Japan and China High Bet on the Senkaku - Diaoyu

A test of strategic will for the two Asian powers

Angry nationalists in Taiwan

As a Chinese good friend of mine wrote me the other day, "Hey Joel, it's simple, Chinese like to brag". And that could be the end of it! Now has Naoto Kan the ex Activist turned into a "Pragmatic Reformer" any diplomatic solution? The territorial quarrel is getting so nasty that Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will not be holding a bilateral meeting in New York, during the United Nations General Assembly. Now, guess who is happy about it?

The disputed uninhabited islands chain are known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. The islets are under Japan's administrative control since 1972, Tokyo says. Also called Pinnacle Islands, these are a group of small blue water islands also claimed by both Taiwan and the People's Republic of China as part of Taiwan Province, Toucheng Township in Yilan County.

They are often the source of diplomatic friction. 20th of February 2009: two Chinese PLAAF J-10A fighters intercepted three Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2 fighters flying close to the Senkaku Islands, and locked their missiles onto the Japanese fighters. After a three minute stand-off, the Japanese fighters returned to Japanese air space. The Japanese government stated it was an act of provocation.

Then on 7th of September 2010: A Chinese fishing trawler collided with two Japanese Coast Guard patrol boats in disputed waters near the islands. The collisions occurred after the Japanese Coast Guard ordered the trawler to stop fishing. After the collisions, Japanese sailors boarded the Chinese vessel and arrested the captain.

But it is the first time that an arrest of a fishing ship captain has been made by Japan after a brawl with Japan Coast Guards, a first arrest on on a foreign fishing boat in the territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands. The trawler's captain was arrested Sept. 8 on suspicion of obstructing public duties of coast guard personnel, which reportedly occurred after the coast guard tried to get the fishing boat to vacate Japanese waters.

fishing and gas reserves

Japan rehearsal for bigger confrontations?

Japan claims that after World War II, the islands came under the United States occupation of Okinawa. During this period, the United States and the Ryūkyū Government administered the islands and the US Navy even used Kuba-jima and Taisho-jima as maneuver areas. In 1972, sovereignty over Okinawa, and arguably the surrounding islands, was handed back to Japan as part of the termination of United States Military Government jurisdiction over the Article 3 territories of the Treaty of San Francisco.

"Who is right or wrong or who exercises legal authority in dispute waters are now clarified as secondary. After the Chinese assess Japan's resistance, backed by South Korea, the issue will be settled. Chinese bullying will not work with Japan or South Korea." An analyst source wrote on a blog.

The issue is how to show enough capability to draw a line

In the past, Japan has objected to Chinese development of natural gas resources in the East China Sea in an area where the two countries Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) claims overlap. Japan claims a division of the EEZ on the median line between the countries' coastlines. About 40,000 square kilometers of EEZ are in dispute.

China and Japan both claim 200 nautical miles EEZ rights, but the East China Sea width is only 360 nautical miles. China claims an EEZ extending to the eastern end of the Chinese continental shelf which goes deep into the Japanese EEZ beyond the median line.

The specific development in dispute is China's drilling in the Chunxiao field, which is three miles west of the median line, but which Japan contends may be tapping natural gas reserves which extend past the median line. China has energy needs: The Chunxiao gas field in Xihu Sag in the East China Sea is estimated to hold reserves of more than 1.6 tcf of natural gas and is expected to become a major producer in the next ten years.

Chinese activists in Beijing near

Japanese embassy: "Show the flag"

Empty Battle of words

Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada (until he quits to take the number 2 job at the ruling party DPJ on Friday) has urged China to stay level-headed.

Okada: "China has been continuously doing things like (canceling) a senior official's trip to Japan or calling off (bilateral) exchanges," Okada said during a news conference earlier this week. "But the incident is not directly connected and I think it is important to remain calm."

According to Yoshimitsu Nishikawa quoted by Japan Times today, (Nishikawa is a professor of international relations at Toyo University): "It is a matter of course that China is angry over the arrest of the fishing boat captain because by Chinese law the Senkaku islets belong to Beijing and not Tokyo."

According to Japan Coast Guard Commandant Hisayasu Suzuki, the coast guard has already conducted 21 inspections of foreign ships that have entered Japan's territorial waters since early 2010.

And last, China has its own words on the question:

http://www.diaoyuislands.org/islands/hollysoil.html

in Chinese language.

