News of the Day (June 29)

Australia turned down invite to U.S.-led meetings on Communist China: A Bush Administration-led group of nations meeting “to discuss issues such as China’s increased militarization and how to protect diplomatic pouches” (Epoch Times) have been getting together for two years – but without Australia, who passed up an American invitation to the talks over a fear “that such talks would offend the Chinese regime.” The news is more compelling evidence to back up Chen Yonglin’s account that the Communists are turning Down Under into a political fiefdom. The other invitees – all of whom apparently accepted – were Great Britain, Japan, Canada, and New Zealand.

More on Chen Yonglin: The Epoch Times spoke to Bernard Collaery, Chen’s attorney. We once again call on the U.S. to grant Chen, his family, and Hao Fengjun asylum.

Unnamed Communist calls military buildup “defensive”: A “Chinese diplomat, who declined to be identified” (Washington Times), insisted that his regime’s military buildup “is defensive.” He then had the audacity to claim, “We have never asked for a single piece of land.” That would be news to Taiwan, the other claimants of the Spratlys (next to last item), and Japan (twenty-eighth, sixteenth, twenty-sixth, and twenty-fifth items).

U.S. and India sign defense pact: The United States has responded to Communist China’s charm offensive on India (fourth item) with “a key agreement on military ties, opening the door to joint weapons production contracts and cooperation in missile defense” (Cybercast News) with the longtime rival of Communist China. India, which lost 40,000 square miles to the Communists in 1962, has received a lot of attention from the cadres in their desperation to prevent just such an accord between the U.S. and India.

Deal with Israel on arms sales still being worked out: Contrary to earlier reports (sixth item), an agreement between the U.S. and Israel “aimed at resolving Bush administration concerns about Israeli arms exports, especially to China” (Voice of America via Epoch Times) is still being negotiated. However, the Harpy upgrade cancellation is a done deal.

Huffy going Red: U.S. bicycle maker Huffy is “allowing its Chinese suppliers and a firm linked to the Chinese government to raise their shareholding to 51%” (BBC) by 2010.

Bishop backed by Vatican and Communists consecrated: Communist China’s “Catholic” Church consecrated Joseph Xing Wenzhi as an auxiliary bishop. What makes this unusual is that “both Rome and Beijing have tacitly agreed to Bishop Xing's appointment” (Washington Times, second item). Millions of Catholics refuse to worship in the Communist-controlled church, preferring to risk arrest and worship “underground” in order to remain loyal to the Vatican and Pope Benedict XVI.

On Communist China and the United States: Ed Koch, in Newsmax, calls for the U.S. to block the Communists’ bid for Unocal. Pat Buchanan, World Net Daily, uses the deal to rip – and rightly so – U.S. trade policy on Communist China. Patrick Goodenough, Cybercast News, examines Communist China’s growing ties with the “G-8.”

More Commentary on Communist China: Peter Zvagulis, former reporter and editor for Radio Free Europe, talks to the Epoch Times on the effect of the Nine Commentaries. The Epoch Times also reprinted Adrzej Czuma’s comments to the Chicago “Say No to Communism” Rally. Sean Seid, Epoch Times, details further fallout from the murder of Gao Rongrong. Gao Ling, also in the Epoch Times, reveals how the Communists turned a group of taxi drivers trying to protect one of their own into “lawless persons.”

Democrats want higher-ranking envoy for SNK talks, rip Rusmfeld and Cheney: Four Senate Democrats (Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Joseph Biden of Delaware, Carl Levin of Michigan, and Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia) called for “a special envoy to co-ordinate Korea policy and represent us in direct dialogue with North Korea at the Six Party talks” (United Press Int’l via Washington Times). The Democrats had harsh words for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney, whose apparent crime was a willingness to speak the truth about the Stalinist regime (fifth item, next to last item, last item).