News of the Day (April 30)

Radical nationalism turns overseas Chinese into fingers in the Long Arm of Lawlessness: On American campuses, thuggish behavior continues (National Review Online - Media Blog). Elsewhere, death threats come to overseas dissidents (Epoch Times), amid earlier violence (see also the Uyghur American Association).

More arrests in Tibet: Several Tibetans are being whisked off to jail without any of their relatives being told (Epoch Times). Meanwhile, 30 more "rioters" were sentenced to prison term (Washington Post), and the cadres claim that a protest leader shot a police officer (BBC).

Whoops! Factory in Communist China making Free Tibet Flags: Cadres in Guangdong might as well set aside the cost of their execution bullets now (BBC, h/t NRO - Media Blog).

More Tibet and East Turkestan news: Zhang Tianliang (Epoch Times) warns us not to expect too much from the regime's offer to talk with some of the Dalai Lama's aides. Meanwhile, the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization and the East Turkestan Foundation hold a joint anti-Communist protest in the Hague (UNPO via UAA).

As torch arrives in Hong Kong, cadres try to recast Olympiad: The manufactured celebrations are under way in Beijing (BBC), but in Hong Kong, protesters are ready (CNN). Meanwhile, commentary like Jin Jung-kwon (Chosun Ilbo, South Korea, via Boycott 2008) won't make things any easier for the regime.

Communist China blocks UN action on Zimbabwe: The cadres are still managing to protect Robert Mugabe from the will of the people of Zimbabwe and the rest of the world (CNN).

Communist China may rent foreign farmlands to fight food price hikes: This is a novel approach (BBC), but perhaps this wouldn't be so much of a problem if the cadres weren't throwing farmers off the land to clear the way for corrupt and unnecessary development projects.

Japan finds more contaminated food from Communist China, ensuring that the issue of export safety will be a topic in upcoming talks between Hu Jinato and Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda (Epoch Times).

South Korea's doves get a de facto press release in the Washington Post: Aside from a decent quote by a human rights activist in Seoul, the piece reads like campaign ad for what's-that-lefty-party's-name-this-week. I eagerly await the takedown by One Free Korea.

More news on "another Chinese province": The evidence of SNK-Syrian nuclear cooperation was released to push the Stalinists toward "complete disclosure," according to President Bush (Washington Post). Senator Obama tries to argue for direct talks with Pyongyang, and OFK crushes him. Retired Professor Yearn Hong Choi comments on the new U.S-South Korea relationship in the Washington Times.

News of the Day (June 7)

Chen Yonglin talks about Communist espionage and the Long Arm of Lawlessness in Canada: The former Communist consular official who defected to Australia in 2005 "brought with him a portfolio of Chinese documents" (Toronto Star, h/t Between Heaven and Earth) detailing Communist China's espionage network in Australia, and in particular its targeting of exiled dissidents and other anti-Communists (dubbed "The Long Arm of Lawlessness" by yours truly). Chen further " says that Canada likely has a comparable amount (of Communist spying) within its borders" (Globe and Mail, h/t BH&E).

Concerns about safety in Communist exports spread to toys, makeup, pottery, and ATVs: Numerous health officials are growing concerned about high levels of lead in "toys, makeup, glazed pottery and other products" (World Net Daily) exported from Communist China. In Iowa, lead poisoning is such a concern "that the Iowa Department of Public Health is working on writing a new law to require mandatory testing of those entering school for the first time." Meanwhile, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued several warnings against the Kazuma Meerkat 50 Youth All-Terrain Vehicle, which "has no front brakes, no parking brake and is missing a neutral indicator" (Washington Times). The vehicle also "can be started in gear and the owner's manual does not contain complete information on its operation and maintenance." These are merely the latest concerns about harmful exports from Communist China.

New York City Comptroller proposes to get Yahoo! out of dictatorships: This Tuesday, William Thompson - whose job as NYC Comptroller includes running municipal pension funds - will offer to Yahoo! stockholders Proposal #6, "which directs the Internet search giant to stop its snitching and censorship practices demanded by 'authoritarian foreign governments' - Belarus, Burma, China, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam" (National Review Online - The Corner). The Yahoo! leadership is not happy with the idea. Thompson made a similar attempt to change Google policy last month (sadly, it failed).

