News of the Day (March 22)

From the China Freedom Blog Alliance: China Intel, in his comments on Communist espionage, hits the bulls-eye: "It seems to me that China is carrying on a Cold War with the United States that the latter refuses to acknowledge." CI also examines Communist China's geopolitical objectives in Southeast Asia and Latin America, and astutely notes the regime's refusal to address U.S. concerns over its military buildup. The Korea Liberator takes note of an coup attempt by "pan-blue" sympathizers on Taiwan, the opening of a Brussels conference on human rights in Stalinist North Korea, and Communist China's continuing policy of repatriating Korean refugees (backed wholeheartedly by Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra).

More on the Communists' Korean colony: The Stalinist regime boasts of first-strike capability (Washington Times, second item); Australia plans to sink its seized SNK drug boat in a military exercise (CNN); Daily NK confirms and debunks rumors surrounding Shinuiju.

Canada file - head tax apology coming; compensation also possible: Conservative MP Garth Turner - who "spoke for Prime Minister Stephen Harper," according to the Toronto Sun - "gave a '100% iron-clad commitment' yesterday that the government would apologize and redress past wrongs" regarding the head tax Canada charged on Chinese immigrants from 1885 to 1923. One of the leaders in the push for directly compensating head tax victims told the Sun that "negotiations are slated to begin Friday with MPs Bev Oda and Jason Kenney." Given Kenney's views on Communist China (last item), there is at least some hope that the plans of Canada's previous government to give the money to the pro-Communist National Congress of Chinese Canadians (sixth, lead, second, second, and second items) will be scrapped.

Putin may build oil pipeline to Communist China after all: Just after signing a natural gas deal with Communist China, Vladimir Putin resurrected a plan to pipe Siberian oil to his biggest arms customer (BBC). Despite this, Alexander Koliandre (BBC) sees friction between Putinist Russia and Communist China.

Chen Shui-bian meets new American de facto Ambassador: Stephen M. Young, the new director of the American Institute in Taiwan - and as such, the de facto U.S. Ambassador to the island democracy - met with President Chen Shui-bian, who "assured the U.S. envoy that the island nation claimed by China will avoid any action that might be interpreted as a declaration of independence" (Washington Times, second item). Meanwhile, Richard W. Hartzel and Roger C. S. Lin once again brought forth the legally intriguing - but politically dubious - argument for Taiwan as an American territory (World Net Daily).

Communists won't release Zhao Yan: The New York Times researcher who had charges against him dropped by the Communist regime (second item) is still in jail, as "prosecutors are . . . apparently awaiting instructions from superiors" (Washington Post, fourth item).

Gao Zhisheng calls for Sujiatun probe: The renowned human rights lawyer (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, seventh, last, next to last, lead, second, last, sixth, tenth, eighth, second, eighth, ninth, lead, sixth, and eighth items) spoke out against the organ-harvesting camp (lead, seventh, and second items), and other Communist atrocities (Epoch Times).

More on organ harvesting: The Independent (UK) and the Epoch Times delve into the hideous reality.

Charles Lee is in the United States, but the Communists are still harassing him: Dr. Charles Lee was jailed for three years by the Communists before being allowed to return home to the U.S. However, Dr. Lee, an American citizen, "recently notified the press that both he and his relatives in China continue to be harassed by the Chinese Communist Party" (Epoch Times). Among other things, "his car had been vandalized and his cell phone had been stolen," while "police in China have visited his family many times where family members have been verbally harassed and told to advise Dr. Lee not to continue his opposition to the CCP."

Rallies for the nine million ex-Communists: As the number of Communists who have left the Party in disgust upon seeing the Nine Commentaries passed nine million, rallies in their honor were held in Washington, DC and Sydney, Australia (Epoch Times).

Computer chip touted as a major Communist technology advancement exposed as a fake: The Hanxin No. 1 computer chip, "publicly unveiled in February 2003" (Epoch Times) as "China's first successful proprietary Digital Signal Processor," has now been exposed as "a fake that has possibly bilked the government 10 billion yuan (US$1.2 billion) in research subsidies." The chip itself is real, but was bought from an American manufacturer. The news has, among other things, "shocked Chinese head Hu Jintao."