Sources: Mainichi, Asahi, J Times, Wiki, Action committee Taiwan, Reporter's Notes

Okada and Maehara: Kan's DPJ new Spears

Media reports Japan Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada had agreed to take up a key post as the ruling Democratic Party's secretary-general, just as Tokyo is in the midst of a territorial spat with Beijing that is straining ties between the two Asian giants, a move while Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Seiji Maehara could lead the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Maehara seen as very close to Washington.

Prime Minister Kan, struggling with a fragile economic recovery and huge public debt, repeated today that he would take decisive steps on the yen's rise when needed.

Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa: "The central bank will take timely action and appropriate manner when deemed necessary and will continue to provide ample funds to money markets as there is a high level of uncertainty." He also said he strongly expected Japan's currency market intervention would help to stabilise the currency market.

"The intervention does not change the situation that Japan is experiencing deflation, and what the market will be looking at from now is whether or not the government of Prime Minister (Naoto) Kan will implement growth strategies speedily and whether or not corporate taxes will be lowered, among other things." (Nikko Cordial Securities Inc.)

Japan Sales Yen! Naoto Kan's Trade War Started to Save Japan Economy!

Perfect timing. But the method lacks professionalism. The first disturbing mark sent by new prime minister Kan entering into actions at last on yen versus the other currencies. Japan has not even warn the Europeans, much less the United States, about its plans to intervene on the currency via the BoJ. And the surprise caught a lot when Japanese government announced yesterday the central bank is to act intermittently on the foreign exchange market intervention to rectify the yen's sharp appreciation versus Euro and Dollar. Rather than cooperation with the West, Japan went alone... Japan's intervention is a first since March 06, 2004.

"Instead of buying dollars, China buys yen, which in turn induces Japan to buy dollars. This maintains the artificial capital flows to the U.S. while allowing China to escape accusations of being a “currency manipulator." a blogger says.

Adding an other scoop : "Sooner or later this must become intolerable to the U.S. administration, which is sailing into an election with high unemployment and a low approval rating. It should come as little surprise that the United States moved on Wednesday to bring two new cases against China before the World Trade Organization, one on steel and the other in banking."

As a result, the yen-euro ended 110 and 85 for the yen dollar exchange rate. Rapid gains in the Tokyo stock market Nikkei index recovered to 9,500 yen for the first time in nearly a month with a +2.3 % up. Large-scale intervention is likely to exceed amounts in trillion of yen for the days, sources say... and they add: "Pessimism remains regarding the weakness of US economy."

Sources: Reporter's Notes

Yes, it's Kan...

Naoto Kan 721 votes against Ozawa's 491

a generational change and a new working method

the people as assets of society

Prime Minister Naoto Kan has been re-elected president of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), beating party heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa. With his victory on Sept. 14, Kan, 63, will stay in power. He is expected to reshuffle his Cabinet and the DPJ Standing Officers Council shortly in a bid to bolster his administration for the next 3 years.

Kan caught a majority of votes from DPJ legislators and local assembly members as well as rank-and-file members and supporters of the party. The focal point of the appointments is how Kan will treat 68-year-old Ozawa, former secretary-general of the party and a tremendous power broker of Japanese politics in the last 20 years.

Kan said he will keep unity in the party. ‘‘I will do my best to maintain our posture in which everyone in the party can show his or her ability.’’ Kan also said he resolves to make his utmost efforts in his post to revitalize the country and hand it over to the younger generation.

First challenge: 1) The rising Yen which impedes the economy and the Japan skillful export machine, and 2) Diplomacy with Beijing: how to engage China? Chinese governement has just postponed today a senior official's visit to Tokyo in an escalating diplomatic battle over the arrest of a Chinese fishing boat captain after a ship collision near islands claimed by both countries. Kan seen as too close of the US?

Sources, Reporter's Notes

Global Japanese Brands on the Move

Build a Smart and Friendly Life

The Japanese government has sanctioned a fresh ¥915 billion (€ 8.47 billion - $10.9 billion) stimulus package to prop up the nation's export-led economy affected by the strengthening of yen.

Answering to the powerful Japanese industry concerns, the government said it "will take decisive actions, including intervention in currency markets when necessary."

Unlike other parts of the Japanese economy, the electronics-goods market has consolidated. Already, a substantial rebound emerges in the communication and social infrastructures sector, electronics, industrial machinery, precision equipments, environmental management systems, according to investors and industry sources.

