News of the Day (April 4)

From the China Freedom Blog Alliance: Between Heaven and Earth has two new posts - a reprint of China Support Network-Canada head Brian McAdam's call for an investigation into Sujiatun (lead, seventh, second, seventh, third, fourth, fifth, last, second, third, and lead items), and a report of Falun Gong's plans to sue Commerce Minister Bo Xilai in New Zealand. China Intel also has two new entries: one dealing with Communist China and Sudan, and the other a comment on an old cyberbattle story. The Korea Liberator put in some overtime, with posts on the state of the economy in Communist China, the Japanese-consulate-spy case (seventh and seventh items), a disturbing report on possible Stalinist tunneling in South Korea, the kerfuffle over Kaesong (Daily NK also weighed in, but sadly seemed to miss the point; see also fifth item), the re-election (we think) of Thailand's refugee-bashing PM, and the effects of U.S. penalties on Stalinist North Korea for counterfeiting American money.

More on Sujiatun and organ "donations": Gary Feuerberg, Epoch Times, reports on the anti-Sujiatun rally in Washington, DC (yours truly made an appearance), while Huai Ming, also from the Epoch Times, finds what may be one of the holding facilities for organ "donors" in Shenyang. David McNeill and Clifford Coonan, in Japan Focus, examine the organ trade in Communist China in general - "donation" questions included.

More on the Communists' Korean colony: All of the participants in the six-party nuclear talks debacle "will converge in Tokyo next week for a private sector conference, fueling hopes of sideline meetings here that could help jump start the long-stalled negotiations" (Washington Post). Here we go again.

Two dissidents describe torture in Communist jails: AIDS activist Hu Jia (see also twenty-first, seventeenth, second, eighth, and tenth items) spoke to the Epoch Times; Mao Hengfeng spoke to Human Rights in China (via Voice of America).

From CNN's "Eye on China" Series: A lot of the stuff was fluff, but there were halfway-decent pieces on the economic problems in Communist China and the internet crackdown there, plus a column on Shanghai's less than successful attempt to become Hong Kong's equal.

Communists say Dalai Lama must "completely abandon" independence before he can visit: Tibet's spiritual leader has repeatedly expressed his wishes to visit Communist China, and the Communists sounded somewhat receptive. However, there can be no visit unless the Dalai Lama makes clear that he has completely abandoned Tibetan 'independence'" (Washington Times).

Communist China signs pipeline deal with Turkmenistan: The natural gas deal "was reached in Beijing during a rare visit by Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov" (BBC). That Niyazov would make such a deal with Communist China, given its make-the-world-safe-for-dictators policy, should surprise no one.

Cadre advises of replacing U.S. bonds with U.S. goods: Communist Parliamentary vice-chairman Cheng Siwei, called on the regime to "stop buying dollar-denominated bonds, increase buying of US products and gradually reduce its holdings of US bonds" (BBC). Contrary to fears the jittery market (which probably didn't look too closely at Cheng's comments), switching assets for products would improve America's trade balance without dropping dollar demand; so naturally, the Communists disavowed the idea. Of course, even with Cheng's suggestion, the Chinese people would buy U.S. products, while the Communists would continue to profit from their exports here.

A museum-piece conventional wisdom column on Communist China and the U.S. comes from Andrea Reimer, of the Austrian Defense Academy, in United Press International (via Washington Times).

More on Communist China and the United States: Humphrey Hawksley, BBC, examines the increasing influence of Communist China in Latin America - particularly Brazil - and the decidedly late American response to it. Meanwhile, Mike Tyson, best known for his, um, culinary habits in the boxing ring, pays homage to Mao Zedong (BBC). Am I the only one that sees symmetry in that?