News of the Day (January 4)

The China Freedom Blog Alliance goes international with the addition the terrific Between Heaven and Earth from Canada. Meanwhile, CFBA member One Free Korea (a.k.a. Joshua Stanton) has a heartfelt message for the people of northern Korea in the Daily NK. More items on the Communists' would-be colony can be found at the end of today's post.

The Canada file: In response to my rant about Canada's deportation of Falun Gong practitioner Xiaoping Hu, a reader reminded me that the outrageous repatriation occurred roughly one month before Communist leader Hu Jintao visited the Great White North; draw your own conclusions. Meanwhile, exiled attorney Guo Guoting calls on Communist China to free jailed attorney Liu Ruping (fifth item) in the Epoch Times.

Mainland resident jumps ship, literally, to get to Taiwan: Jan Yun, who says he "spent two years in jail in China for criticising (UK sp) the authorities" (BBC) jumped off a mainland-based tourist boat and swam to Kinmen Island, which is under Taiwan control, to seek asylum in the island democracy. His case is under review.

Iranian regime counting on Communist China to block punishment for nuclear ambitions: The mullahcracy of Iran apparently believes "that even if it restarts nuclear research activities, it would once again avoid international sanctions" (Worldwide Standard), thanks to "opposition from China and Russia, which each have veto power" in the United Nations Security Council. Of course, Communist China has already made its position on Iran's nuclear ambitions clear - it supports them wholeheartedly.

Cambodian opposition leader rips Communist China: Sam Rainsy, Cambodia's opposition leader currently in exile to avoid arrest by his home country's regime, blamed Communist China for supporting Cambodian's recent arrests of human rights activists and what he called "a deliberate effort to discredit the judicial system" (BBC). Rainsy noted, "China does not want a tribunal to prosecute the Khmer Rouge leaders to be set up because China does not want to be shown as a supporter of the Khmer Rouge some 30 years ago."

Pakistan denies reports of Communists building six nuclear plants there: Pakistan, a half-century-plus ally of Communist China "denied a report it is in talks to buy between six and eight nuclear reactors from China in a deal worth up to $10bn (£5.8bn)." A spokesman for the Pakistan regime called the reports of such a deal "baseless."

Japan angry at Communist Chinese espionage efforts against diplomat who took his own life: The Japanese government is not happy with Communist China's account of the suicide of an unnamed Japanese Consulate General staff member in Shanghai. Communist China claims the diplomat took his own life
"due to job stress" (United Press Int'l via Washington Times). According to a Japanese newspaper, however, "the unidentified official committed suicide after leaving a note indicating he was under pressure to provide China with consular information."

Terror still reigns in Shanwei: Dongzhou village, home of the Shanwei massacre, is still in a state of fear. Communist police have "pretended to be journalists" (Epoch Times) in order to find more villagers to arrest.

Petitioners from Shanghai arrested in Beijing, sent back, and beaten: Several petitioners from Shanghai, i.e., residents who are hoping national cadres will address grievance they have with local Communists, were detained by police in Beijing, sent back home, and tortured (Boxun).

Communists free one journalist, but keep another in jail: Communist China released Jiang Weiping, a journalist sent to prison for exposing the corrupt practices of then-Liaoning Province Governor and current Commerce Minister Bo Xilai (ninth item), one year early (BBC, Boxun). However, a Communist court upheld the prison term of cyber-journalist Zheng Yichun (seventh and ninth items), who will now remain in jail until 2012 (Boxun).

Communist currency at its "highest level" ever, but it's still less then 12.5 cents: Communist China got the headline it wanted from its smoke-and-mirrors currency actions (sixth item): "Yuan rises to record dollar level" (BBC). Said "record" is still less than 12.5 cents, between 20 to 30% lower than the likely unregulated value of the currency. The artificial devaluing has greatly damaged both U.S. manufacturing and the exporting industries in America's allies.

Ignorant Comment of the Day: Today's dubious prize goes to Daniel Ikenson, of the Cato Institute, for deciding a few hours talking American politics with students at Renmin University trumps everything we know about the Chinese Communist Party, in National Review Online.

Other Commentary on Communist China: Defector and former 610 officer Hao Fengjun talked to the Epoch Times Taiwan branch about what the 610 office did to the Chinese people and Communist espionage in Taiwan. Meanwhile, the Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders issues a report on the state of human rights in Communist China (via Boxun).

More on Stalinist North Korea: Japanese officials named, for the first time, agents from the Communists' would-be colony who abducted Japanese citizens from 1977 to 1983 (Washington Times, second item). U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Alexander Vershbow told the Stalinists not to use justified penalties against their counterfeiting (last item) to avoid the already damaged talks on SNK's nuclear weapons program (Cybercast News). An Kyoung Hee, Daily NK, talks to Young Howard, executive director of Open Radio for North Korea.