News of the Day (June 1)

From the China Freedom Blog Alliance: The Korea Liberator returns with commentary on the wrath of South Korea's electorate against the dovish Uri Party (see also BBC, Washington Times, Cybercast News, and fifth item) and famine's return to the Stalinist North (see also third item).

As KEDO shuts down, SNK invites U.S. negotiator to Pyongyang - if the debacle is still good: The Korean Energy Development Organization (KEDO), the group created to build Stalinist North Korea the nuclear power plants promised to it in 1994, was officially disbanded (CNN) - more than three-and-a-half years after the Stalinists boasted of violating the terms of the deal. Meanwhile, the Stalinist regime "conditionally invited the US' chief negotiator on its nuclear weapons programme to visit" (BBC). However, "the invitation only stands if Washington proves it is committed to a joint agreement reached last year" (CNN). That "agreement" would be this monstrosity. Also reporting: United Press Int'l via Washington Times

More on the satellite regimes: Jay Lefkowitz, Special Envoy for Human Rights in North Korea, ties human rights to American security (Worldwide Standard blog, Weekly Standard). Regarding the former, Daily NK reprints a damning indictment of the Communists' Korean colony from, of all places, the United Nations. Daily NK also details how the "sunshine policy" dovishness of Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun is neither successful nor popular (see above for more on the latter). As for Iran, talks with the mullahcracy appear to be back in vogue, especially with the Administration. Michael Rubin (National Review Online) is not impressed; neither are NRO's editors.

Russia and Communist China draw closer - and become targets for criticism on Sudan: Alexander Nemets (Newsmax) details the growing ties between the Communist regime and its lead arms supplier, while both come under scrutiny from Amnesty International for, among other things, blocking international action on Darfur (Epoch Times).

On Communist China and the United States: Charles R. Smith (Newsmax) comments on the recent Pentagon report on the Communist military, and a number of other things, in the Enlightened Comment of the Day. Larry Wortzel, of the Heritage Foundation, becomes the latest to endorse tight controls on high-tech exports to Communist China. Ellen Bork, of the Project for the New American Century, calls for greater American leadership in Asia (Weekly Standard).

Canadian judge blocks Lai Changxing's deportation: The alleged mastermind behind the Xiamen smuggling scandal will be able to stay in Canada - probably for "months" (Canadian Press via CANOE) - in part because of Communist China's practice of torturing prisoners.

Taiwanese president hands domestic issues to Premier: As he reels from a scandal involving his son-in-law (tenth and fifth items), elected President Chen Shui-bian "said he was handing control of the cabinet to the prime minister and would take no part in political campaigning" (BBC). However, "foreign and defense policy" was not included. Caroline Gluck, BBC, examined the implications for Taiwanese politics.

Hong Kong residents march to honor June 4 victims: The march, sponsored by the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, was held on May 28 (Epoch Times).

More on human rights in Communist China: John Derbyshire, National Review Online, comments on the Cultural Revolution (fifth item in the aforementioned link) and "Baidupedia" (eighth item in the link, see also ninth item).

Good money after bad: Bank of China (fifth, sixth, and last items) still rakes it in (BBC).

Communist China bans luxury homes: In an attempt to soothe anger over land seizures such as in Taishi, Shanwei, Sanshan (fifth item), Sanjiao (third item), and Foshan (sixth item) - and that's just in one province - the Communists are "banning the building of luxury homes" (BBC). Since the seizures themselves are still OK in the eyes of the cadres, this measure is certain to contain more bark than bite.

Beijing sky "most polluted in years": The future host of the Olympic Games is still having severe trouble ensuring the air will be breathable by September of 2008. The month of April 2006 was "the city’s most polluted in years" (Asia News). Beijing could lose the Games if it doesn't clean up its air, not that anyone should attend them even if the air were pristine.