Kyodo news summary -7-

Asian Political News, March 28, 2005

TOKYO, March 22 Kyodo

---------- Philippine military arrest Indonesian terror suspect

MANILA - The Philippine military said Tuesday it has arrested a 25-year-old Indonesian explosive expert who has allegedly helped in training Muslim militants in the southern Philippines.

Lt. Gen. Edilberto Adan, armed forces deputy chief of staff, identified the Indonesian as Rohmat, who was arrested last Wednesday along a highway in the southern Philippines' Maguindanao Province.

---------- China opposed to linking antisecession law with arms embargo

BEIJING - China sees ''no logic'' in press reports that the European Union is linking the lifting of the EU arms embargo on China with China's adoption of a law authorizing the use of force to stop Taiwan from seceding, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tuesday.

''We are calling for the lifting of the EU arms embargo to remove the political discrimination against China,'' Liu Jianchao said at a regular press briefing.

---------- Property tycoon Tsutsumi faces insider trading criminal complaint

TOKYO - The Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission filed a criminal complaint Tuesday against Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, the arrested former chairman of Kokudo Corp., for insider trading.

The complaint, filed with the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, also targets Kokudo and Seibu Railway Co., owned chiefly by Kokudo.

---------- China corruption exhibit draws thousands of visitors

BEIJING - A monthlong anti-corruption exhibit has drawn thousands of visitors since it opened Monday to showcase China's accomplishments in attacking one of its most persistent sociopolitical issues and discouraging others from bribery, embezzlement or misuse of public funds.

Five thousand Communist Party cadres and 700 others went to the Anti-Corruption Advocacy, Warning and Education Exhibit on Monday at the China 21st Century Monument exhibition hall in Beijing, the Beijing News reported.

---------- Shimane governor proposes holding forum on island dispute

MATSUE, Japan - Shimane Gov. Nobuyoshi Sumita proposed Tuesday that scholars from Japan and South Korea hold a forum over the dispute between the two countries over a Sea of Japan island claimed by both countries.

The forum is intended to clarify issues related to the island, called Takeshima in Japanese and Tokto in Korean, so that Shimane Prefecture could respond to possible arguments from South Korea, Sumita was quoted as saying by prefectural government officials.

---------- 2 mild quakes rattle northern Kyushu

TOKYO - Two moderate earthquakes rattled northern Kyushu on Tuesday, a day after a powerful quake rocked the area, killing one person and injuring more than 700 people.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the first quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1, hit at 3:55 p.m. The quake originated around 10 kilometers underground off the coast of western Fukuoka Prefecture. There were no immediate reports of damage.

---------- China wants more developing world representation in UNSC

BEIJING - China believes a reformed U.N. Security Council should include more representation for the developing world, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tuesday, while skirting the question of whether Japan should become a permanent UNSC member.

The Security Council reforms should be aimed at ''improving efficiency, giving more emphasis on developing problems and increasing the representation of the developing countries,'' Liu Jianchao said when asked about U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's comments Monday that Japan is a potential candidate for permanent membership.

---------- Japan may allow chess legend Fischer to leave for Iceland

TOKYO - The Japanese Justice Ministry is considering whether to allow U.S. chess legend Bobby Fischer, who has been detained by immigration authorities in Japan since last July, to leave for Iceland after the Icelandic parliament passed a bill Monday to grant him citizenship, ministry officials said Tuesday.

''If he has (Icelandic) citizenship, I understand it is legally possible for him to leave Japan, and in the event of that situation, I believe the immigration authorities will consider the matter appropriately,'' Justice Minister Chieko Nono said after a regular Cabinet meeting.

---------- N. Korean premier begins China visit, focus on nukes, economy

BEIJING - North Korean Premier Pak Pong Ju toured a mobile phone factory in Beijing on Tuesday, kicking off a six-day visit to China that Pyongyang hopes will lead to hints for its budding economic reforms and more investments from its major ally.

But as the visit takes place amid increased efforts to bring the North back to the six-way talks on Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions, Chinese leaders are expected to take the opportunity to try to convince Pyongyang to return to the talks.

---------- Japan hopes N. Korean premier's China trip sees nuke issue progress

TOKYO - Japan has strong hopes that Tuesday's trip by North Korean Premier Pak Pong Ju to China will result in headway in dealing with Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said Tuesday.