Cablegate: Response to North Korean Nuclear Test Announcement
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FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
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E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/11/2016
TAGS: KNNP PREL PARM NZ KN
SUBJECT: RESPONSE TO NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR TEST ANNOUNCEMENT
REF: SECSTATE 169418
1. (C) In response to reftel, CDA Keegan delivered talking
points this afternoon to David Taylor, Director North Asia
Division at New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Trade (MFAT) accompanied by Carolyn Schwalger, Senior Policy
Officer in the North Asia Division at MFAT.
2. (C) Mr. Taylor responded that he saw his government and
the U.S. heading in the same direction on this issue. He was
grateful that Minister of Foreign Affairs, Peters had an
opportunity to talk on the phone in depth with Secretary Rice
regarding North Korea (DPNK). Taylor went on to say that New
Zealand (NZ) is closely following the actions of the UN
Security Council (UNSC) and emphasized that the challenge
remains to find ways to impose sanctions in ways that move
the issue in a constructive, or at least less dangerous,
direction. In the short term, NZ will be guided by what comes
out of the UNSC, but are looking beyond the Security Council
action to what else they can do. Taylor admitted that in
implementing the financial aspects of UNSC resolution 1695,
the NZ Parliament would need to pass additional legislation.
He went on to say that although it was too early to stop
current humanitarian assistance to DPNK that there are no
plans to provide additional assistance. Currently, NZ has
very lttle contact with North Korea, very little assistance
and essentially no commerce or financial flows. Nonetheless,
they are looking at ways to ensure that they have all the
necessary means to act.
3. (C) NZ is planning to discuss this topic at upcoming
regional meetings, such as APEC, as well as its normal round
of regional bilateral meetings and is reiterating its concern
over DPNK actions at these events. Minister of Defense and
Trade, Phil Geoff will be in Japan and South Korea in two
weeks and will also deliver his government's concerns
regarding the actions of DPNK. While in Korea he will meet
with General Bell, Commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) in
order to get a more in depth briefing. Taylor also shared
that Minister Peters has been actively encouraging China to
do more to bring the parties back to the negotiating table.
4. (C) In the past few day, Taylor noted that Foreign
Minister Peters has been saying that one should not
necessarily conclude that DPNK is a nuclear state simply
because of one test. Taylor added that NZ would appreciate
being informed of any U.S. technical assesments as to whether
this event was in fact nuclear and a successful test.
5. (C) Taylor revealed that he had heard some talk among the
diplomatic community, especially from the British that
dispite DPNK's withdrawal from the Non-Proliferation Treaty
(NPT), a legal argument may be made to help bolster a case
with the Chinese (PRC) that they need to take stronger action
against DPNK.
Keegan