News of the Day (May 11)

As SNK builds up its nuclear arsenal, Communist China sits on its hands: Communist China once again “ruled out applying economic pressure to compel its North Korean ally to return to stalled multilateral talks on its nuclear weapons programs” (Cybercast News), choosing instead to stick to its boilerplate call for “denuclearization” (Voice of America via Epoch Times), which may sound good but in fact assumes the U.S. should make a number of concessions to the Stalinists. The news came as a leading Stalinist called a nuclear weapons test “unavoidable” (BBC), and taunted visiting Japanese scholars about an upcoming test: “you'll find that out soon” (MSNBC). The regime also lashed out at President Bush, calling him “Hilter, Junior” (International Herald Tribune), and boasted that it had “finished extracting 8,000 fuel rods from its reactor at Yongbyon” (CNN). Out of the other side of its mouth, the Stalinists issued “the strongest indication yet that it is ready to return to six-party talks “ (Washington Times) by “insisting on two conditions Washington has already met: recognition of the North's sovereignty and bilateral discussions as part of a multilateral meeting.” The fact that Washington has met those conditions should be enough to make anyone wonder what good these talks will really do. Also reporting: VOA via Epoch Times, Newsmax

Taiwan arrests 17 spies: As part of an investigation into credit card fraud, the island democracy found “17 military officers and civilians suspected of passing military secrets to China” (BBC). Reports one of the agents “sold missile secrets to China” were denied.

Anti-Japanese activity hits the web: An army of hackers from Communist China has descended upon Japanese corporate and government websites, causing unspecified losses (Washington Post). This comes on the heels of Communist-supported anti-Japan riots last month. Meanwhile, yours truly reviews the history of Japan’s occupation of China during World War II – and finds the cadres should be grateful to Japan (Epoch Times).

As Pakistan buys our aircraft, its building more with Communist Chinese help: Communist China and jointly building a “mid-tech” (United Press International via Washington Times) military fighter plane with Pakistan, the same Pakistan that had been demanding, and finally won, the right to buy 24 American F-16 fighters.

Bolton controversy goes beyond SNK and reaches his views on Communist China: The swirling bruhaha over UN Ambassador-designate John Bolton has expanded past his insistence on telling the truth about Stalinist North Korea to his well-justified skepticism about Communist China’s “missile export controls” (all links from Washington Post).

Communists kill 350 Falun Gong practitioners, in one month: The month in question was this past April. The editors of the Epoch Times gave details on some of the victims.

Ex-Communist Party passes 1.4 million; Communists blocking Nine Commentaries: The number of Party members who resigned in the wake of the Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party has passed 1.4 million, and many of them are finding themselves under arrest for it. Meanwhile, according to a study by Harvard University, the Commentaries are “one of the top two most restricted topics singled out for Internet suppression.” The ex-Communists also won praise from exiled dissident Wei Jingsheng for making “their consciences clean” (all links from Epoch Times).

Hong Kong residents oppose Communist “election” panel: Nearly 200 residents of Hong Kong called for the Communist-picked panel that “elects” the city’s Chief Executive not to repeat the earlier rubber-stamp “votes” for the Communist-backed choice of Tung Chee-hwa. Tung’s Communist-blessed successor, acting Chief Donald Tsang, is sure to win just such a “vote” (Epoch Times).

Another member of the “Gang of Four” dies: Zhang Chunqiao, one of the “Gang of Four” that was the engine behind the hideous Cultural Revolution, died yesterday (BBC). The Cultural Revolution is criticized in Communist circles today, but only for leading to the deaths of so many cadres.

Boeing and Google make deals with Communist China: Boeing “won a $2.6bn (£1.4bn) order for 45 aeroplanes (UK sp) from China Southern Airlines and its Xiamen Airlines subsidiary” (BBC), while Google “secured a licence (UK sp) to operate in China” (BBC). The concessions Google gave to the cadres about censorship amid the continuing Communist web crackdown (third item, fifth item) were not mentioned.

Lenovo wants to take on biggest computer makers: Communist-run Lenovo, the firm that bought out IBM’s personal computer arm (second item), “has told staff it plans to double profits in three years” (BBC) and is hoping to pass Dell and/or Hewlett Packard, currently the top two computer makers in the world.

On Communist China and persecution: Gu Qinger, Epoch Times, talks to a family that lost twenty-five years to Communist prisons for refusing to renounce their Catholic faith. Nury Turkel, president of the Uyghur American Association, laments the persecution of his people in occupied East Turkestan (National Review Online).

On Communist China and the rest of the world: Dana Dillon, of the Heritage Foundation, details Communist China’s ties to the world’s other dictators in NRO. Jay Nordlinger, also in NRO (seventh item), thanks French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier for letting slip the ambition of the European elites and its moral equivalence toward the U.S. and Communist China. Yang Yufei, Epoch Times, examines Singapore’s willingness to follow Communist China’s brutal example on Falun Gong. Luo Gan, also in the Epoch Times, gives more evidence that outsiders looking to invest in Communist China should stay away.