News of the Day (March 28)

From the China Support Network: The parent org laments the Vatican's apparently imminent move to throw Taiwan under the bus (note: yours truly, quoted in the piece, is a badly lapsed Catholic).

From the China Freedom Blog Alliance: Between Heaven and Earth swells my ego; China Intel continues to rail against the cadres' growing control of international ports through Hutchison Whampoa.

Communists ban organ sales - sort of: In a cute public relations move, Communist China "said it will ban the sale of human organs from July in an attempt to clean up its transplant industry" (BBC). However, according to Chen Zhonghua of Tongji Hospital (United Press International via Washington Times), the rules were full of holes - and he should know; he helped write them. Sadly, neither story mentioned the biggest organ "donation" outrage -the Sujiatun camp (lead, seventh, second, seventh, third, fourth, and fifth items).

Gao Zhisheng in auto accident on way to Hebei: After being harassed by "creditors" (Epoch Times), 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, seventh, last, next to last, lead, second, last, sixth, tenth, eighth, second, eighth, ninth, lead, sixth, eighth, seventh, and fifth items) left Beijing for Hebei Province. On his way there, Gao ended up in a car accident that may have been a Communist version of "swoop and squat" (Epoch Times).

Sujiatun couple - elected village leaders - arrested for protesting corruption: In Zhangliangbao village (a part of Sujiatun), Liu Hua and Yue Yongjin "have been exposing corruption among village officials for several years" (Boxun), including land seizures. They were even elected village leaders by grateful residents, but the Communists refused to let them take their posts. Last month, the cadres arrested them "in apparent retaliation for their efforts."

Japanese government expressing worry over Communist military: The continuing Communist military buildup "becoming of increasing concern to Japanese politicians" (UPI via Washington Times). Among those concerned include the Defense Agency, the Foreign Ministry, and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi himself.

Communist China-Russia military "cooperation" to increase: Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov boasted that "the entire volume of military-technical cooperation is rising" (UPI via Washington Times) between his military and that of Communist China. Such news would not surprise Peter Brookes (New York Post), who details the blooming Russia-CCP friendship in the Enlightened Comment of the Day.

Australian PM says uranium sale to Communist China could be closed soon: Australian Prime Minister John Howard is looking forward to selling uranium to Communist China; the deal "could be said or signed when the Chinese premier visits Australia next week" (CNN). The Communists are similarly optimistic (UPI via Washington Times). Meanwhile, several leading Chinese-Australians are calling on Howard to challenge Communist Premier Wen Jiabao during his upcoming visit (Epoch Times).

U.S. wants to reorder UN dues to end Japan overcharge and Communist undercharge: The United States is considering proposing new funding formulas for the United Nations budget that would relieve Japan from paying more than Communist China, Russia, Great Britain, and France combined. The Communists, who would have to pay more under almost any new formula, were not happy when Japan tried to bring this subject up earlier (ninth item). Report: Cybercast News

On the satellite regimes: Stalinist-in-chief Kim Jong-il has visited eight military bases this month (Daily NK has the details); one of former minions defected in Europe (UPI via Washington Times), and Charles Scanlon (BBC) gives Yoduk Story more of the respect it deserves. Meanwhile, Michael Ledeen commits a blunder in his otherwise excellent column on Iran in National Review Online: "Khamenei and his top cronies . . . think they have the Chinese over a barrel, since the Chinese are so heavily dependent on Iranian oil." Now, Communist China is certainly thirsty for oil, but their longtime support for the Iranian mullahcracy also has geopolitical objectives Ledeen should not ignore, since they would only add more credence to his call for Iran's liberation, which this quarter endorses wholeheartedly.