Thursday, April 21, 2005

News of the Day (April 21)

France still trying to get EU arms embargo lifted: French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin insisted his government would continue its ill-fated effort to lift the European Union arms embargo against Communist China. Raffarin did not go into detail on how he would change the minds of those in favor of keeping the embargo, which include at least Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and the Czech Republic. Report: Cybercast News

NTDTV thanks supporters; Colorado State Senate backs network: As New tang Dynasty Television thanked those who pushed Eutelsat to temporarily extend its signal into Communist China (sixth item, Epoch Times), the dissident Chinese network received another boost – support from the Colorado State Senate (Epoch Times).

Former Communist Chinese Olympian quits the CCP: Huang Xiaomin, a silver medalist swimmer for Communist China in the 1988 Olympic Games, has joined the ranks of former Communists (Epoch Times). In response, the Communists threatened her sister, banned her from returning home (she is coaching South Korea National Swim Team). Also “resigning” from the Party is democracy activist Li Guotao – the Party booted him for his pro-democracy work over a decade ago (Epoch Times).

IMF questions Communist monetary policies: The International Monetary Fund “urged the Chinese government to ‘tighten monetary policy’ in order to control inflationary pressure and call for ‘greater exchange rate flexibility’” (Epoch Times).

On the Japan-Communist China dispute: Several more columns on the spat between Japan and Communist China hit the web, including one from yours truly in the Epoch Times pointing at the Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party as the real reason for the riots. Masha Loftus, also in the Epoch Times, agrees, and notes a number of other underlying problems the Communists are trying to avoid. Jim Hoagland, Washington Post, also sees Communist ambition for future geopolitical power, although his advice to “caution China” is very weak. George Washington University Professor Mike Mochizuki and Brookings Institution senior fellow Michael O'Hanlon are far worse in their Washington Times column, although my opinion may be colored by the slight at unnamed Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara (third item, ninth item, twelfth item).

Other Commentary on Communist China: Gong Ping, Epoch Times, discusses the impact of the Nine Commentaries. Douglas Brown, of The Nathan Hale Institute, details Russia’s growing ties to Communist China in Newsmax. Roy Clancy, Calgary Sun, visits Taiwan and examines the Communist military buildup against the island republic.

UN envoy to SNK steps aside amid probe: Maurice Strong, the United Nations special envoy to Stalinist North Korea, “decided Wednesday to step aside until U.N.-appointed investigators and federal prosecutors finish examining his financial ties to a South Korean lobbyist accused of trying to bribe U.N. officials” (Washington Post). Said lobbyist, Tongsun Park, is under indictment for being an unregistered agent of Saddam Hussein. Strong “acknowledged Monday that Park had invested money in a business he was ‘associated with’ in 1997 and later advised him on his dealings with Pyongyang” (see also last item). SNK sold missile technology to Saddam for $10 million (second item).

South Korea gives no statement on possible Security Council action on SNK: South Korea’s dovish government gave no opinion on the possibility of taking the Stalinists’ intransigence on its nuclear weapons to the United Nations Security Council, but a high-ranking member of President Roh Moo-hyun’s Uri party opposed it (Cybercast News). While it would say quite a bit about the Uri Party, the issue means little in real terms given that Communist China would certainly veto any move against its Stalinist allies.

Bolton criticized for telling the truth about SNK: Thomas Hubbard, ex-ambassador to South Korea, is telling the Senate Foreign Relations Committee “he had asked the undersecretary to tone down his comments about Kim Jong Il” (Newsweek) in a speech Bolton gave in 2003 (fourth item). Bolton stuck to the truth about the Stalinist-in-chief.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I like your site, but try not to rely so much on the Epoch Times; you need better diversity of sources.

Why isn't there more outrage over French PM Raffarin's statements supporting a PRC invasion of Taiwan? I thought they were utterly shocking and barbaric. How can France pretend to be a civilized country and openly support Chinese militarism and imperialism?

D.J. McGuire said...

The ET is far from the only site I use, they just happen to have a number of things others don't have.

As for France, I'd like to see what the opposition says. The French "left" has actually been more anti-Communist than its "right." Jack Lang, a possible Socialist candidate for President on 2007, has been particularly good on the issue. I'm curious to see his reaction to this.