Chronologies
Regional Overview
Chronology from Apr 2004 to Jul 2004
: Chris Patten, Hong Kong’s former colonial governor, criticizes China saying “there isn’t a political problem in Hong Kong unless it’s created from outside.”
: Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo inaugurated at 14th president of the Philippines.
: Author and Louanne Petronio exchange vows in private Honolulu ceremony, formal ceremony in NY in July.
: ASEAN FMs meet in Jakarta in advance of ASEAN Plus Three and ARF ministerials, discuss security community proposal.
: The U.S. and the Philippines announce joint military exercises and a counterterrorism training program to be held in the Philippines.
: The OECD reports China surpasses the U.S. as recipient of foreign direct investment in 2003.
: North Korea says six-party talks made “positive progress,” but rejects U.S. proposal to freeze its nuclear weapons program.
: U.S. turns over sovereignty to new UN-endorsed interim government in Iraq
: Parliamentary elections held in Mongolia.
: The U.S. Senate passes joint resolution renewing economic sanctions on Burma imposed by the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act for an additional year.
: Six-party talks held in Beijing; U.S. and Pyongyang put detailed proposals on the table, hold separate bilateral discussion.
: A joint session of the Philippine Congress officially proclaims that Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo wins the election, concluding a constitutional process that began with polling on May 10.
: Seoul orders evacuation all of its nationals doing business in Iraq following execution of Kim Sun-il by Iraqi militants and restates it’s intention to dispatch troops to Iraq.
: Taiwan announces it will hold its annual “Han Kuang” (“Chinese Glory”) exercises in August to test Taiwan’s combat readiness.
: About 10 foreigners including a South Korean held captive in Iraq.
: Six-party working group discussions held in Beijing.
: China-ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Qingdao; delegates agree to deepen cooperation, to push for the China-ASEAN FTA; China signals it will sign the Protocol to the Treaty of the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANFZ).
: Third Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of Thai-initiated Asia Cooperation Dialogue held in Qingdao, China.
: IMF Managing Director Rodrigo de Rato travels to Tokyo, Beijing, Singapore, and Hanoi to hear perspectives of IMF’s work.
: Japan’s Cabinet approves a plan for Japanese troops now in Iraq to stay and join U.N.-authorized multinational force after handover to interim Iraqi government.
: President Putin says Russian government warned Washington that Saddam Hussein’s regime was preparing attacks in the U.S. and its interests abroad.
: U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta announces a landmark air services agreement between the U.S. and China to expand commercial aviation services.
: The SCO holds one-day summit in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, opening an anti-terrorism center.
: President Bush signs legislation to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at WHO.
: TCOG talks in Washington prepare for next round of six-party talks.
: World Economic Forum convenes East Asia Economic Summit in Seoul.
: FM Li meets with President Bush in Houston.
: FM Li Zhaoxing attends former U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s funeral as a special envoy of Chinese President Hu Jintao and meets with Secretary Powell.
: G8 summit on Sea Island, Georgia.
: The U.S. and China hold the fourth in a series of bilateral consultations on counterterrorism in Washington.
: Ronald Wilson Reagan, 40th president of the U.S., passes away at 93.
: Third annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore; Secretary Rumsfeld responds to this author’s “coalition of the reluctant” question by asserting “we do not go around putting pressure … on countries to do something that is against their interest.”
: ROK and the DPRK agree to measures to ease military tension along their border, agreeing to adopt standard radio frequency and naval signaling system, to exchange data on illegal fishing, to establish an inter-government hot line, and end the broadcast of propaganda along the border.
: In Hong Kong, tens of thousands hold candlelight ceremony marking the 15th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
: Deputy Assistant Secretary Randall Schriver says until China “honestly and candidly” reexamines events at Tiananmen Square, “China will not be able to realize its full potential as a member of the international community.”
: Meeting of the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade in Pucon, Chile.
: Secretary Rumsfeld says “after Cold War, U.S. forces have been stationed in South Korea for too long.”
: Asst. Secretary Kelly tells House subcommittee that the Bush administration will not ask Taiwan’s help in Iraq; praises regional democracies and China’s help in countering WMD.
: Russia joins Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) at first anniversary meeting in Poland.
: Military authorities in Burma arrest 10 democracy activists protesting the one year anniversary of Aung San Suu Kyi’s arrest and detention.
: ASEAN ISIS Roundtable begins in Kuala Lumpur.
: DoD issues annual Report to Congress on PRC Military Power Pursuant to the FY2000 National Defense Authorization Act. The report claims China is reassessing how to counteract the U.S. military in a potential conflict over Taiwan.
