News of the Day (February 10)

From the China Freedom Blog Alliance: One Free Korea is bemused by Christine Ahn's latest silliness.

Communist Cabinet wants civilian and military to "integrate research and development": The myth of separation between Communist Chinese civilian technology and military technology was blown away by the Communists themselves, who in the interest of "overall national strength" (Washington Post), called on the civilian side "to participate in military research and supply the People's Liberation Army with high-tech equipment." Communist military and civilian science and technology sectors will now "integrate research and development forces." Among the areas to be covered by the military-technology complex are "computer software, telecommunications, nuclear energy and a military-managed space program that already has launched two manned flights." Let this be remembered the next time some apologist for "engagement" insists some technology sent to the Communists is only being used for "civilian" purposes.

Is South Korea getting colonized, too? Not only is the dovish South Korean government shutting down an anti-Stalinist play (Daily NK, next to last item); they are also doing the bidding of Kim Jong-il's colonial masters by shutting down the New Tang Dynasty Television Chinese New Year Global Gala (Epoch Times). Meanwhile, Lee Jong-seok, the "main architect of Seoul's reconciliation policy toward North Korea" (United Press Int'l via Washington Times) is the new SNK Minister for Southern Affairs - ahem - Unification Minister (slam copyright 2005, OFK). Lee had best move quickly, the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperation wandered off the reservation and stopped dealing with SNK's money-launderer (UPI via Washington Times).

Communist China rips QDR: The mixed comments regarding Communist China that came from the Pentagon's Quadrennial Defense Review (third and seventh item) were too mixed for the Communists, who ripped "criticism" (UPI via Washington Times, second item) that they called "unacceptable."

Grand jury indicts for planning weapons exports to Communist China and spying: A federal grand jury in Miami "accused two foreign nationals of trying to buy military aircraft engines and weapons to export to China" (BBC). One of them was also charged "with being a covert Chinese agent and offering a bribe to escape custody."

U.S. to send more diplomats to Communist China: Under a State Department reorganization, "China will get 15" new diplomatic positions, "including a dozen at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing" (Washington Post). Unfortunately, given who's in charge of the State Department, more will not necessarily mean better.

Aide to President Chen perplexed at reaction to wiping out defunct Unification panel: Wu Li-pei, described by the Washington Times as a "senior adviser to Taiwanese leader Chen Shui-bian," is having a hard time understanding Washington's apoplexy over Chen's plan to end the National Unification Council (sixth and third items). As Wu noted, the NUC "has been inactive for six years, getting by on a purely symbolic budget of $1 a year."

Yahoo gave the Communists e-mails from Li Zhi: More details about Yahoo's cooperation with the Communists in the arrest of Li Zhi (third item) came to light from the San Francisco Chronicle (via Boxun): "Yahoo's Hong Kong unit aided in his conviction by providing Chinese authorities with copies of e-mails Li had sent and information he provided when he registered with Yahoo."

Canada file - Bank of China embezzlers used Canada to "stash . . . stolen loot": The two Communist-run Bank of China officials indicted for embezzling nearly half a billion dollars (fourth item) "used Richmond, B.C. as a base to stash millions of the stolen loot" (Asian-Pacific Post, British Columbia, Canada). In particular, "The group bought at least three houses in Richmond while stashing large amounts of cash into accounts at the Royal Bank Canada branch on Ackroyd Road in Richmond and the Vancouver area branches of the Hongkong Shanghai Banking Corporation and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce."

More news on Communist China and the rest of the world: Talks with Japan begin with a high-ranking cadre insisting "that there could be no improvement in relations while (Japanese Prime Minister) Koizumi remained in office" (BBC); India's Foreign Minister just doesn't get the problem with Hutchison Port Holdings (UPI via Washington Times).

Another newspaper editor is fired in Communist China: This time, it's Chen Jieren, now the ex-editor of the Public Interest Times. His offenses were "a story criticizing incorrect English translations on the central government's newly launched official website" (Asia News), "an investigative story last month that said more than 50 million yuan in relief funds allocated by Beijing to flood victims in Weinan, Shaanxi province, had been held up by provincial and municipal governments", and "a profile of President Hu Jintao last month violating an unwritten rule that all stories on the central leadership must be written by Xinhua."

More on Communist censorship of the press: Freedom House has a new report out detailing "previously unknown mechanisms used by Chinese authorities to muzzle its media" (UPI via Washington Times), including "party monitoring of news content, legal restrictions on journalists, and financial incentives for self-censorship." Meanwhile, Ke Hua of Radio Free Asia (via Epoch Times), explains what Taizhou Evening News deputy editor Wu Xianghu exposed, and why it got him killed (third and fourth items).

Imprisoned dissident still resisting: Zhao Changqing was sent to jail in 2003 for "subversion." Three years into his five-year sentence, he continues to resist the cadres, "refusing to sing a Chinese socialist anthem" (Asia News). In response, the cadres have let other prisoners beat him up, and placed him in solitary confinement.

Hunger Strike news: The Epoch Times News group went on a strike in a show of support for Li Yuan (second item); among them were Epoch Times Vice President Dr. Huang Wanqing. Defector Chen Yonglin has joined in (Epoch Times). Meanwhile, the man who started it all (ninth, sixth, and fifth items), human-rights attorney Gao Zhisheng (sixth, tenth, fifth, lead, third, last, twelfth, eighth, third, second, third, eighth, eleventh, eighth, fourth, fourth, last, fourth, fifth, twelfth, fifth, second, lead, next to last, and seventh items), was, too put it euphemistically, given an offer of exile by the cadres (Epoch Times).