News of the Day (November 10)

Two indicted in scheme involving Communist general to import missiles into U.S.: A federal grand jury indicted Chao Tung Wu and Yi Qing Chen for “conspiracy to import missile systems designed to destroy aircraft” (Bill Gertz, Washington Times) into the United States, in particular “QW-2 anti-aircraft missiles and launchers.” The scheme also involved “a Chinese company, (and) unindicted co-conspirators in China – including a Chinese general” (emphasis added). The purpose for the scheme was not entirely clear. The BBC reported that the missiles “would not be used in the United States,” but Gertz reported that a third country was used as a fake destination, i.e., the missiles would end up here. China Freedom Blog Alliance Member One Free Korea weighs in here.

Communist spy caught by FBI worked for Phoenix media and Communist military: There has been speculation about the rise of Phoenix Satellite Television in Communist China (Newsweek). The bloom came off the rose this week as it was revealed that Tai Wang Mak, one of the four spies arrested by the FBI for sending secret U.S. high-tech military information to Communist China, just happened to be a broadcast/engineering director for Phoenix’s North American channel (Epoch Times). Even better, he was also “a member of the Chinese military” (Charles R. Smith, Newsmax).

Hotel threat? Never mind: Meanwhile, Communist China “denied issuing a warning that Islamic militants were planning attacks on luxury hotels in the country” (BBC), leading the U.S. to retract its own warning (CNN). For more on this, see fifth item.

Communist China exposed as protecting SNK; U.S. sends conflicting signals: The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission reported that Communist China “refused to use its substantial influence to pressure Pyongyang” (Bill Gertz, Washington Times) on the latter’s nuclear ambitions, and instead “sought to protect the North Koreans against sanctions” during the six-party talks on the Stalinists’ nuclear weapons program. Meanwhile, the U.S. repeated its insistence that the Communists’ would-be colony end its nuclear weapons program beofre a light-water reactor would be built (Newsmax, Voice of America via Epoch Times), but beyond that, the spirit of the September debacle prevails. The U.S. Ambassador to South Korea “a gathering of South Korean lawmakers that the United States would be willing to open a liaison office in North Korea as a gesture of goodwill on the road to that nation's nuclear disarmament” (Washington Post, second item). Even worse, as CFBA Member One Free Korea reported, the U.S. is not only dropping the ball on implementing the North Korea Human Rights Acrt, but our embassies are refusing to help SNK refugees. Here we go again: Will they never learn?

Dalai Lama meets President Bush, asks him to push CCP on religious freedom: Tibet’s spiritual leader met with the President “to discuss religious persecution in China” (Washington Times). He also met with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Sixteen Congressmen call on Communist China to release Falun Gong practitioners: Sixteen members of the House of Representatives, including eight from the state of yours truly’s birth (New Jersey) “sent a letter to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao requesting that he release Falun Gong practitioners detained for their belief in the meditation practice” (Epoch Times). The Congressmen themselves were not named.

Communist trade surplus breaks monthly record: Communist China’s trade surplus for October was $12 billion, a new monthly record (BBC).

More bird flu in Liaoning: Two new outbreaks hit Liaoning Province – in the cities of Fuxin and Jinzhou. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization “will try and establish whether a 12-year old girl, her brother and a teacher, all from Hunan province, have been suffering from bird flu” (BBC). The girl, He Yin, died and was cremated (eighth item).

Commentary on Communist China: Gao Zhisheng, the human rights attorney who is facing a Communist order to suspend his practice, thanks his supporters in an open letter to the Epoch Times. Jose Rivera, Epoch Times, examines the implications behind the Communist-backed drive to shift control of the intenet to United Nations. Alexander M. Hamrle and Renate Arnd, also in the Epoch Times, compares East Germany, 1989, to Communist China today.