Taiwan loses Costa Rica: The Central American nation has long been a diplomatic ally of the island democracy - until yesterday (BBC). There is great worry that several other Latin American nations may follow suit after the Communists allegedly offered "an astronomical (financial) figure" to persuade Costa Rica.

Lee Teng-hui visits his late brother's resting place: Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal, but since Mr. Democracy's brother was conscripted into the Japanese Army during World War II (Taiwan was under Japanese occupation then), and since the resting place is Yasukuni, the Communists are trying to make political hay out of it (BBC).

Russia says the collapse of the Beijing surrender is our fault: Scroll down past to the "Some anju links" section to see One Free Korea's take on this continuing debacle.

More news from "another China province": Stalinist North Korea test-fires some more missiles (BBC, CNN, and One Free Korea). A mass anti-Stalinist march in Seoul draws the leading lights from the opposition Grand National Party (Daily NK); the GNP's policy on SNK is revealed, and except for the name, it's a mild improvement over the current dovish government (Daily NK). Speaking of the dovish South Korean government, One Free Korea notices its unwillingness to acknowledge the Stalinist North as a likely source of the methamphetamine wave hitting South Korea right now.

Tiananmen reference gets a into Communist newspaper; censor didn't know what it was: Those who do not learn history are condemned to - accidentally reveal it to everyone else? That was the new lesson delivered by a twenty-something censor in Chengdu, who received this classified advertisement for her approval: "Paying tribute to the strong mothers of June 4 victims" (MSNBC). Being too young to know what "June 4" meant (and with the Communists never teaching her anything about the date), the censor believed it referred to a mining accident and allowed the ad to be printed in the Chengdu Evening News.

Human rights activist sentenced in Beijing; family and lawyer still know nothing about it: The cadres were so determined to send Hua Huiqi to jail that they refused to let his family or his attorney into the courtroom for the sentence (Epoch Times). Hua was arrested for "accompanying his mother who tried to hand-deliver materials of complaint letters to representatives of the 'two conferences (i.e. the National People's Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference).'" His mother is serving a two-year jail term.

Inflation hitting basic food products in Communist China: Bacon and egg prices in particular are soaring (Newsweek).

Communist Chinese poisoned toothpaste disguised as "Made in Mexico"?

For years, the debate over the securing of America's southern border (i.e., the one with Mexico) has been about illegal aliens. Suddenly, Steve Janke has found a reason for us to be worried about something else - Communist Chinese poisoned toothpaste "Made in Mexico."

To recap, the Food and Drug Administration has already warned Americans not to use toothpaste sent from Communist China, due to the likelihood that any toothpaste from there has been poisoned. Colgate toothpaste, by contrast, is "Made in Mexico."

Or is it (SJ, emphasis added, link in original)?

The big manufacturers, such as Colgate, a division Colgate-Palmolive, make their toothpaste elsewhere. The tube I have says "Made in Mexico".

I should have left it there. Instead, I decided to do a bit of checking, and now I'm worried. Made in Mexico? If so, why would this very senior Chinese official, Cheng Siwei, brag about Colgate toothpaste being made in China for export to the United States?

PAUL SOLMAN: We were here to interview one of China's current top leaders, Cheng Si-wei, an economist in the 2,000-year-old tradition of Confucian
scholar politicians. The author of 28 books, Vice Chairman Cheng is also known as the godfather of venture capital in China.

CHENG SIWEI: Yes. Some people told me, you know, average Americans,
you know, they use actually now in their daily life, they use many cheap Chinese
goods from morning to the evening; when they woke up, their blanket is made in China. When they wear shoes to go jogging, the shoes, Nike shoes, made in China.

PAUL SOLMAN: Nike.

CHENG SIWEI: Yes. And they use a toothbrush, it's made in China. The Colgate Toothpaste is made in China.

PAUL SOLMAN: Colgate Toothpaste is made in China?

CHENG SIWEI: Certainly. American people are really benefiting from cheaper Chinese goods.

That was in October 2005. Maybe that was once true, but is no longer true. Or maybe Siwei was lying, or just ignorant of where toothpaste used by Americans is made. Or maybe he's telling the truth -- that the toothpaste, or major components of the product, is manufactured in China and then repackaged or otherwise reworked in some way in Mexico as a final step, with Mexico therefore being identified as the country of manufacture.

