News of the Day (August 23)

We have a new Friendly Blog: Dictator’s Daily, by Curry Kenworthy, Executive Director of the China Support Network.

Russia-Communist China military exercises to last until Thursday: The joint military exercises between Communist China and Russia (second and second items) will wrap up on Thursday after three days (starting today) with “more than 7,000 Chinese troops and 1,800 Russian soldiers . . . in live-fire combat practice” (BBC). The cadres still insist the drills are aimed at “ethnic separatism, religious extremism and international terrorism.” Even Russia’s Nezavisimaya Gazeta isn’t buying that, since “international terrorists had yet to acquire any naval or air forces” (United Press Int’l via Washington Times).

U.S. getting more annoyed at Taiwan’s lack of defense spending: American officials “have been warning Taiwan that it must do more to prepare its own defense against a potential attack from China rather than rely largely on the United States” (Washington Times). The U.S. is particularly upset that the island democracy has not approved an arms package proposed by the President over four years ago. President Chen Shui-bian backs the arms offer enthusiastically, but the Kuomintang-dominated legislature has blocked it. Of course, the effect the Bush Administration’s terrible recent treatment of Chen has had on support for him at home seems to have been lost on Washington.

Oil shortage spreads: The oil shortage that has led to mass gasoline shortages in Guangdong (ninth, sixth, and third items) has reached Heliongjiang and has “also begun to appear in other regions such as Yunnan province, Beijing and Shanghai, suggesting the possibility that China may soon be in the midst of a nationwide oil shortage” (Epoch Times). The oil shortage is the latest example already crippling energy shortage in Communist China (tenth, sixth, eighth, and sixth items).

Rural poverty “to hit the red-light scenario after 2010”: Communist China is publicly admitting that “the growing gap between rich and poor” (London Telegraph) could risk “social meltdown within five years.” The report itself said the regime is “going to hit the red-light scenario after 2010” – just before the planned invasion of Taiwan and the subsequent “Emergency Act” confiscation of bank accounts.

Huawei reveals investment plans in India – which may still block them: Huawei Technologies – the folks who helped to integrate Saddam Hussein integrate his air defenses (sixteenth item) – revealed its plans for $100 million investment in India (UPI via Washington Times). The investment is dependent at least in part on the Indian government, which is still holding up any Huawei investment in India due to concern over possible Communist espionage (third item).

EU wants more textile talks with Communist China: European Union bureaucrats “are to fly to China on Wednesday” (BBC) in an attempt to come to a new agreement on textile imports as “75 million items such as shirts and bras are being held at EU ports after China exceeded import quotas.” Said quotas came from an earlier deal to limit imports (sixth item). Communist China’s textile exports to the U.S. and EU surged after worldwide textile trade restrictions ended on January 1 (fifth item), crowding out several developing nations in the process (fifth, fourth, and second items).

On the 2008 Olympics: Maoman, on Flickr, presents his nominee for the symbol of the Games (courtesy Andrew Stuttaford, National Review Online and Member since 2002). This reminds me – have you signed up for the boycott petition yet?

On Malaysia and the Epoch Times: Cindy Drukier & Jan Jekielek defend their paper and blast Malaysia for cowering to the Communists in banning it (ninth and fifth items).

On the destruction of Tibet: Kang Shiren, Central News Agency (Taiwan), examines how rampant Communist overdevelopment has polluted the Lhasa River (Epoch Times).

On Stalinist North Korea: As he visited Washington for talks with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki Moon told CNN that he was “more or less optimistic” (Voice of America via Epoch Times) that the Stalinists would agree to end their nuclear weapons program. We ask again: Will they never learn?