News of the Day (March 9)

U.S. unhappy with “anti-secession” law: Two U.S. officials criticized Communist China’s “anti-secession law.” White House spokesman Scott McClellan and his State Department counterpart Richard Boucher called the not-yet-passed law “unhelpful” (Bill Gertz, Washington Times, CNN, BBC). Admiral William Fallon, commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, also criticized the law (Voice of America via Epoch Times).

Communist pressure Australia; Taiwan to conduct anti-invasion war games: The repercussions of the cadres’ new push against Taiwan even reached Australia. The Communists “suggested that Australia review its Anzus alliance with the US, under which it could agree to support American action in defence (UK sp) of Taiwan” (Times of London, UK). The Australian government dismissed the idea. Meanwhile, Taiwan announced a four-month military exercise “designed to fend off an attack from the mainland” (Cybercast News).

Australia shuns Falun Gong while Communist imports lead to trade deficit surge: Australia did continue to make Communist China happy regarding Falun Gong by withdrawing an invitation to a “closed-door biannual human rights meeting between non-government organizations (NGOs) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT)” (Epoch Times). Meanwhile, the effects of Australia’s “engagement” with Communist China were revealed in the former’s trade deficit numbers – Communist imports “led Australia into its second largest trade deficit in history and highest level of current account deficit on record” (Epoch Times).

More on the Falun Gong War: Sun Wenguang, a professor from Shandong University, writes an open letter to the Epoch Times calling for the end of the brutal persecution of the spiritual movement.

More Commentary on Communist China: The BBC’s China documentary continues, as does its web pieces based upon the mini-series – this one deals with the Communists’ battle to “sanitise” (UK sp) the internet. John Kusumi, China Support Network, highlights Communist China’s threat to America. The editors of the Epoch Times detail the abuse of graduate students by their Communist professors. Peter Goodman, Washington Post (via MSNBC) examines how cadres in Beijing plotted to profit on a real estate scam, and the people who suffered as a result.

Stalinist North Korea selling missiles to Syria: An Israeli Foreign Ministry official told Newsmax that Kim jong-il’s regime is now selling missiles to Syria – missiles which “capable of delivering “unconventional” warheads,” i.e., warhead carrying weapons of mass destruction.