From the China Freedom Blog Alliance: Member One Free Korea takes some well-deserved shots at Curt Weldon (third item), South Korea’s doves, and the six-party talks (more on that topic from the BBC). He also has high praise (also deserved) for yesterday’s CNN special on dissidents in Stalinist North Korea (Voice of America, via Epoch Times, also has something on the survival of faith in SNK).
Bush may soft-pedal human rights in Communist China visit: As President Bush prepares to visit Communist China this weekend, the Washington Post (via MSNBC) reports that he will be “more influenced by his party's business wing,” i.e., he won’t push too hard on democracy and human rights. That is all but certain to disappoint the Falun Gong practitioners who gathered at Lafayette Square over the weekend to “appeal to President Bush to help obtain the release of certain groups of persecuted practitioners” (Epoch Times), to say nothing of those who have been tracking the continued deterioration of freedoms of all kinds in Communist China recently (Epoch Times).
More on the Communist China and the United States: The U.S. issues another terror warning, this time vaguely centered on Guangzhou (CNN), while Charles R. Smith (Newsmax) focuses on Communist China’s attempts to enable terrorists here, especially with smuggled missiles. The Epoch Times covers the Brooklyn anti-Communist march this past weekend, and reprints my column on veterans. The Dalai Lama speaks in the nation’s capital (Washington Post), and an attorney for a wrongly imprisoned Uighur laments his plight and calls on the U.S. to improve his treatment (also Washington Post).
Hu Jintao wraps up European tour, draws more opposition in Germany and Spain: Communist leader Hu Jintao is in his last day of his three-nation tour of Europe. He flew to Madrid yesterday, and was met by “hundreds of human rights protesters . . . against China's rights record and its rule in Tibet” (BBC). In Germany, his previous stop, both the state President (Epoch Times) and the Governor of North Rhine-Westphalia put the focus on Communist China’s abysmal rights record – both are members of the newly ascendant Christian Democratic Party (Epoch Times). Protestors were also at the scene (Epoch Times) in Berlin. Even in Britain (third item), several politicians were still speaking out against Prime Minister Tony Blair’s “feting of the Chinese Communist totalitarian ruler” (New Tang Dynasty Television via Epoch Times).
Investors call on technology firms to stop aiding Communist crackdown: Some major international investment corporations “representing over US$21 billion in holdings” (Epoch Times) called for “an increased commitment to freedom of information by major Internet and technology companies.” The statement, started by Reporters Without Borders, comes in the wake of Yahoo’s role in the Shi Tao arrest (fourteenth, fifth, lead, third, eighth, seventh, third, fifth, eighth, and last items).
Prince Charles’ diary rips Jiang Zemin and other CCP “appalling old waxworks”: This corner can certatinly understand if the Prince of Wales is upset that his personal diary was leaked to the press. That said, what has been released regarding his statements on Communist China – “After my speech, the President (Jiang) detached himself from the group of appalling old waxworks who accompanied him and took his place at the lectern. He then gave a kind of ‘propaganda’ speech which was loudly cheered by the bussed-in party faithful at the suitable moment in the text” (BBC) – can, or at least should, only enhance the Prince’s status among his people.
The rest of the Commonwealth could use a lesson from the Prince: Kevin Steele, Western Standard (Cdn.), uses the magazine’s Shotgun Blog to express his utter bewilderment at the silence in Canada regarding the Phoenix TV-espionage affair (not that this country’s reaction has been much better). In Australia, Geoff Gregory, Epoch Times, cannot imagine how the Asutralian government can be so callous toward Falun Gong demonstrators, while Saffron Howden (AAP via Epoch Times) notes Canberra’s “timid approach to China’s poor record on human rights.” There were some Australians who were willing to speak up for human right, as Sandra Keaton (Epoch Times) found in a rally for human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng in Sydney on Saturday.
Three Russians arrested for selling missile tech secrets to Communist China: It seems Communist China’s leading arms supplier for quite some time, has some secrets it would rather not let the cadres have, or at least would rather not have their scientists sell on their own. Whatever the reason, three employees of TsNIIMASH-Export, a Russian missile technology firm, are under arrest for “selling state secrets to China” (BBC).
Baby starves to death as Falun Gong mother taken away from her by Communists: Communist police arrested a Falun Gong practitioner in Yancheng only known as Ms. Gu, who was the mother of an eight-month old girl: “The police forcefully took Gu away, leaving the baby at home alone. As a result the child starved to death” (Epoch Times). Gu was one of over 30 who were seized by the cadres; no one knows where they are now.
Communist China bans religious beliefs among Party members: While Communist China allows the fiction of regime-run “churches,” they have apparently decided too many Party members are taking it as truth: “On Oct. 12, the CCP issued a document, setting a deadline by which religious activities must be eliminated” (Epoch Times).
Bird flu reaches Hubei birds, Hunan pigs, and possibly Liaoning humans: The H5N1 bird flu virus, which according to one microbiologist began in southern Communist China, has now spread to Hubei (BBC) and, more alarmingly, has infected pigs in Hunan (Epoch Times), which leads this corner to wonder about the supposed “pig fever” from this past summer (second item). Meanwhile, over 100 people in Liaoning are now under quarantine (Epoch Times). However, the Communists are still insisting that no human infections have occurred, all evidence to the contrary.
On the Communist economy: As the cadres produce yet another pile of paper on the impoverished rural interior (BBC), Conan Milner, Epoch Times, details how economist-turned-dissident He Qinglian found that massive foreign investment has in fact “helped bring far more damage to the country and its people” (but not the cadres, of course).
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3 comments:
Why do you call China "Communist China"?
It is a lot more capitalist or fascist or authoritarian or ... than communist.
Actually, contrary to popular belief, the state-owned sector in Communist China is still very large, and in fatc, what isn't owned directly by the state or the Party is owned by a Party member, military officer, or someone under the thumb of the first two. It's an economy that is designed to look "capitalist" but in fact is still controlled by the CCP.
As for "fascist," in truth, fascism and Communism are two sides of the same political coin.
However, the most important reason I say "Communist China" is to make clear that I am not talking about China itself. The Communist regime has no deserved legitimacy, and for that reason, to call it "China" would imply it has the support of the 1.3 billion Chinese citizens. It does not. The regime can only speak for itself and its corrupt membership. Thus, I use "Communist China."
I have not known any Westerner who is as clear-minded as you are, D.J., about Communist China. We owe you a lot.
Born in China.
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