Does Cheng Siwei know what he's talking about? He was Vice Minister of the Chemical Industry from 1994 through 1997, and is currently a vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the de facto legislative body of the People's Republic of China. He speaks with the authority of the Chinese government.

These are questions that need to be asked. In the meantime, keeping Communist-poisoned toothpaste out of the United States may also mean keeping a better eye on Colgate's "Mexican" toothpaste, too.

News of the Weekend (June 2-4)

Tiananmen Square remembered: Tao Jun, one of the leaders of the Tiananmen spring, talks to the Epoch Times about the protests, the hopes, and the bloody massacre of eighteen years ago.

Former State aide throws around accusations at pro-Taiwan officials and gets his facts wrong: Lawrence Wilkerson, former aide to ex-Secretary of State Colin Powell and a leading "engagement" supporter, has claimed "administration neoconservatives" (Congressional Quarterly) "encouraged Taiwanese politicians to move toward a declaration of independence from mainland China." Said "neoconservatives" vehemently denied Wilkerson's charge, and Wilkerson managed to accidentally impugn himself with this spectacularly bad analysis of Taiwan's elected President "Chen Shui-bian, whose entire power in Taiwan rested on the independence movement." This will comes as quite a surprise to the Taiwanese people, who elected him twice based not on the independence issue but on the fact that he was the most anti-Communist candidate in 2000 and 2004. Then again, for "engagement" types like Wilkerson, anti-Communist and "pro-independence" are practically the same thing.

Democratic presidential candidates ponder Olympic boycott: While no one stepped up to openly support staying away from Beijing next year, Bill Richardson and John Edwards were willing to consider it due to the Communists' bankrolling of the brutal Sudanese regime (Santa Fe New Mexican). Meanwhile, the Epoch Times and Boycott 2008 examines several other reasons to consider staying home.

Communist China rise anything but "peaceful": Shen Chieh (Taipei Times, h/t Boycott 2008) lists the victims of the Communists' "peaceful rise." William R. Hawkins of the U.S. Business and Industry Council sounds another badly needed warning on Communist China's geopolitical ambitions (Asia Times), while the Center for Hemispheric Policy focuses on the Communists' plans for Latin America (Latin Business Chronicle).

FDA says steer clear of Communist Chinese toothpaste as sewage-raised seafood exposed: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration "warned consumers to avoid using toothpaste made in China" (BBC) - or as Steve Janke put it, "'Product of China' means 'Throw in the garbage', at least when it comes to toothpaste." Meanwhile, World Net Daily reported this bombshell: "China, the leading exporter of seafood to the U.S., is raising most of its fish products in water contaminated with raw sewage and compensating by using dangerous drugs and chemicals."

More on Communist China and the United States: Chen-Yuan Tung, vice chairman of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (in other words, one of the people Lawrence Wilkerson would rather throw under the bus), has this to say about Communist China vis a vis America, "Beijing's criticism of the human rights situation in the United States only further highlights the guilty conscience and absurdity of the Chinese government in this regard" (Manchester Union Leader, h/t Boycott 2008); labor activists in Communist China take aim at Walmart for "abandoning American values in favor of its 'cozy business relationship with China'" (Cybercast News).

Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners warn Taiwan against "one country, two systems": Readers of this blog will know I refer to the situation in Hong Kong as one country, one-and-a-half systems; Falun Gong practitioners explain why to the Taiwanese people (Taipei Times, h/t Between Heaven and Earth), and everyone else (Epoch Times).

On the plight of Korean refugees in Communist China: Refugees tell their story to Daily NK; South Koreans march in support of refugees and against the Communists (Daily NK); and Japan shows that not all of Korea's neighbors are as cold and cruel as Communist China (Daily NK).

More news from "another China province": The Beijing surrender continues to descend into farce (Daily NK and Washington Times); South Korea holds firm, for now (United Press Int'l via Washington Times), but few expect that to last very long (Daily NK, Daily NK again). One Free Korea catches Stalinist propaganda worming its way into a South Korean media report. The United Nations wants to know where its money is going in Stalinist North Korea (UPI via Washington Times).

More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Refugees from Communist China living in Putinist Russia fear being sent back (Epoch Times). The Vancouver Sun has more on the British Columbia schools towing the party line in Communist China (h/t, BH&E). The cadres unveil their plan to "fight" global warming - namely to blame everyone else for it (BBC and Times of London).