Illustration of this technology update with the Yokohama Smart City Project (YSCP) announced on Monday Sept 13 by Mayor Fumiko Hayashi. The city management will achieve a sustainable low-carbon city (smart city) by investing in cutting-edge technologies in various forms, from the smart grid and electric vehicles (EV) to the overall social systems from the supply side to the demand side of energy.

Yokohama Mayor Fumiko Hayashi

Mission is to keep the existing city of 3.7 million citizens living comfortably and with a new social system beneficial to the regional economy, and in parallel, to export Yokohama model solutions abroad. Yokohama has a sister city in Lyon and others in Europe, the US, Orient.

Yokohama, 2nd populated city in Japan with 3.7 million citizens

First of all, YSCP is to start from the Minato Mirai 21 district (MM21) to be presented during the November Apec meeting. Yokohama will offer the "Green Technology Showcase". Companies such as Accenture, Toshiba, Nissan, Panasonic and Meidensha are also participating in the project, which aims at 4,000 smart houses, 2,000 EV, and 1.6 million square-meter BEMS --Building Energy Management SysteSystem-- which optimizes energy demand and supply by leveraging IT.

Tomorrow's electric cars from Nissan will shape a new concept for auto manufacturers. Will you buy an electric car and a battery not only to drive but also re-use the battery in your smart energy consumption house thanks to Nissan and other industries? Huge potentials ahead...

Today's car and tomorrow's smart concept?

Nissan Leaf electric car, a natural line, but thinking of electric vehicles as sporty cars is not out of question according to Nissan Executives, example with a new revised version of the current GT-R up to 530 horsepower which is to be expected to be confirmed before the end of 2010. After all, when Keio university laboratory in Tokyo launched the spot electric experimental model "Kaz", it reached the speed well beyond 200km/h...

The GT-R electric?

Sources: Yokohama City, Nissan, Foreign Press Center Japan, Reporter's Notes

你好！Bonjour ! Le Paysage Audiovisuel Chinois Change de Ton.

Et bienvenu dans le PAC !

xiè　xie　qǐnɡ　wèn　nín　ɡuì　xìnɡ?

谢　 谢！ 请　　问　 您 　贵　 姓？

Merci! Votre nom, s'il vous plaît?

Evidemment vous pouvez vous servir d'un logiciel de traduction... Bon. Mais attention aux surprises pour déchiffrer la langue de Confucius en langage numérique. Inutile de dire qu'il est conseillé de se munir d'un bon "bagage" linguistique avant d'aller voyager ou travailler en Chine, et pour cela la Radio Chine Internationale (RCI) fournit aux Internautes les leçons de chinois de base et SURTOUT l'écriture des Idéogrammes. Pour cela placer la souris sur le caractère. C'est vraiment sympa. C'est ici. http://french.cri.cn/learnchinese/

En 15 jours vous devriez être capable de parler le chinois "de la rue" et de le lire mais pas nécessairement de l'écrire. L'apprentissage des caractères chinois est un exercice de peinture, de mémorisation, de répétition.

Le site de RCI est bien fait, mais la grille information et programmes nécessiterait de sérieux aménagements. L'actualité surtout. Les dossiers régionaux. Les rencontres - interviews avec les hauts dirigeants. Autre chose, les enregistrements de conférences dans leur intégralité ne remplaceront jamais un travail de journaliste avec une explication papier avec élément sonore court ou interviews, le tout en un maximum de 2'30" par exemple (L'enrobé...) Les modules économie et reportages pourraient en outre être sérieusement "boostés". Et puis, les gens écoutent RCI en français pour savoir ce qui se passe en Chine, donc, plus de reportages sur le territoire chinois et en Asie, seraient appréciés.

Dans l'ensemble, je trouve que le site est sympathique et je suis impressionné par nos amis chinois présentateurs de la RCI (comme je l'étais jadis sur place) et par leur excellente maîtrise de la langue française et par le tonus de quelques voix vraiment très "radio".

L'écoute via le site Internet reçue par les "portables intelligents", Ipad et Iphone etc., confirme en outre l'importance de la continuité de ces programmes radio (et télévision avec Xinhua TV). Désormais, ces nouveaux venus dans le PAC * permettent une offre diversifiée alors que la Chine Pop n'en finit plus d'intéresser et d'intriguer le monde entier!

* PAC : Le Paysage Audiovisuel Chinois.

