News of the Day (May 3)

Taiwanese President makes another call for talks: Chen Shui-bian, elected President of the Republic of China (Taiwan), “for the establishment of a military and security mutual trust mechanism across the Taiwan Strait to help defuse cross-strait tensions” (Central News Agency, Taiwan, via Epoch Times) during a visit to the Marshall Islands. Chen has repeatedly offered olive branches to Communist China, only to be rejected by the cadres unless “he signs up to Beijing's so-called one-China policy” (BBC) – i.e., the ridiculous notion that the Communists are the rightful rulers of the island democracy. This time, the Communists insisted Chen’s Democratic Progressive Party delete “a clause in its party constitution calling for formal independence for the island” (MSNBC), a rejection they cloaked in offers to “lift restrictions on Chinese tourists going to Taiwan,” “scrap tariffs on more than 10 kinds of fruit from Taiwan and allow imports of six more fruit species.” The cadres also offered a pair of giant pandas; the animal has a long history of being manipulated by imperialists and Communists as diplomatic gifts (BBC).

More reaction to the Lien Chan visit: Meanwhile, the visit to the mainland by Lien Chan, the fellow who lost last year’s presidential election to Chen, is still generating reaction. Caroline Gluck has some interesting points about the political fallout on Taiwan, but her BBC column reveals a moderate pro-Lien bias. CNN’s Willy Lam notes how the trip plays into Hu Jintao’s “smile offensive” against Chen and his political allies. Blogger Barry Gibson rips Lien and his “pan-blue” Nationalist cohorts for attempting to “kiss and make up” (China Support Network, last item) with the Communists. Edward Lanfranco (United Press International via Washington Times) weighs in while reviewing Nancy Bernkopf Tucker’s Dangerous Strait: The U.S.-Taiwan-China Crisis.

Singapore mimics Communist China’s against Falun Gong as FM speaks of its rise: Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yeo spoke to the Washington Times about Communist China’s continuing rise in geopolitical power. While Yeo touted his nation’s “promiscuous” policy on trade, Tian Jie, Epoch Times, reveals the island city-state’s great fealty to Communist China. Of course, there’s been no cheating, as it were, on the Communist treatment of the two Falun Gong practitioners who tried to reveal the truths about the cadres’ persecution of their faith (thirteenth item). At least one analyst finds this to be no accident (Epoch Times).

Germany deports practitioner back to Communist China; UK almost follows suit: In a shocking example of ignorance, the German government – led by Jacques Chirac’s strongest ally in the effort to lift the EU arms embargo against Communist China, Gerhardt Schroeder – actually deported Falun Gong practitioner Jiang Renzheng and his family back to Communist China on the assumption that if he “practiced the exercises at home” (Epoch Times), he would be safe. He was sent to a labor camp within days. The United Kingdom nearly repeated Germany’s terrible mistake until news of it stayed London’s hand, for now (Epoch Times).

On the Uighurs at Guantanamo Bay: The editors of the Washington Post praise the Bush Administration for its ongoing determination to find a refuge for roughly fifteen Uighurs sent from Afghanistan to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, but since found not to be anti-American terrorists. The Administration “has rightly refused to turn over the Uighurs” to the cadres, who would certainly torture and probably kill them for resisting the brutal occupation of East Turkestan – the Uighur homeland which was an independent nation until the Communists invaded it in 1949 and renamed it “Xinjiang.”

Secretary of State Rice says U.S. can “deter” SNK: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reminded Stalinist North Korea that the U.S. “maintains significant – and I want to underline significant – deterrent capability of all kinds in the Asia-Pacific region” (Washington Times). That said, Rice steal pleaded with the Stalinists to return to the over-hyped six-party talks on their nuclear weapons programs, and of course, for all the “deterrent” talk, Rice never mentioned liberating the people of northern Korea. Also reporting: VOA via Epoch Times, Cybercast News, Fox News

Families of Japanese abduction victims seek U.S. sanctions against Stalinists: In an emotional appeal, Teruaki Masumoto, head of Association of Family Members Kidnapped by North Korea, “appealed to the Bush administration to support sanctions on Pyongyang until the communist regime provides a full accounting of the missing Japanese” (Bill Gertz, Washington Times). Stalinist North Korea admitted to kidnapping 13 Japanese citizens between 1978 and 1983. Five of them are now home with their families. The Stalinists insist the eight others – including Masumoto’s sister – are dead, despite a lack of evidence and many facts pointing to the contrary.

South Korea downplaying SNK nuclear and missile antics: The dovish government of South Korea joined Japan in “downplaying the seriousness” (VOA via Epoch Times) of a Stalinist missile test over the weekend. It also “dismissed on Tuesday reports by a local daily that the North Korea was preparing to conduct an underground nuclear test in one of its northeastern towns” (UPI via Washington Times).