News of the Day (August 4)

SNK talks – another day, another draft: Communist China sent around yet another draft version of “a statement of principle” (BBC), the piece of paper that is supposed to show that everyone at the six-party talks on Stalinist North Korea’s nuclear weapons (the U.S., SNK, Communist China, Russia, Japan, and South Korea) are on the same page, literally and figuratively. According to Christopher Hill – the head of the U.S. delegation at the talks, “North Korea is the lone holdout” (Voice of America via Epoch Times). Russia threw in a pledge to built a nuclear power plant in the Stalinist North “if North Korea will return to the treaty on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons” (United Press Int’l via Washington Times, third item). Meanwhile, yours truly noted the timing of these talks, and how they managed to deflect the growing awareness in America about the Communist threat, in the Epoch Times.

Communists rip opposition to failed Unocal bid: The Communist-owned China Daily blasted American opposition to their attempt to buy Unocal, calling it “protectionism with political patronage” (Cybercast News). Here’s a healthy reminder of what really scared them about the opposition to their bid before it was withdrawn.

Washington will keep an eye on Russia-Communist China military drills: The U.S. military “will be watching closely as China and Russia prepare for unprecedented joint military exercises” (Washington Times). The joint drills are set for August 18.

Communist-built oil rig in Colorado: Colorado now has a Communist Chinese-built oil rig in its Piceance Basin field, although it’s not from the firm that had been considering it earlier (fourth item). Report: UPI via Washington Times

Benedict XVI welcomes bishops from Communist-run church: Sending another disturbing signal about his intentions, Pope Benedict XVI “gave a special welcome yesterday to a group of priests from China” (Washington Times). The priests “were members of Beijing's official church,” i.e., the Communist-run church. The Vatican has dropped hints of a rapprochement with Communist China – which would include breaking off diplomatic relations with the island democracy of Taiwan.

EU block on Communist sweaters lifted, sort of: The European Union has decided to lift its block on sweaters exported from Communist China (eleventh item) “to assist retailers who had already committed to buying stock” (BBC). However, “the additional exports allowed in 2005 would be deducted from the permitted quota in 2006.”

Foreign-owned satellite channels capped: Building on its crackdown against foreign media of all kinds last month, Communist China has proclaimed it would “refuse to allow any new foreign-owned television satellite channels into the country” (BBC). The 31 who have already made it into Communist China will face “tighten(ed) controls” in order to – check out this language – “safeguard national cultural safety.”

WHO watching “pig disease” from afar; locals angry at Communists: The World Health Organization “says at least 38 people have died and more than 200 infected from a swine-borne disease in China's Sichuan province” (UPI via Washington Times). What the WHO did not say is that they have still been shut out from the affected area by the Communists, who are in full SARS-redux mode about the “pig fever,” which according to one scientist is actually Ebola (fourth item). Meanwhile, Nick Mackie, BBC, managed to get into Sichuan Province to speak with the locals, and found the cadres “were clearly perturbed by the conversation and the presence of a foreign journalist.” The locals, meanwhile, took the cadres’ presence as an opportunity to rip them for “inaction.”

Zimbabwean exiles in UK protest Communist aid to Mugabe: A number of Zimbabwean exiles led by the Zimbabwe Vigil Coalition protested in front of the Communist Chinese Embassy in London (Epoch Times). The group was angry at Communist China’s recent offer of aid to the dictatorship of Robert Mugabe (third, sixth, sixth, and seventh, and sixth items). Meanwhile, Martin Croucher, also in the Epoch Times, puts the Zimbabwe deal in the context of the Communists’ general international policy of making the world safe for dictators.

Reaction to the Melbourne “seminar”: After exposing the Melbourne “large scale seminar” about him for the joke that it is (third item), Chen Yonglin talked to the Epoch Times about the Communist propaganda event he cheerfully reduced to a fiasco.

On the Falun Gong War: Congressman Dan Burton (R-Indiana) ripped Communist China for its persecution of the spiritual movement in a speech last month (Epoch Times).

On Communist China and the United States: San Renxing, Epoch Times, begins her examination into the Chinese Communist Party’s willingness to use nuclear weapons against us to preserve itself. Don Feder, Washington Times, notes lobbying firm Patton-Boggs’ new client: Communist China, and offers the regime “free advice on improving its image Stateside” (yes, that’s tongue-in-cheek, otherwise the Ignorant Comment of the Day would not have been vacant today).