: Indonesian government expels U.S. terrorism expert Sidney Jones, head of the Jakarta office of the International Crisis Group.
: The U.S. and Russia sign accord to reclaim poorly guarded stockpiles of highly enriched uranium (HEU).
: Malaysian PM Abdullah Badawi leads a high profile diplomatic and economic delegation to China to celebrate the 30th anniversary of bilateral ties between the two countries.
: President Roh says U.S.-South Korea alliance is “solid.”
: ROK PM Goh Kun resigns.
: ROK and DPRK senior military officers hold talks to examine proposals to improve communications between their forces; agree to further talks in June.
: World Bank Shanghai Conference on Scaling Up Poverty Reduction.
: Approximately 19 sets of remains believed to have been U.S. soldiers killed in the Korean war are uncovered in North Korea and repatriated to the U.S.
: PM Koziumi visits Pyongyang for one-day meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.
: State Dept. says Burma Constitution Convention “lacks legitimacy,” announces extension of sanction.
: Chinese state media rejects Chen’s conciliatory remarks as a sham” and denounces Chen as a “slippery politician.”
: Russian news agencies report President Vladimir Putin favors a rapid approval of the Kyoto Protocol on global warming.
: Chen Shui-bian inaugurated as President of Taiwan for a second four-year term. In his inauguration speech, Chen offers a conciliatory tone toward China.
: Premier Wen holds talks with Vietnamese Premier Phan Van Khai.
: Under Secretary of State John Bolton visits Moscow to press Russian leaders to join the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI).
: Former President George H.W. Bush visits the Ukraine.
: Taiwan’s opposition parties, the KMT, the People First Party (PFP), and KMT splinter group, the New Party, agree to merge.
: The U.S. and Australia sign free-trade agreement.
: Indonesia sentences Mohammed Rais to seven years in prison for transporting chemicals used in the Jakarta attack on the Marriot Hotel, which killed seven.
: Junta convenes Constitutional Convention in Burma without NLD representation.
: Beijing tells President Chen to drop drive for independence or be “consumed in his own flames,” but also offered economic and diplomatic benefits, including “international living space” if Taiwan embraces the “one China” principle.
: Washington notifies Japan and South Korea that it plans a redistribution of nearly 3,600 troops from the 2nd Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division from South Korea to Iraq.
: President Bush telephones President Roh and offer his congratulations on his reinstatement. Roh tells Bush he accepts U.S. plans to shift troops from South Korea to Iraq.
: Russian and U.S. Army officers begin a joint six-day command post exercise that is the first of its kind and aims at ensuring better cooperation in the war on terrorism.
: National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice meets President Putin in Moscow, delivers letter from President Bush.
: President Roh returns to office; offers his apologies and accepts responsibility for illegal campaign funds scandal.
: Seventh ASEAN Plus Three finance ministers meeting in Jeju, South Korea.
: ROK Constitutional Court dismisses charges against President Roh, overturning his impeachment.
: Taipei announces its strongest growth in over three years during the first quarter of 2004, due to strengthened domestic demand and a rapid rise in exports; GDP expanded 6.28 percent over last year.
: The NLD opts to boycott a planned constitutional convention after junta refused to release Aung San Suu Kyi and NLD vice chairman Tin Oo from house arrest.
: Indian PM Vajpayee concedes defeat in Indian elections; congress party claims surprise victory.
: Asian Development Bank Annual Meeting in Jeju, South Korea
: Six-party working group meetings held in Beijing.
: Philippines holds Presidential elections, sporadic violence results in the death of nearly 20 people.
: Taiwan begins a recount of the presidential election vote.
: An East Timor court issues arrest warrant for Indonesian military chief Wiranto for committing crimes against humanity in East Timor in 1999.
: The U.S. and Malaysia signed a bilateral trade and investment framework agreement (TIFA) on May 10, according to an announcement released by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
: ASEAM Special Senior Officials Meeting (SOM), ASEAN Plus Three SOM, and ASEAN Regional Forum SOM held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
: U.S. Treasury Under Secretary for International Affairs John Taylor travels to China, Japan, and Korea to discuss global and regional economic issues.
: Senior members of NLD meet with Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi at her Rangoon home where she is under house arrest.
: PRC official says expressions of discontent by Hong Kong legislature over NPC reinterpretation are against the law.
: Vietnam marks 50th anniversary of the battle of Dien Bien Phu that ended
: Vietnamese Agriculture Ministry announces deadly bird flu has infected another farm in southern Vietnam.
