Topic: Security Cooperation in East Asia
Country: Germany
Delegate Name: Christopher S. Eyke
School: Williamston High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Germany position papers GLIMUN 2017 committees
Due to the conclusion of the Cold War and the beginning of the twenty-first century, East Asia is seeing a resurgence in political maneuvering and competition between countries in the region. The countries–China, North Korea, South Korea, and Japan– are now engaged in several disputes that threaten to destabilize the region, with the root of the disputes deeply entrenched in historical conflicts of the past. The most pressing issue threatening regional and international security is North Korea’s establishment of a nuclear weapons programme. In October of 2006, North Korea conducted a nuclear weapons test and announced their intentions to become a nuclear armed state, a flagrant violation of the Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula which the country signed banning nuclear weapons testing. Since then, North Korea, under the leadership of Kim Jong-Un, conducted 15 known missile tests in 2017. In response to the tests Japan, South Korea, and their allies, namely the United States, have spoken out against the “rogue regime [North Korea]” by calling for the complete dismantling of their nuclear programme. Additionally, the situation is becoming more volatile due to threats being exchanged between President Trump of the US and leader Kim Jong-Un of North Korea. Furthermore, Joint US-Korean military drills, the deployment of US aircraft carrier attack groups, and the deployment of the THAAD missile defense system around the Korean Peninsula have angered North Korea and have made their main ally, China, concerned over the US’ military presence in the vicinity. Other problems that need to be addressed include territorial disputes between China and Japan over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands, as well as representation for other entities in East Asia.
Looking at security cooperation in East Asia, Germany is in a unique position to assist in deescalating tensions in the area. Although Germany strongly condemns North Korea’s actions and their nuclear weapons programme, foreign relations between the two countries remain present. Having a history with communism, Germany first exchanged embassies with North Korea during the Cold War under the East German government, and then once again in 2001 under the current Federal Republic of Germany. Notably, the country is one of only five European nations that have full diplomatic relations with North Korea. During the summit between the EU3 plus 3 and Iran that resulted in the Joint Comprehensive Deal of Action, commonly known as the Iran Deal, Germany played an integral role in mediating the talks, something that will be helpful if talks with North Korea take place in the future. In addition to their relations with North Korea, Germany also has strong relations with Japan, South Korea, and China; the three East Asian countries combined buy more than EUR 100 billion in German exports. Moreover, German-Japanese relations strengthened after both countries signed a defense cooperation pact in July of 2017, with the goal of increasing security in the region. However, despite Germany’s extensive relations in East Asia, more diplomatic actions need to be taken in order to prevent instability in the region.
With the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, the need for security cooperation in East Asia is as important as ever. The threat that North Korea’s nuclear proliferation poses to the greater Asia-Pacific area, and the world, needs to be dealt with diplomatically and in a manner that does not end in conflict. To do this, several things must happen. Firstly, the Trump administration must come up with a clear and reasonable policy concerning North Korea and needs to commit to diplomatic cooperation; without this, negotiations with North Korea will be unlikely. Secondly, talks similar to the ones that ended with the Iran Deal need to take place between North Korea and the EU3 plus 3, preferably led by Canada and Germany. Thirdly, current United Nations (UN) Security Council sanctions pertaining to North Korea must be enforced, as they are legally binding under Article 25 of the UN Charter. Fourthly, all UN member states must respect international law and rulings handed down by courts, such as the the international tribunal in the Hague which rejected China’s territorial claims based off of artificial islands. Lastly, China and Russia have a responsibility to do everything they can to dissuade North Korea from a path of escalation, and should take a more active role in diplomatic discussions. Germany expects to work with the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, other European Union member states, and potentially China and Russia on reaching a comprehensive solution to the various issues at hand.
