disagrees. Mr. Radchenko is withBritain’s Aberystwyth University. He says a strike against North Korea wouldrisk pushing the region into war.

“The hawks, who call for tougher measures, will be counteracted by peoplewho will say we can’t really do it. We cannot afford to do anything because ofdeep uncertainty with regard to the North Korean nuclear program and evenwith the fact that they have conventional capabilities.”

Even opponents of military action against North Korea say the development ofsmaller weaponry and launchers is a growing threat. But they expect theUnited States will continue to deal with North Korean threats with restrictions, the promise of aid and a strong military presence in South Korea.



6 China’s Constitution Receives New Attention

The People’s Republic of China established its currentconstitution more than 30 years ago. Now, theconstitution is getting newfound attention under theleadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping. At a recentmeeting, top-level officials spoke about building up therule of law in China. The Communist Party hasannounced plans for a national day each year tocelebrate the constitution. And Chinese officials willpromise to defend its rules when they take office.

The constitution was established in 1982. It became thelaw of the land when the Communist Party was openingup China economically. At the time, the country wasstill recovering from its deadly and socially divisiveCultural Revolution.

Now China is at a crossroads. Its years of strongeconomic growth have passed. The country isstruggling with the huge changes that took place in recent years. Two resultsof those changes are rising levels of corruption and damage to theenvironment.

China is seeking a new economic growth model. David Kelly is with theChina Policy research group.

“We’re in a state of what we call, what we around here call ‘trapezeeconomics.’ That is, the system has to let go of one growth model in the faiththat the next growth model is going to be right where it’s meant to be.”

Mr. Kelly says building up the rule of law is important because investors needto have legal guarantees when doing business in China.

“All of the mechanisms of a market economy are really needed more thanever. They were needed in ‘82, and that’s why there were changes in ‘82. Butthey’re needed more than ever now.”

China is not a market-driven economy. It is instead an economy in whichstate-operated businesses enjoy the government’s help.

Government connections are important, and many Chinese want to work forstate-owned businesses. David Kelly says this is something the governmentdoes not want.

“They want to have global companies that are like Google or Apple. That doesn’t happen without assurances that you can make it outside the statesector.”

The Communist Party is also looking to change public opinion by placingattention on the rights of citizens. In a document released this week, the partytalked about the need to strengthen citizens’ guarantees to property rights, fairrules and political rights.

President Xi Jinping wants to see a number of changes in China by 2020. Heaims to have a country in which the rule of law is in place, and where trust in the legal system is continually growing. He says basic human rights will berespected and guaranteed.

William Nee is a China expert with Amnesty International in Hong Kong. Hesays there is a hunger among the legal community and Chinese citizens for arule of law that is clear and based on the constitution.

“So it does seem like they (the Communist Party) want to have some form ofbasic human rights to be implemented and it, and it seems like they want it to be done in the judiciary. At the same time, I think they want some kind ofmonopolize the process so that it’s the party who’s guaranteeing humanrights, and respecting human rights, and not as much putting mechanisms orrestraints on political power, and especially the party’s power.”

President Xi has spoken about the importance of the constitution before. Yethe has also taken action against his opponents and silenced critics.

 


Date: 2015-12-11; view: 818


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