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A beeline for Iraq

By P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE APRIL 10. With Japan and South Korea clearly making a beeline for post-war Iraq to participate in its reconstruction, China today stood above the stampede and struck a note of political propriety and humanitarian concerns.

China took the line that the pivotal body should engage in serious discussions on the reconstruction of the war-ravaged Iraq. China's primary theme was that the U.N. should formulate a plan and play "the leading role." Indicating that Beijing would deal with the situation in accordance with international law and domestic laws, a spokesman drew attention to the humanitarian tragedy that had already engulfed Iraq. He also drew attention to the fact that China had already rushed aid to Iraq through Jordan, an aspect that should be distinguished from the international debate on economic participation in the reconstruction.

On the political plane, China was emphatic that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of that West Asian state should be respected. The rational considerations of Iraq's neighbours might also have to be taken into account.

In Seoul, there was some clear indication today that the Government might be planning to send a market survey mission to Iraq. The overall mood was one of an active participation in the post-war reconstruction efforts. For Seoul, the developments have come ahead of the completion of preparations by the Roh Moo-hyun administration to deploy South Korea's "non-combat troops" under the U.S.' aegis in the theatre of war.

In Japan, which was the first among major powers to eye an economic role in post-war Iraq's reconstruction, the Foreign Minister, Yoriko Kawaguchi, has announced that her country would contribute up to $100-million worth of humanitarian assistance to Iraq in response to the U.N.'s appeal.

Ms. Kawaguchi, who has discussed the Iraqi and North Korean issues with the Chinese leaders, is expected to do likewise with her counterparts in Germany, France and Britain. She arrived in Europe today. The Japanese Government is understood to be considering ways in which to associate itself with the U.S., preferably under the overall U.N. auspices if that could become possible, as regards not only the reconstruction but also the maintenance of stability in post-war Iraq. The bottom line, though, is that all the moves by the Junichiro Koizumi administration should be consistent with Japan's "pacifist" constitution.

On the North Korean nuclear "crisis," China today underlined yet again the importance of a dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang. Japan was of the view that North Korea should address international concerns in the specific context of the U.N. Security Council's discussion on this subject on Wednesday.

The U.N. body, for the first time, took up the matter of North Korea's withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

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