Sources: RCI, Reporter's notes

New waves! China Japan bruised with territorial confrontations

Ritual Training for Japan Coast Guards

No, this time it's not about US Japan Korea China military naval war-games in the China southern seas, whaling or oil and gas research, this time it is about the recurrent territorial disputes that Easterners have been unable to resolve in decades.

Japan Coast Guard (under civilian control) just arrested Zhan Qixiong the captain of a Chinese ship yesterday for allegedly colliding his boat with their patrol boats in the East China Sea. All of this happens while Japan and China are negotiating on economy and trade files, the Korean peninsula. The captain is a 41-year-old Chinese national and he was held on "suspicion of obstructing public duties" after his boat clashed with Japanese CG in the highly disputed territory north-east of Taiwan. Islands known as Senkaku in Japan, Diaoyu in China and Tiaoyutai in Taiwan... Problem. These islands are claimed together, especially with the oil-rich surrounding area, by all three countries.

One can always talk about Free Trade area while nobody here is able to fix the territorial situation. A several decades old crisis.

No one was injured in the incident... But Tokyo and Beijing both registered formal complaints with each other's ambassadors, news reports said. Then, since the arrest of the Chinese fishing boat captain, diplomatic tensions between China and Japan escalated yesterday. Why? Beijing called in Japan's ambassador for a second time after the (minor) boat collision.

China PR boss said that Japanese Ambassador Uichiro Niwa was summoned to see Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue, who demanded that the Chinese vessel be released immediately. The crew, who do not have passports, are waiting on the boat. Then, ambassador Niwa was re-summoned a 2nd time. In Tokyo, Japanese officials repeated their territorial claims over the islands, adding that they had no immediate plans to release the captain or the boat.

Japan has also lodged a protest over the incident to the Chinese side and for Chief cabinet secretary Sengoku, its business as usual: "Procedures were carried out in an orderly manner. The matter was handled according to domestic Japanese law because Japan's position has always been that no territorial issue exists over the Senkaku Islands."

Cool...

The Chinese media naturally strongly criticized. The Global Times carried a report that said, "The collision was a Japanese conspiracy. The objective is to heighten the risk for Chinese fishing boats trying to enter the waters of the Diaoyutai." The owner of the trawler involved in the incident told a local newspaper: "We often fish near those islands and are often chased away by Japanese patrol vessels. We have had many run-ins and there was one such incident in August." Zhan was described as a "very experienced" captain, the Asahi shimbun writes today http://bit.ly/a2oc4Q

So why should he collide with Japan Coast Guards boats...?

Most Desired Tropical islands calling blue water navies to flex muscles

The "Senkaku in Japan, Diaoyu in China and Tiaoyutai in Taiwan" waters alleged collision happened, Japan said, in Japanese territorial waters off the northwestern coast of Japan's Kuba island, just north of uninhabited, disputed islands known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese. The islands, about 120 miles (190 kilometers) east of Taiwan, are controlled by Japan but are also claimed by China and Taiwan.

One cannot imagine that November APEC forum is to be set this year in Japan. An other reason to understand that this APEC forum is nothing else than a gathering of procrastinated bureaucracies. As ex presidential adviser, strategist, and author Jacques Attali wrote in his latest books, "Tous ruinés dans dix ans ?" "Vivre en crise" or "Le Sens des choses" from G20 to UN, APEC, none of these formula work and people don't count. Time to reinvent our leaders. (French Radio "L'Ete en pente douce" August 2010)

Ichiro Ozawa

In the meantime, foreign affairs happen to be invited in the current election. Election campaign seen as the most boring ever critics say, one of them is in the English version today page 13 of the world biggest newspaper Yomiuri shimbun with Akitoshi Muraoka. Worth reading.

Finally China and Korea relations with Japan appeared on the course of the election for the next ruling party top-boss and future prime minister. Japan's politician and king makers for 2 decades Ichiro Ozawa, who is seeking to become the prime minister next week against his fellow party member Naoto Kan, made this breakthrough statement that he would never visit Tokyo's controversial Yasukuni war shrine which keeps "souls" of some of World War II war criminals condemned to the death penalty by the Tokyo tribunal.

