News of the Day (June 30)

Communist China’s military worrying United States: The massive military buildup by Communist China is leading the Pentagon to try to determine “the right mix of weapons to deal with China's growing military power” (Bill Gertz, Washington Times). So far, the issue has become “‘the topic of much discussion and much dialogue’ as part of the congressionally-required Quadrennial Defense Review.”

Communist China could hit Taiwan, and soon: A number of analysts told Voice of America (via Newsmax) that “China is rapidly building up its military so that it will have the capability to attack Taiwan.” The Communists have plan to attack Taiwan anywhere from 2007 to 2012, and without U.S. support, the island democracy would fall quickly.

Ex-Pentagon official says Chen would have had asylum if he defected in U.S.: Dan Blumenthal, the Pentagon’s senior staffer on China, Taiwan and Mongolia from 2002-2004, told Australian television that Chen Yonglin “would probably already have been given asylum if the defection had happened in the U.S.” (Epoch Times). Blumenthal went on to say that the U.S. is “watching Australia’s relationship with China pretty closely.” Meanwhile, an Australian Senator ripped her government for being “gutless when it comes to standing up to human rights abuses in other countries” (Epoch Times). We repeat our call to grant Chen, his family, and Hao Fengjun asylum in the U.S.

Cadre who came in from the cold in Canada fears deportation: Han Guangsheng, another former Communist police official-turned-defector, fears being sent back to Communist China after a Canadian court refused to give him refugee status. The court cited Han’s persecution of Falun Gong practitioners – never mind that he defected so he wouldn’t have to do it anymore. The World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong “is working to intervene in support of Han’s appeal” (Epoch Times).

Amid debate on tariffs against Communist imports, opponents don’t get it: In their reaction to a bill calling for a tariff against Communist Chinese exports to the U.S. (second item), many of its opponents made the same mistake in their comments to Fox News: they assumed an argument against the bill was that a tariff would simply “raise U.S. imports from other low-cost sources of supply.” Given that those “low-cost sources of supply” aren’t building up their militaries for a future conflict with us, the import shift is a chief reason this corner supports the tariff, which comes before the Senate in July.

Lawyer hits Microsoft-on-Communism: Martin F. McMahon, an attorney in Washington, D.C., “has notified Microsoft Corporation that its practice of assisting the Chinese Communist government to restrict and monitor Internet usage is contrary to United States and United Nations laws” (Epoch Times). McMahon also noted Microsoft’s role in fighting internet restrictions in the United States, and asked “why your position in regards to freedom of speech on the Internet has changed so drastically since contracting with the PRC to censor speech” (see also second item).

European Union opens probe into Communist China shoe imports: The European Union officially opened an investigation into “an estimated sevenfold leap in China's imports since January 2005” (BBC) of shoes. Perhaps to grant the EU cover diplomatically, it also threw longtime Communist rival India under the microscope.

COSCO stock offering stumbles: The Communist-owned COSCO made its debut on Hong Kong’s stock market, and quickly fell 9% in value. One broker called the performance “a disaster for a major issue of this size” (BBC).

Even the Communists admit 300 million have no clean water: A cadre has admitted that pollution in Communist China has left “more than 300 million people without clean drinking water” (BBC). Other sources put the figure at 700 million (seventh item).

Commentary on Communist China: John Tamny has another terrible column in National Review Online; this one on Unocal is practically Kudlowesque. Xin Fei, Epoch Times, speaks to Li Qike, a former Communist colenol who insists there are many others like him still in the Communist military who can’t stand the Party. Chris Hogg, BBC, examines the political fallout inside and outside Taiwan from the proposed changes to the island democracy’s constitution.