Investment climate in Communist China goes south: The imposition of a new stock tax (Epoch Times) has merely added to the usual burden of dealing with a Communist regime (Times of London).

Huang Ju is indeed dead: The Politburo Standing Committee member and high-ranking member of Jiang Zemin's "Shanghai clique" died over the weekend (BBC), at least according to the Communists - there was a report claiming that Huang had died early last month.

News of the Day (June 1)

Early Monday morning Beijing time (Sunday afternoon EST), the eighteenth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre will begin. The Communists are once again arresting anyone who had ties to the brave protesters of that spring (Epoch Times), but the light of freedom and memory refuses to go out completely (Taiwan's Central News Agency via Epoch Times). We at the China e-Lobby mourn the victims, and will continue to honor their memories by advancing as best we can the cause for which they gave their lives.

Canadian officials find another shipment of poisoned foodstuffs: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (Canada's equivalent of the FDA) "announced last Friday that it has intercepted a shipment of corn gluten from China contaminated with melamine and cyanuric acid" (Epoch Times). The news came as Communist mouthpiece Wei Chuanzhong publicly stood up for his regime's food safety system (USA Today), and actually had the audacity to blame Panama for the cough medicine fiasco (BBC).

Is Communist China persecuting Huseyin Celil to strengthen the long arm of lawlessness? Kevin Steel (Western Standard) talks Uighurs in Canada about the imprisoned Celili and hears this from Mehmet Tothi, president of the Uyghur Association of Canada: the "Chinese government is simply trying to send a message to all Uighurs outside of China: 'Just watch your step.'" This is exactly the message Rebiya Kadeer has heard from the Communists, who have persecuted her family ever since she escaped occupied East Turkestan (Wall Street Journal via Uyghur American Association).

Canadian-run schools ordered to toe party line: Two schools "certified by the B.C. Education Ministry to teach the provincial curriculum and graduate students with a B.C. certificate" (Vancouver Sun, h/t Between Heaven and Earth) in Communist China were told by the regime to follow the party line on human rights, Taiwan, occupied Tibet and East Turkestan, and other topics deemed "sensitivities."

More on Communist China from Canada: John Robson (Ottawa Citizen) laments those who put trade above human rights regarding Communist China - or as he puts it: those who "say it doesn't matter if money is soaked in blood provided there's a big enough pile of it" (h/t BH&E). The editors of the Toronto Star rip the Communists for their coziness with the murderous regime in Sudan. Both made reference to the 2008 Games.

More on Communist China and the Olympics: Former Australian Olympian Jan Becker calls for the Olympics to be moved (Epoch Times). David Matas mentions the possibility of using the Games to highlight the organ-harvesting outrage (Epoch Times); Falun Gong supporters want a boycott if the harvesting continues (BH&E and Epoch Times). Denis Charleton (Epoch Times) echos the Star on Sudan; Human Rights Watch looks at media freedom (h/t Boycott 2008); and Elliot Wilson (Spectator, h/t Boycott 2008) examines the Communists' goal for the Games: "demonstrating China’s size and power."

Ignorant Comment of the Day: John Tamny (National Review Online) is at it again, discussing economic policy vis a vis Communist China with absolutely no mention on geopolitics or national security.

Communist China seizes more Korean refugees: The regime has prevented 34 Koreans from escaping the Stalinist North in favor of the democratic South (Washington Times). One Free Korea gives the horrific account of what likely awaits them.

More news from "another China province": The United Nations is calling for closer ties with Stalinist North Korea (Newsmax); South Korea tries (BBC), but Freedom House is more worried about the fate of northern Koreans (OFK). Meanwhile, South Korea's Ambassador to the United States is thanking Korean War veterans for their efforts in saving South Korea from the Stalinists (Washington Times).

More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Communist China is moving more deeply into the technological age with its military (International Herald Tribune and Tech News World). The cadres resort to an old standby to defuse anger at themselves - they allow and anti-Japanese protests (BBC).

New magazine regulations announced: What may seem an innocent attempt to better classify periodicals is largely seen by authors as "an attempt to further control publication content" (Radio Free Asia via Epoch Times).

