News of the Day (July 15)

Communist major general says U.S. should expect nuclear war over Taiwan: So how does Communist China intend to keep the United States on the sidelines for its invasion of Taiwan (sometime between 2007 and 2012)? Here’s how: “A Chinese general said Friday China will use nuclear weapons against the United States if it attacks his country over Taiwan” (United Press Int’l via Washington Times). Communist Major General Zhu Chenghu also helpfully noted “that China's definition of its territory included warships and aircraft” (Financial Times, UK). Of course, Zhu quickly tried to downplay his own words – “my assessment, not the policy of the government” (BBC), but it’s not the first time a Communist general has pulled the nuclear card regarding American support for the island democracy (World Net Daily). Also reporting: Cybercast News

U.S. general rips Russian and Communist “bullies”: The call by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization for an American military withdrawal from Central Asia (third item) drew a harsh response from General Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Myers accused Russia and Communist China – the big players in the SCO – of “trying to bully some smaller countries” (Washington Post), in particular Uzebkistan and Kyrgyzstan, the only two SCO members with American military bases.

Russia falls over toward Communist China on oil: “Leans” just wouldn’t cut it, as Russian President Vladimir Putin “said Moscow will give China priority when supplying crude to Asian markets in the next decade” (UPI via Washington Times).

Republicans and Democrats offer competing bill against Communist imports: House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R-California) “threw his weight behind legislation that would allow U.S. companies to seek duties on goods found to be subsidized by the Chinese government” (Washington Post). Democrats almost immediately derided the move as weaker than their own bill, which would “amend trade laws ‘to allow U.S. action against currency manipulation and would define it as a trade violation.’” Normally, this is nothing more than hot air – the Senate has always been where curbs on Communist imports go to die, or enter suspended animation (fourth item).

Resignations approach 3 million: As the number of ex-Communists reaches the three million mark, Ukrainians lined up tp express their support for the exodus (Epoch Times).

Power shortages hitting more cities: The power shortage that forced Shanghai to ration electricity (tenth item) has spread to Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Dongguan. In the Communist capital, over 5,000 businesses have been forced “to arrange special holidays for employees during the peak summer month” (China Post, Taiwan).

Next Communist space launch set for October: Communist China announced plans for an October manned space launch, which “will send two astronauts into space and they will orbit the Earth for five or six days” (BBC). The regime “hopes to set up a space station within five years and wants to land an unmanned probe on the moon by 2010.”

Don’t they read the Epoch Times? It took nearly three weeks for the BBC to notice Henan vice-governor Lu Debin’s plot to murder his wife (eleventh item).

On the long arm of Communist tyranny: Chen Yonglin went into detail on the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to monitor and suppress dissent outside Communist China (Epoch Times). We repeat our call for the U.S. to grant Hao Fengjun asylum.

On Communist China and the United States: Fu Chengyu, head of CNOOC, tries to convince Time Asia that his Communist-owned oil firm’s bid for Unocal is harmless. Admiral Walter F. Doran talks to the Richard Halloran, Washington Times, about his tenure as commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Janaki Kremmer, Christian Science Monitor, examines how “Australia's ever-closer relationship with China is causing no small discomfort at the White House.”

On Jiang Zemin: The Epoch Times present Chapter 5 of Anything for Power.

Woe Canada! In response to the mass outrage at Microsoft’s willingness to censor its blogs for Communist China (second and sixth items), Gary Reid, Canada Free Press, reminds his fellow Canadians to remember their own firms’ involvement in Communist China’s repression of the internet – such as Nortel role in the Golden Shield project.

On Communist China and Stalinist North Korea: Edward Lanfranco (UPI via Washington Times) has what amounts to a puff piece on Communist China and its supposed efforts to get its Stalinist ally to disarm (Will they never learn?). Meanwhile, Nicholas Kralev, also in the Washington Times, gauges U.S. expectiations for the talks.