News of the Day (December 15)

From the China Freedom Blog Alliance: China Intel details how Communist China has ensured any United Nations sanctions against its mullahcratic ally will have no serious impact. One Free Korea posts on Communist China's treatment of the "uppity vassals" in South Korea and the Gao Zhisheng trial, respectively.

Think Communist China will bring its Korean colony to heel? Think again: Oriana Skylar Mastro of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace details why Communist China sees a nuclear Stalinist North Korea as a benefit to its plans, not a detriment (The New Republic).

Paulson finishes trip to Beijing empty-handed: The Treasury Secretary surprised no one in failing to get the cadres to stop deliberately devaluing their own currency and crackdown on piracy (BBC, MSNBC, and Washington Times).

South African President rips Communist China's "colonial relationship" with the continent: Thabo Mbeki sounded the alarm against Communist China's increasing "investment" in Africa, in particular the focus on extraction of raw materials for the cadres. Mbeki said moves like this would leave the continent "condemned to underdevelopment" (BBC).

Trial of Taiwan's first lady begins: Wu Shu-chen fell ill during the corruption trial; President Chen Shui-bian "has promised to resign if she is found guilty" (BBC).

Communist human rights abuses highlighted abroad: David Kilgour, co-leader of the group investigating Communist organ harvesting, spoke to Amnesty International (Epoch Times). Jia Kuo, son of Jia Jia, praised the 16 million ex-Communists who have left the party in disgust (Epoch Times).

As India and Japan build ties, Time misses the point: The magazine sees Japan "looking beyond the U.S. and embracing its Asian partners." The Washington Times finds the more salient point: "Japan . . . has made improving ties with New Delhi a top priority to balance frequent friction with China."

Back to Stalinist North Korea: The regime is once again trying to talk up a good game on its economic policies (United Press Int'l via Washington Times), amid reports of a possible second nuclear test in the offing (UPI via Washington Times). Russia may agree to follow (or give lip service to) UN Resolution 1718 (Daily NK). Waitresses brought to SNK-run restaurants in Communist China are fleeing (Daily NK). Scarlet fever is shutting SNK down, according to a defector cited by Daily NK. Other defectors told Daily NK that the Stalinist military is a hated institution in northern Korea.

Can Iran be liberated militarily? Arthur Herman (Commentary) thinks it can, and that in fact, military force may be the only way (Hat Tip Andy McCarthy - National Review Online).

More on the Middle Eastern Proxies: Talks with the Iranian mullahs and their Syrian allies won't happen any time soon, according to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (Washington Post via MSNBC); such news will certainly please the two Israeli politicians cited by Cybercast News who rightly ripped the idea. Unfortunately, there are still people who think the Assad regime can be plucked away from its quarter-century ally (Cybercast News and Washington Post).