承前*1
ALAN COWELL and MARK McDONALD “New Focus on North’s Food Shortage” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/25/world/asia/25food.html
北朝鮮の砲撃について、「山にドングリがなくなったので熊が人里に下りてきた」ようなものなのではないかと書いたが、国連の世界食糧計画／世界食糧農業機関の報告書によると、北朝鮮の食糧事情はかなり逼迫しているようだ；
Around one-fifth of the 25 million population would continue to face food shortages, the report said. So critical was the situation that North Korea was short of around half a million tons of food and government hand-outs were inadequate.
火曜日の砲撃は、先月韓国が北への食糧援助を再開した直後に起こったので、あれは食糧のおねだりのジェスチャーと取れないこともない。
The report said that between now and next October, North Korea would need to import an estimated 867,000 tons of food. The government plans to buy around 325,000 tons, leaving 542,000 tons as a shortfall. The two United Nations agencies recommended providing 305,000 tons in international food assistance to the most vulnerable population.Battered by severe floods, North Korea’s own agricultural sector — which the report called “the main contributor to the national income” — showed an increase in staple food production of only three percent in the current year compared to the previous year. The country’s main crops are unmilled rice followed by corn, potatoes, wheat and barley and soybeans.
IAN JOHNSON and MICHAEL WINES “China Faces a Nettlesome Neighbor in N. Korea” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/24/world/asia/24beijing.html
反中国を旨とするウヨの人たちは北朝鮮を支持するのだろうな。何しろ上の記事によれば、北朝鮮というのは世界で略唯一中国の影響力が減少している国だからだ。また、民主党政権の〈弱腰外交〉が糾弾されることも多いが、北朝鮮は中国の要求を悉くはぐらかしながら、援助はしっかりといただいている。これはウヨにとって理想の外交に近い？
