Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: 3-nation metropolis an unfunded dream Date: Sun, 22 Nov 92 17:26:45 EST Message-ID: \SE A;WORLD \HD 3-nation metropolis an unfunded dream \BY Willis Witter \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES \DT TUMEN, China TUMEN, China - Even for dreamers, a U.N.-sponsored plan to build another Hong Kong or Singapore in Northeast Asia's barren Tumen River delta evokes expectations on a messianic scale. Consider the goal: a metropolis spanning three nations - China, North Korea and Russia - with 11 specialized harbors and a giant rail terminal linking the northern Sea of Japan to Europe 6,000 miles away. The United Nations Development Program envisions spending $30 billion for the project over the next two decades, virtually none of which would come from the principals. The problem: "Nobody is interested in giving out that kind of money," said one diplomat in Beijing. North Korea, Russia and Mongolia - a fourth participant, which hopes to benefit from inland rail links - are broke and are expected to remain so for the foreseeable future. China, on the other hand, has money and ambitions to develop the area but little inclination to spend it on uncooperative neighbors. China wants to dredge the final 10 miles of the Tumen River now controlled by Russia and North Korea, giving its Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces direct access to the sea. Russia recently agreed but North Korea refused, prompting China to sign a bilateral agreement with Russia to use a port in southern Siberia. Road and rail links joining Hunchun, China, to the area are already under construction. On paper at least, the Tumen River development project makes sense given the region's underdeveloped wealth of energy, agricultual and mineral resources. U.N. officials propose setting up a four-nation commission to run the area, something resembling the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. This would help give investors from Japan, South Korea and the West confidence to sink money into the project. Suspicions in the area are enough to scare most investors away. Even businessmen can't cross a border without applying for permission weeks or even months in advance. "People who want to invest have to consider the politics, and unfortunately the political problems of the countries have not been solved," said Cui Yuan Gen, director of economic development for Yanbian prefecture, which includes China's portion of the project. China's recent opening of diplomatic ties with South Korea prompted an icy, wait-and-see silence from North Korea, which is still technically at war with the South. Though North Korea has not commented publicly on the move, analysts note that overtures by Pyongyang to potential foreign investers have been put on hold. Meetings involving participants and potential donor nations such as Japan and South Korea have accomplished little more than funding feasibility studies. At this point, Mr. Cui said, the three countries - China, North Korea and Russia - will go ahead and develop their own areas separately and at some point in the future worry about integrating them into a single unit. "The Chinese have a solid idea of their own," said a diplomat. "They are the only ones doing anything to develop their part of the area. The others are just riding the tide of the big dream." This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM