News of the Day (April 11)

From the China Support Network: The parent org brings attention to bird flu, and the Communists' failure to be completely honest about it (eleventh, lead, second, and last items).

From the China Freedom Blog Alliance: Daphne Bramham (Can West via Between Heaven and Earth) sounds the alarm against Communist propaganda in Canada (for the folks outside Canada, Can West and Rogers Communications - the Communist channels' sponsor - are television rivals, but it's still a great piece). China Intel calls for President Bush to stand up for Taiwan (former) and relays a report on the cadres' space plans (latter). The Korea Liberator comments on the suffering of Charles Robert Jenkins (seventh, fourth, last, second, and third items), who is certain other Americans are still in Stalinist North Korea.

More on the Communists' Korean colony: Amid more talks on six-party talks (BBC), Stalinist-in-chief Kim Jong-il wants another summit with South Korea (United Press International via Washington Times), and gets a new diplomatic friend - Burma (Washington Times). Meanwhile, Daily NK has the latest on the fall of "Juche" and the rise of "military first" in SNK.

Chen Shui-bian rips Yahoo and Google: The U.S. tech companies who made the wrong headlines by working with the Communists rather than against them (fourteenth, fifth, lead, third, eighth, seventh, third, fifth, eighth, last, third, fourth, fourth, third, eighth, and eighth items) take it on the rhetorical chin from Taiwan's elected President - who was a human-rights lawyer before entering politics (Worldwide Standard).

President Bush tells Congress to zip it on Hutchison deal: According to Charles Smith (Newsmax), "word inside Capitol Hill is that President Bush personally met with Senate and House leaders from both parties and demanded that they keep the ranks silent on China," in particular criticism over the Hutchison Whampoa port screening deal (lead and second items). Of course, as Smith sadly notes, neither party has clean hands on Communist China, or Hutchison.

More on Communist China and the United States: Jay Nordlinger has the Enlightened Comment of the Day - his interview of Dr. Charles Lee (ninth item) in National Review Online. The Epoch Times talks to Congressman Dana Rohrbacher about Sujiatun and the failure of "engagement." Jamie Glazov would have taken top prize for this Front Page Magazine interview with exiled dissident Harry Wu - but for Nordlinger. Protestors in Tallahassee, Florida focused in Sujiatun (Epoch Times). Finally, just in time for Hu's trip to Washington, Communist China's trade surplus "almost doubled in March" (BBC).

Bob Geldof whacks Communist China over Darfur, while Red Ken shills for them in Beijing: The Mayor of London used his trip to Beijing to downplay the Tiananmen Massacre (thousands dead), comparing it to London's "poll tax riots" (none dead - BBC). Meanwhile, longtime anti-poverty activist Bob Geldof did his native Britain far better justice in discussing Darfur: "The reason why it has not been resolved is because of China . . . The Chinese protect the Khartoum government, who are killers, and they will not allow a vote in the [U.N.] Security Council" (Cybercast News).

Communists shut down poetry site, likely for link to Boxun: Cadres in Shandong "closed and then apparently re-opened a popular Internet poetry forum after it posted articles critical of China’s education system and linked to the overseas news portal Boxun, which is blocked in China" (Radio Free Asia). Site administrator Lu Yang had this to say: "it seems that self-expression comes at a price."

Maoist resurgence nixes private property protection: Remember when Communist China trumpeted a proposed law protecting private property (twenty-seventh item)? Well, during an ABC News story on the divisions within the party between the Deng-Jiang Zemin followers and a resurgent Maoist school of thought, this bombshell came out: "Last month the draft property law was withdrawn from discussion at the National People's Congress because of the controversy over its contents."

Communists try, again, to clean up corruption in soccer: The Communists have been grappling with "corruption in the country's professional soccer leagues" (BBC) for some time now (seventh item). The current plan involves "closing down gambling rings and online gaming sites and . . . tough penalties for match fixing and bribery."

Shanghai Automotive to export cars: Coming to a dealership near you is Communist-owned Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (BBC).