Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Friday 26 January 2018
Southeast Asian leaders celebrate ties with India Japan defends

NEW DELHI (AP) — South- 10-nation bloc. The leaders Chunying scoffed at Indian tions, is showing how little its claims to isles
east Asian leaders cel- will also be guests of honor news reports that the lead- confidence they have in being disputed
ebrated ties with India on at Friday’s Republic Day ers would discuss counter- themselves, and their lack
Thursday, as New Delhi celebrations, an important ing China’s influence. of trust in China.” TOKYO (AP) — The Japa-
looks to deepen bonds diplomatic distinction for “Recently, the Indian me- Myanmar leader Aung San nese government opened
with its eastern neighbors India. India has been care- dia seems to have made a Suu Kyi, Indonesian Presi- a small museum Thursday
amid China’s ever-growing fully boosting its diplomatic habit of linking every move dent Joko “Jokowi” Wido- displaying maps and docu-
influence. profile in recent years, amid Indian leaders make with do, Philippine President ments to defend its territori-
The leaders of the Associa- its wariness over China’s China. I wonder what In- Rodrigo Duterte and the al claims against neighbors
tion of Southeast Asian Na- growth into a major world dian leaders think about prime ministers of Malaysia, South Korea and China.
tions, or ASEAN, met in New power. this?” he told reporters. “I Thailand and Vietnam are The Japanese minister in
Delhi to observe 25 years of But in Beijing, foreign min- feel that the Indian media, among those in India for charge of territorial issues,
ties between India and the istry spokeswoman Hua in making such specula- the celebrations.q Tetsuma Esaki, said it was
important for Japan to
North Korea to hold military event before Olympics improve how information
about disputed islands “is
transmitted both internally
By ERIC TALMADGE and externally, so as to en-
Associated Press sure as widely as possible
PYONGYANG, North Korea that our claims are under-
(AP) — North Korea is pre- stood correctly.
paring to stage a major The National Museum of
event to mark the 70th an- Territory and Sovereignty
niversary of the founding of displays replicas of historic
its military on Feb. 8 — just documents that Japan
one day before the open- says show its ownership of
ing ceremony of the Py- two sets of uninhabited is-
eongchang Winter Olym- lands, one also claimed
pics in South Korea. by China and the other by
Officials refuse to confirm South Korea.
what exactly is planned for The dispute with China
the event. has heated up in recent
A major show of military years, with Chinese coast
power could create an- guard ships sailing near
ger in South Korea, which is the islands and their Japa-
hoping the games will be a nese counterparts trying to
symbol of peace and sta- chase them away.
bility. Seoul has agreed to The islands, which are near
North Korean leader Kim Taiwan, are known as the
Jong Un’s last-minute pro- In this April 15, 2017 photo, a submarine missile is paraded during a military parade in Pyong- Senkaku in Japan and as
posal to send a delegation yang, North Korea. North Korea is preparing to stage a major event to mark the 70th anniversary the Diaoyu in China. Tai-
to the games and will have of the founding of its military on Feb. 8, 2018 - just one day before the opening ceremony of the wan also claims them.
its athletes march together Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea. Japan has long feuded
with the North Korean team (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) with South Korea over an-
under a blue-and-white bouquets or colored cards the opening ceremony for the North would soften the other group of tiny islands
“unification flag.” that they raise in unison to the Pyeongchang Games. event out of consideration in the waters between
Pyongyang residents have create giant slogans visible It also comes as the North for the Olympics or — con- the two countries. Japan
been assembling every from the square’s raised has been stepping up its versely — build it up into calls them Takeshima, and
day in temperatures hov- viewing area. For security verbal attacks on the Unit- an even bigger spectacle South Korea calls them
ering around minus 15 de- reasons, North Korean offi- ed States for what it claims for domestic propaganda Dokdo.
grees Celsius (5 degrees cials don’t normally release is an effort to ruin an eas- purposes and as a slap at South Korea denounced
Fahrenheit) to practice for details in advance about ing of tensions between Washington. the opening of the muse-
what is expected to be a such events. Major military Pyongyang and Seoul An analysis published um and demanded that
mass rally by civilians in Kim parades are generally at- ahead of the Olympics. Wednesday by 38 North, Japan shut it down.
Il Sung Square, while open- tended by Kim Jong Un The U.S. has agreed to post- a website affiliated with “The Japanese govern-
source satellite imagery and other top officials. pone joint military exercises Johns Hopkins University, ment should immediate-
obtained by outside ana- North Korea’s state-run me- with the South until after showed satellite images ly stop making pointless
lysts suggests military units dia hinted earlier this week the Olympics and Paralym- confirming a gradual build- claims over Dokdo, which
are training at an airfield on that an event was in the pics are over, but North Ko- up of troops and equip- by history, geography and
the outskirts of the city for a works, saying the February rea is now demanding they ment at a mock-up of Kim international law is clearly
possible military parade. anniversary, which had for be scrapped indefinitely. Il Sung Square at the Mirim part of our territory,” For-
Over the past few days, the decades been overshad- The North’s media has also Parade Training Facility, eign Ministry spokesman
area around the square it- owed by another military accused Washington of which is on the city’s east- Noh Kyu-duk said in a pre-
self has been sporadically anniversary observed on trying to provoke tensions ern outskirts, over the past pared statement.
closed to traffic. April 25, would be marked by sending aircraft carriers, few months. South Korea opened a
The activity in Pyongyang is with more significance and bombers and stealth fight- The analysis, conducted museum in central Seoul
common before major pa- pomp this year. er aircraft into the region. by leading expert Joseph in 2012 to back its claim to
rades or rallies, which take Though the report did not North Korea’s military pa- Bermudez, suggests that Dokdo. Visitors can walk
months to organize and can explain why the change rades are closely scrutinized by Jan. 10 “considerable around a large 3-D model
involve thousands of troops was being made, the news for the unveiling of new progress had been made of the island and examine
and tens of thousands of raised eyebrows because missiles or other key weap- assembling troops and video and computerized
civilians assembled in the the February anniversary onry. But with no official equipment for the upcom- content on the island’s his-
square with flags, plastic comes just a day ahead of confirmation, it isn’t clear if ing parade.” q tory and nature. q