ROC condemns DPRK long-range rocket test...

I was surfing the Republic of China (i.e government on Taiwan)'s Ministry of Foreign Affairs' website - and oddly enough, the ROC government issued a condemnation of North Korea's long-range missile test.

Taiwan and North Korea have a strange history.

During the Korean war, the KMT government and military was itching to start a "second" front in the Korean conflict by invading the Chinese mainland. Chiang Kai-Shek also offered ROC troops for use on the Korean peninsula, and Taiwan was a POW detention location for captured North Koreans & Chinese military personnel.

In the late 1990s, Taiwan and North Korea entered into a deal under which North Korea will be paid to receive nuclear waste from Taiwan.

The statement was issued in traditional Chinese. Click here to read it in traditional Chinese. I've taken the liberty of doing a quick five minute translation of the statement.

"The Republic of China government condemns North Korea's launching of the long-range rocket and urges the rational resolution of the dispute.

North Korea's disregarded the international community's concern and opposition, launching a long-range rocket on April 5, 10:30am Taipei time. The launch has evoked great international concern, in addition to strong condemnation from the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, other states, and the European Union.

North Korea's long-range rocket launch is in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1718. Regarding international peace, North Korea's conduct has particularly created tension and negatively impacted the security and stability in the Asian-Pacific region.

The Republic of China, as a member of East Asia, expresses deep regret and condemnation at North Korea's undermining of East Asian stability; and urges all parties to abide by international standards of conduct, and resolve the conflict through the attitude of rationality and self-made (juche) basis.

The Republic of China reiterates that issues involving the Korean peninsula should be resolved via peaceful dialogue in order to preserve regional peace, stability, and prosperity."

My first response was... uh... really? Who really cares what the ROC says about the Korean peninsula? I also struggled with the translation of "self-made," because it was so strange a usage that I initially interpreted it as "ad hoc," but realized it was a subtle reference to Juche ideology. Wow - is that an attempt to butter up the North Korean government? Sweeten the condemnation? What is going on?

Too bad no one cares about what Taiwan has got to say.