Ichiro Ozawa runs as the leader of the governing DPJ (Minshuto) against current DPJ president and prime minister Naoto Kan, and for him such war criminal souls should not be honoured at the site, which enshrines the souls of 2.5 million dead, including critical 14 leading war criminals which remind to all that this Shintoist sanctuary is seen as a symbol of Japan's past aggressions. "Class-A war criminals ended up like that because of their political responsibility"Ozawa said. The top war criminals from World War II were secretly enshrined in the 1970s, including General Hideki Tojo, the prime minister who ordered the attack on Pearl Harbor and was hanged for war crimes by a US-led tribunal.

DPJ Campaigning...

Counter acting to Japanese revisionists, Ozawa promotes ties with Japan's East Asian neighbors and last December took more than 140 young DPJ lawmakers on a visit to Beijing, where they were greeted by President Hu Jintao. As a pointer of future political courses, Ozawa also agreed with plans to give Asian long term resident foreigners the right to vote in local elections. For Ozawa: "South Korea has introduced local election voting rights, while Europe is on course to approve it. Such an idea follows a global trend."

The idea is to grant local and regional but not national suffrage to almost one million permanent residents of ethnic Korean, Chinese and other foreign backgrounds, both those who were born overseas and their descendants living in Japan after colonization and invasion of Korea and China by Japan Imperial Armies last century.

Insecurity

The day when history is studied and collectively formated into a fundamental treaty, such as the Treaty of Rome cemented Europe foundations, maybe the East Asian nations will get rid of their decades old psychological insecurity. Energy and natural resources potential key-marks?

Sources: Internets, Agencies, Twitter, Wiki, Reporter's Notes

✍✍✍ Ozawa? he gotta GTL (GTL = Gym, tan, laundry). It has to be done everyday to achieve maximum potential...

North Korea Kim Jong-un: Real picture or... a fake?

Is this man on the left, with a red tie, Kim Jong-un the son of North Korea regime leader Kim Jong-il? Or is he a simple manager engineer of the "Kim Chaek Industrial Complex" accompanying the leader Kin Jong-il on past visits? Chosen because of a resemblance with Kim Il-sun?

The image is spread all over the world by news agencies and thanks to the Internet, including on newspapers and military analysis sites such as http://bit.ly/Uando

If he is not the KJI offspring, then this photo would be a forgery, a fake image that was published without official confirmation by news agencies, photo news agencies and newspapers.

What also circulates on the Internet is a picture of a child, presented as Kim Jon-un, "while in school abroad" years ago.

The Kim Chaek Complex is named in relation to a Korea War General, it is the largest steel producer in the DPRK. A pipeline supplies iron ore from the Musan Mine located in Musan County, in the North Hamgyong Province.

Besides, sources in Pyongyang have reported news of a decree instructing provincial Party delegates to assemble in Pyongyang by the September 9th for the Chosun Workers’ Party Delegates’ Conference. As Asian Gazette published yesterday.

The Delegates’ Conference is reported to be held in the Pyongyang "April 25th People’s Army House of Culture". All together 5.000 delegates and audience.

In the interim, the French doctors led by Professor Roux of Paris Sainte Anne hospital who examined Kim Jong-il in North Korea last month http://bit.ly/c2mDMG are still unheard of, although energetically searched by media (who are not in a hurry though to publish any interview) as he is looked for by reporters and governments ' agencies.

No wonder.

Pyongyang capital of Willows

This is a picture distributed by China's Xinhua News Agency, Pyongyang where we see citizens heading back home after attending a celebration ceremony rehearsal for the upcoming Conference of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang, North Korea. This pic was made on Sunday.

Security is tight and hotels are "full", here is the specific decades old project Ryugyong hotel, still under renovation...

Sources: Reporter's notes

Freelance Reporter Tsuneoka hostage of Afghan kidnappers back home at last!

Kosuke Tsuneoka arrives at Osaka International Airport after 5 months captive in Afghanistan. After long request and research from authorities, services and fellow media associations, he is free.

"I feel relieved. I thought I would definitely be killed for the first two months." His captors had been asking for a ransom to Japan, and it is possible that he was released because terms were agreed. Released Saturday after going missing in Afghanistan in late March, Kosuke Tsuneoka returned home. Following his return, Tsuneoka told that he had felt anger at his kidnappers as they abducted him for money, even though he is a Muslim.

Tsuneoka was blindfolded and kidnapped by two armed military people on April 1 when he was walking with a Taliban member in Kunduz. During his captivity, he said he was locked in a residential house or moved from one battlefield to another. He was never physically assaulted but had seen a bloodied civilian brought into the same house one time during his captivity.

"The civilian, with both his hands and feet tied, was brought into the same house I was locked in. He must have been executed later," Tsuneoka said. "At that moment I realized that the kidnappers kill civilians easily. I became aware that I would be next." "I didn't understand how dangerous non-Taliban groups were. That was my complete mistake," Tsuneoka said. "I will make public what I have seen."

In messages posted in blogs in Japanese, Tsuneoka said the factions in Kunduz and Takhar provinces who kidnapped him pretended to be Taliban and "tried to extort" the Japanese government. He said Afghan authorities were unable to publicize the fact as the group's commander is very close to the Afghan government. He also said in separate messages posted early Monday that he thought during his more than five months in captivity that he would be killed to ensure his silence once the group had stopped trying to get money from the Japanese government.

In June, Afghan security officials said Taliban militants had demanded the Afghan government pay a ransom for Tsuneoka and that negotiations were under way to pay several hundred thousand dollars in return for his release.

The Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press news agency said Sunday a Taliban commander in Kunduz has claimed responsibility for holding the journalist, citing an interview with the commander. The Japanese Embassy in Kabul, however, said the kidnappers' affiliation is still not clear. Afghan Islamic Press reported Sunday that Tsuneoka was released in the Dasht-e-Archi district of Kunduz and quoted the Kunduz commander as saying, "We treated him very well. He would vouch for this." AIP said the Japanese journalist was released because he is a Muslim and that his captors wanted him to celebrate Eid, the Islamic festival at the end of Ramadan, with his family.

Tsuneoka, who formerly worked for Nagasaki Broadcasting Co., has been covering war-related stories as a freelance journalist, traveling to war zones in Afghanistan, Ethiopia and elsewhere. According to Tsuneoka's personal website, he is interested in reporting "war stories from the standpoint of people who are vulnerable in war."

France 3 has 2 TV reporters hostages: Herve Ghesquiere and Stephane Taponier who worked for the show "Pieces a conviction" of French state television France-3, were kidnapped with their Afghan guides on Dec. 29 in Kapisa province, northeast of Capital Kabul, in Afghanistan. The general secretary of the Elysee, Claude Gueant, said Sunday on French radio that the two French state television journalists kidnapped in Afghanistan were "in good health."

North Korea parades prior to Party Congress Opening Session

On September 9, 1948, North Korea established the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (D.P.R.K.) headed by then-Premier Kim Il-sung...

The North Korean Workers Party leadership is to delay the opening of an extraordinary congress to later this week. It will be the first extraordinary party congress in 44 years. Thursday 9th or Friday 10th appear as the latest dates selected.

Kim Jung-un, Kim Jong-il’s youngest son, oversees all the preparations for the meeting, including personnel affairs, gifts for delegates and accommodation as well as the selection of actors, commercials, finances and so on. "Jang Sung-tek, senior official of the National Defense Committee and the head of administration, assists Kim Jung-eun only in security affairs." (North Korean Sources)

The party is expected to elect members of the Central Committee first, and then a plenary session of the Central Committee will elect members of the Politburo, the Secretariat, and the Central Military Committee, the source said. The source speculated that Kim Jon-un will be elected to the Central Committee and then given a key post such as a member of the Presidium of the Politburo or party secretary, provided he makes an appearance at all. The source added, "It may be possible for the North to hold a plenary session of the party Central Committee separately later," so Kim Jong-un's election to a key post could be delayed.

(Sources Xinhua)

Party conferences have been held only twice before: in 1958 and 1966. In 1958, the country’s economic development plans and a restructuring of the party system were discussed. In 1966, the party’s top position had its name changed to “general secretary".

Children contribution to the Party Congress

Like in former sessions, North Koreans' schoolchildren have been marching Pyongyang streets last days chanting a song believed to hail North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's third son and heir apparent Jong-un.

Almost every morning and evening, several groups of junior high school students in uniforms march on streets near Pyongyang Station singing the song, known as "Footsteps," to promote the upcoming event and the 65th anniversary of the founding of the party on Oct 10. They also sing a song for North Korea's founder Kim Il Sung and one for Kim Jong-il. Similar scenes were witnessed last year when the country staged a 150-day campaign and a 100-day campaign to rebuild the economy. (Sources Kyodo)

Restart the 6 part talks on the agenda?

Also the United States "has begun weighing a fresh effort at engagement with Mr. Kim’s government, officials and analysts say." (Quotes New York Times August 27th).

Sources: Reporter's Notes