More on matters inside Communist China: Roughly 2,000 citizens protest corruption in Yantai City (Epoch Times); economist-turned-dissident He Qinglian (Epoch Times) examines the corrupt state of the regime nationwide. A late 19th-century home falls victim to another land seizure (BBC). Communist China remains tight-lipped about the fate of a soldier suffering from bird flu (Epoch Times).

News of the Day (May 30)

Communist China outlines people not welcome at 2008 Olympics: The cadres have imposed "43 categories, subdivided further into 11 different subcategories" (Clearwisdom, h/t Uyghur American Association) of groups of people who "must be excluded from the Olympics Games and competitions." Of course, even as the regime is trying to prevent whole classes of its own people out of Beijing during the Games, it is determined to keep up appearances: "It is vital to keep this order and all associated activities secrets and not to assign it to others. It is of utmost importance to give the look of an easygoing environment to the outside, but in fact keep a firm handle on all activities."

More on repression in Communist China: Michael Kanellos (CNET, h/t Between Heaven and Earth) reveals the thoroughness of the Communists' internet crackdown: "Type (Falun Gong) in and the computer goes dead. You don't even get links -- the server times out right after you hit enter." Meanwhile, Ju Pan and Zhen Li (Epoch Times) has the latest example of one country, one-and-a-half systems.

Poison scandal just as bad inside Communist China: James Reynolds (BBC) goes to Harbin, and finds that the cadres' horrific lack of concern for peoples' health is not limited to consumers in Panama and the U.S.

Is the Washington Post edging toward support for an Olympic Boycott? The editors singe Communist China for its behavior vis a vis Sudan, and add this very interesting ending to today's lead editorial - "(Communist ambassador Liu Guijin) was obliged to respond to the growing campaign to connect China's support for Sudan to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. 'Linking China's approach to the Darfur issue and the Olympic Games is totally untenable,' he protested. And if China uses its veto to stop a new U.N. resolution? Its leaders should be made to wonder what will be 'untenable' then" (emphasis added).

More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Charles R. Smith (Newsmax) examines the Pentagon report on Communist China's military buildup. The indomitable William Hawkins (Washington Times) takes on the "engagement" crowd on their own turf - and crushes them. Jay Nordlinger highlights Taiwan's strengths (National Review Online).

He did it again!

Steve Janke, that is. The man I consider the go-to guy on the Communists' poisoned exports has the latest outrage: toxic puffer fish "mislabeled" as harmless monkfish. Two Chicagoans have fallen ill; thankfully, no one has died, yet.

Janke also slaps up a harrowing description of how the poison in puffer fish (tetrodoxin) can kill:

The first symptom of intoxication is a slight numbness of the lips and tongue, appearing between 20 minutes to three hours after eating poisonous pufferfish. The next symptom is increasing paresthesia in the face and extremities, which may be followed by sensations of lightness or floating. Headache, epigastric pain, nausea, diarrhea, and/or vomiting may occur. Occasionally, some reeling or difficulty in walking may occur. The second stage of the intoxication is increasing paralysis. Many victims are unable to move; even sitting may be difficult. There is increasing respiratory distress. Speech is affected, and the victim usually exhibits dyspnea, cyanosis, and hypotension. Paralysis increases and convulsions, mental impairment, and cardiac arrhythmia may occur. The victim, although completely paralyzed, may be conscious and in some cases completely lucid until shortly before death. Death usually occurs within 4 to 6 hours, with a known range of about 20 minutes to 8 hours.

Janke also excoriates the "engagement" crowd for turning their heads and pretending they don't see (such as our trade officials when Communist Vice Premier Wu Yi paid a visit for trade talks): "I bet these apologists and other useful idiots won't be ordering Chinese monkfish anytime soon" (emphasis added).

News of the Weekend (May 26-29)

Former cadre in charge of food safety sentenced to death: Zheng Xiaoyu, the Communist who formerly ran the the State Food and Drug Administration, "was convicted on charges of taking bribes and of dereliction of duty" (BBC) and sentenced to death. The execution, however, could be "reduced to life on appeal." No such reprieve was granted to the victims of the Communists' poisoned exports, which is leading to more calls to curtail imports from Communist China (Epoch Times and National Post). Meanwhile, the Communists are sticking to their traditional modus operandi: good words (Agence France Presse via Yahoo) undermined by bad deeds (Guardian).