: PRC warships enter Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor as a display of strength and to honor the PLA navy’s 55th anniversary.
: Results of April 5 election announced; Indonesian President Megawati’s Indonesia Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P) wins 18.5 percent of the vote; the opposition Golkar party wins 21.6 percent.
: President Bush meets Singapore PM Goh Chok Tong at the White House.
: PM Thaksin orders over 700 more troops to southern Thailand to bolster security.
: Japanese and North Korean delegates meet in Beijing for discussions on abduction issue and proposal for a visit by PM Koizumi to Pyongyang.
: About 107 suspected militants are killed by Thai troops during attacks on security posts and police stations in the southern region of Pattani.
: UNSC Resolution 1540 unanimously calls for measures to prevent WMD from falling into hands of non-state actors.
: Chinese Standing Committee rules out direct elections for the Hong Kong leadership in 2007 and for all legislators in 2008.
: Third Bo’ao Forum for Asia annual conference in Hainan, China.
: China’s Ministry of Health confirms two people have been diagnosed with SARS and confirms one death due to SARS in early April.
: ROK acting President Goh Kun offers aid to the DRPK and offers his condolences to the victims of the rail disaster.
: ASEAN Plus Three Health Ministers meeting held in Penang, Malaysia.
: SCO foreign ministers meet in Moscow.
: A massive explosion occurs at Ryongchon railstation in the DPRK, hours after Kim Jong-Il transits area enroute home from Beijing; at least 150 people are killed and over 1,300 are injured.
: Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly testifies before the U.S. House international relations committee; says, “We have very real concerns that our efforts at deterring Chinese coercion might fail if Beijing ever becomes convinced Taiwan is embarked on a course towards independence and permanent separation from China.” “While we strongly disagree with the approach, it would be irresponsible of us and Taiwan’s leaders to treat these statements as empty threats.”
: Taiwan presidential spokesman James Huang rejects U.S. warnings over plans for a new constitution and says President Chen plans to deepen the island’s democracy rather than set a timeframe for Taiwan independence.
: Defense Secretary Rumsfeld meets Singapore’s Deputy PM and Co-coordinating Minister for Security and Defense Tony Tan in Washington; they reaffirm the U.S.-Singapore commitment to fight terrorism.
: The small Caribbean island of Dominica (population 70,000) switches its diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China.
: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao holds talks with PM Hun Sen of Cambodia; outlines China’s four suggestions on the future direction of China-Cambodia relations.
: Russian DM Sergey Ivanov visits China.
: DPRK leader Kim Jong-il meets with President Hu Jintao in Beijing.
: Pro-Roh Uri Party wins a record 152 seats in the 299-seat National Assembly.
: UNCHR votes not to consider a U.S.-submitted draft resolution criticizing China’s human rights practices.
: VP Cheney visits South Korea, meets with Acting President Goh Kun and voices concern about North Korea’s nuclear program.
: VP Cheney praises China’s expanded cooperation on counterterrorism in Shanghai speech, but adds “the war on terror must never be used as an excuse for silencing legitimate dissent and expressions of opinion.”
: Senior members of Burma’s National League for Democracy (NLD), chairman Aung Shwe and party secretary U Lwin are released from house arrest.
: Chung Dong-young, the head of South Korea’s Uri Party resigns following criticism for his statements that older voters should “stay at home” on election day.
: Malaysian PM Abdullah Badawi and Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra pledge to improve security along border.
: China conducts PLA Navy Drill in the South China Sea.
: VP Cheney visits Tokyo, Japan; says the U.S. is grateful for Japan’s leading role in combating terrorism and helping stop the spread of WMD.
: ROK hostages released.
: 25th anniversary of the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA).
: U.S. Vice President Cheney visits Japan, China, and South Korea.
: Seven South Korean church group members are taken hostage near Baghdad.
: TCOG meeting in San Francisco to discuss working-level talks on DPRK nuclear crisis.
: Chinese National People’s Congress (NPC) rules Hong Kong may amend its election laws in 2007, but must obtain approval from Beijing, which has veto power over any changes.
: In Washington, Russian DM Sergei Ivanov says that Russia will not give up its cooperation with the U.S. in the war on terrorism, but warns that deteriorating bilateral relations could bring on a “cold peace.”
: Indonesia parliamentary elections.
: Chen and Lien agree to presidential ballot recount.
: Taiwan court rules President Chen and opposition leader Lien Chan must agree to terms for a recount of presidential ballots.
: China’s Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan visits Thailand.