News of the Day (April 1)

Zimbabwe getting Communist support against its own people: Zimbabwe strongman Robert Mugabe’s growing alliance with Communist China (see sixteenth item, twenty-third item, thirtieth item, and twenty-first item) has generated critical benefits for his regime, including fighter jets and “a radio-jamming device . . . preventing independent stations from balancing state-controlled media” (Christian Science Monitor). Parapundit founder Randall Parker, member since 2003, weighs in on the subject.

Australian PM thinks he can keep the peace between U.S. and Communist China: John Howard made his comments – “We see ourselves as having a role in continually identifying, and advocating to each, the shared strategic interests these great powers have” (Cybercast News) – during a foreign policy speech last night.

Yushchenko confirms predecessor sold missiles to Communist China: The new Ukrainian president affirmed the news (third item) “with bitterness” (MSNBC).

Communist China’s place on UN Human Rights Commission criticized: Freedom House, which listed Communist China among the “worst of the worst” (Washington Times) in its abuses of human rights, ripped the regime’s place on the panel.

U.S. plans for India confirmed: The U.S. Ambassador to India confirmed the new American policy of “making India the global power it can and should be” (Cybercast News) in an op-ed piece in the Times of India. The Ambassador went so far as to say the two nations “are poised for a partnership that will be crucial in shaping the international order in the 21st century.” India has long been a geopolitical rival of Communist China, although the cadres are pulling out all the economic stops to reverse that (fourth item).

Communist persecution, past and present: Dianna Zhang reveals to the Epoch Times the suffering of her family because her mother owned one acre of land before the cadres took over. Meanwhile, Ying Yuequan, also in the Epoch Times, reveals the restrictions placed upon recently released SARS whistleblower and Tiananmen massacre critic Dr. Jiang Yanyong. The last one – “He must report his thought processes” – is just chilling.

Other commentary on Communist China: Huang Dachuan, Epoch Times, warns foreign investors glowing over Communist China’s economic numbers to remember the “historically rooted crisis” of mass statistical fudging (see also fifteenth item). R.J. King, Detroit News, examines the Communists’ efforts to enter the American automobile market. Nick Mackie, BBC, details the cadres’ troubles running a soccer league “fraught with allegations of match rigging and corruption” (surprise!). Lev Navrozov, Newsmax, raps American political leaders again for ignoring the Communist threat to the U.S.

U.S. dismisses Stalinists call to remove non-existent nukes from South Korea: Christopher Hill, the U.S. point man on the suspended nuclear talks, called the Stalinist demand to remove the imaginary nuclear weapons “silly” (BBC).