More (plenty more) corruption news: A social security embezzlement scheme is exposed in Ningxia Province (Voice of America via Epoch Times). A high school cheats its own students and sends in armed police to silence them (Epoch Times). The cadres are admitting that over one in five toys is tainted (BBC). Finally, Maureen Fan (Washington Post) lists the reasons why so many in Communist China want government jobs; prominent on the list of benefits: "envelopes of cash."

"Instead, getting the 2008 Games seems to have emboldened China's communist rulers": The editors of the Washington Post detail how Communist China has used the upcoming Olympics to increase their persecutions of internal opposition (the Post editors also rip the cadres' enabling of Sudan's brutality in Darfur). Also noting the reality is Gary Feuerberg (Epoch Times).

More news on human rights abuses in Communist China: The Pan-Blues rip Communist persecution (Epoch Times) and shames their Taiwanese counterparts. The crackdown against Falun Gong may include drugs as weapons (Epoch Times). Wu Renhua has a new book on the Tiananmen massacre (Epoch Times).

Communists rip Sudan sanctions call by President Bush: The cadres had the audacity to insist that "investing in Sudan was a better way to stop the violence" (BBC).

Reaction to the Pentagon report on the Communist military buildup: Naturally, the cadres themselves were not happy (BBC). The editors of the Washington Times sounded the alarm on the Communist buildup, as did Jennifer Chou (Worldwide Standard), and W. Thomas Smith, Jr. (National Review Online - The Tank). Meanwhile, the new commander of American forces in the Pacific noted that the cadres are determined to add aircraft carriers to their arsenal (Washington Times).

More on Communist China and the United States: Jeffrey Birnbaum (Washington Post) profiles Robert Nichols, the lead "engagement" lobbyist in Washington. Irwin M. Stelzer (Daily Standard) reviews the latest U.S.-Communist China trade talks; minus the revelation of a lawsuit against one of the visiting delegates (Epoch Times).

Communist official visits Canada and is greeted with a lawsuit: Bo Xilai, the current Communist Commerce Minister and former governor of Liaoning Province, was served papers for a lawsuit against his brutality in Liaoning by Torontonian Jin Rong (Between Heaven and Earth and Epoch Times).

More on Communist China and the rest of the world: The cadres are threatening an agreement to limit production of nuclear weapons fuel that has won support from the United States and Russia (Washington Times). Meanwhile, Chosun Ilbo reports that half of all South Korean firm in Communist China are failing: "An increasing number of owners and employees flee by night because of the difficulty of surviving there."

Beijing surrender news: The latest attempt to appease the Stalinists with the money that was never supposed to be part of the February 13 fiasco continues to go awry (One Free Korea), while South Korea blows hot and cold (BBC and United Press International via Washington Times).

News of the Day (May 23)

U.S.-Communist China trade talks under way - without contaminants on the agenda: Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson opened the talks by assuring Communist Vice Premier Wu Yi that the United States is "not afraid of the competition" (United Press Int'l via Washington Times). Of course, the things of which we should be afraid, namely Communist China's geopolitical objectives (Boycott 2008), human rights violations (Between Heaven and Earth), and last but not least its poisoned exports (Steve Janke and the Washington Post), are not on the agenda.

Communist China goes after Korean refugee support structure: Now anyone involved in helping refugees escape Stalinist North Korea faces arrest (Daily NK).

More news from "another China province": The Beijing surrender takes more hits from Daily NK and John Bolton (One Free Korea); Newsweek's Christian Caryl takes the Stalinists' guided tour; and the regime increases its jamming of anti-Stalinist radio (Daily NK).

Singapore Airlines to buy a piece of China Eastern: The Communists manage to swindle roughly $1 billion out of the foreign airliner (BBC).

Communist China to "encourage," but not mandate, real-name blogging: The cadres have decided not to ban anonymous blogging, but instead use incentives to discourage it in a rare victory for the local netizens (BBC).

Anti-demolition conference held by citizens in Wuhan as residents are crushed in Chongqing: The cadres in Chongqing sent thugs to demolish several homes as part of a land seizure, and all who were not able to escape "were buried alive in the process" (Epoch Times). Nefarious deeds like this led to "an outdoor Human Rights Conference on Hualou Street in Wuhan City on May 20" (Epoch Times) specifically dedicated to battling cadre-ordered demolitions. The meeting was dubbed "the first public human rights conference ever held in China."