The Stalinist regime takes the spotlight again . . .
As SNK may be preparing nuclear test, neighbors lose patience (save one): U.S. intelligence are still (next to last item) “monitoring a recent stream of satellite photographs of North Korea that appear to show rapid, extensive preparations for a nuclear weapons test” (New York Times, registration may be required). Meanwhile, Japan’s Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura publicly warned the Stalinist that his nation would “think of other options, such as taking this matter to the United Nations Security Council” (BBC) if the regime doesn’t return to already much-maligned talks on its nuclear weapons. Even, South Korea’s dovish government is rediscovering the uses of a spine (United Press International via Washington Times). Communist China – the Stalinists’ ally for fifty years – had nothing to say.
One more foolish wish for Communist China to help us vis a vis SNK: David Ignatius, Washington Post, joins the hobgoblin of little minds: “The only perverse benefit of a North Korean nuclear test is that it would force neighboring states – such as China and South Korea – to end their denial and face reality.” Will they never learn?
Speaking of Communist China . . .
Communists forcing broadband internet use to make crackdown easier: The cadres are now forcing broadband users to “download the new system administrative software which is said to be capable of not only filtering all overseas e-mail accounts, but also of monitoring users” (Epoch Times). Further, given the fact that “dial-up connections are able to use proxy servers which can bypass the domestic server that is controlled by the CCP,” the Communists are having them “eliminated.”
U.S. officials to push Communist China on currency, we think: Officials from the Treasury Department will meet with Communist counterparts on Monday. It is widely assumed their will be a discussion on the deliberately devalued Communist currency, which has damaged American manufacturing and export producers in our Asian allies. However, both sides “are downplaying the meeting” (BBC).
Follow-ups on Shi Tao and the Falun Gong-Hong Kong case: John Nania, Epoch Times, provides the background on the recent reversal of the convictions against Falun Gong practitioners demonstrating in Hong Kong (second item). Xinfei, also in the Epoch Times, does the same on the plight of imprisoned reporter Shi Tao (fourteenth item).
Commentary on Communist China: An unnamed “Concerned Global Citizen” calls for more resignations from the Chinese Communist Party in the Epoch Times. Hu Shaojiang,
Radio Free Asia (via Epoch Times) details how the Communists economic policies are leading to rampant overdevelopment and corruption. Meghan Cox Gurdon, National Review Online, confronts the “Made in China” label. Stan Grant, CNN, examines the Communist “mirage” of freedom of religion.
Friday, May 06, 2005
Thursday, May 05, 2005
News of the Day (May 5)
In honor of Cinco de Mayo, the China e-Lobby brings back reports of the damage Communist China is inflicting on Mexico’s economy (eighth item, seventeenth item).
James Soong visits Communist China while panda offer sparks debate: James Soong, running mate of defeated Taiwanese presidential candidate and new Communist friend Lien Chan, began his won trip to Communist China (Voice of America News). However, while Soong’s People First Party is an ally of Lien’s Nationalists, he is basing his upcoming talks with Hu Jintao on “a 10-point agreement on cross-strait ties” (BBC) he signed with Taiwan’s elected President, Chen Shui-bian (next to last item) – meaning this trip will likely not be frowned upon nearly as much by Chen and his Democratic Progressive Party. Meanwhile, Communist China’s offer of two pandas to Taiwan is stirring up trouble in the island democracy: in part due to the obvious fact that, as a DPP spokeswoman put it, “They send you a gift, but they want something from you” (USA Today), and in part due to environmentalists who called the possible gift “an act of animal abuse on an endangered species” (BBC).
From the Falun Gong War (Hong Kong and Singapore): Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal – the city’s highest court – “quashed the convictions of eight members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement” (BBC). The eight practitioners had been arrested for “obstructing and assaulting police officers,” but “the Court of Final Appeal decided the Falun Gong members should not have been prosecuted for resisting what was in effect an illegal attempt by police to arrest and charge them.” Meanwhile, the practitioners who were jailed in Singapore for trying to spread the word about the Communist persecution of their faith (third item) are now free, but only because their families paid government-ordered fines without their knowledge – or approval (Epoch Times). For more detail on this case, see Zheng Yuqing’s piece, also in the Epoch Times.
Securities firm launched by Communist-owned banks shuts down: China Southern Securities, well-heeled stock-trading firm “initiated jointly by four state-owned commercial banks along with the Bank of Communications and the People's Insurance Co. of China in December 1992” (Epoch Times), was ordered to close its doors and be liquidated amid massive debt due to “mismanagement and lack of internal supervision.”
Commentary on Communist China: An unnamed activist with the appellants (citizens with grievances against cadres who bring their pleas to Beijing – and are almost unanimously ignored) talked to Feng Changle, Epoch Times, on a wide range of subjects. The editors of the Epoch Times review the comments of speakers at last month’s Washington forum on the Nine Commentaries. Tiananmen survivor Wang Dan praises Lien Chan’s trip to Communist China, and hears criticism from the China Support Network’s John Patrick over the state of the dissident movement. Nick Mackie’s BBC column in Chongqing city is a good example of the myopia on Communist China that afflicts much of the financial media. Last, but most, Ilan Berman, vice president for policy at the American Foreign Policy Council, details Communist China’s growing ties to Russia and its charm offensive with India in National Review Online.
South Korea losing hope in six-party talks: South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon admitted that “the chances of resuming multi-national arms talks” (VOA via Epoch Times) on Stalinist North Korea’s nuclear weapons were “not bright” – which, given the actual results to come from the talks, is actually good news. Ban hinted that his government “is reviewing measures with all possibilities in mind.” Given the dovishness of President Roh Moo-hyun, one “possibility” sure to be low on the list is liberation.
Say what? Former Secretary of State blames Iraq war for SNK nukes: Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright claimed “that President Bush's decision to invade Iraq encouraged North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il to produce nuclear weapons” (Newsmax). Never mind the fact that the Stalinists first boasted of their nuclear weapons program five months before military action began.
James Soong visits Communist China while panda offer sparks debate: James Soong, running mate of defeated Taiwanese presidential candidate and new Communist friend Lien Chan, began his won trip to Communist China (Voice of America News). However, while Soong’s People First Party is an ally of Lien’s Nationalists, he is basing his upcoming talks with Hu Jintao on “a 10-point agreement on cross-strait ties” (BBC) he signed with Taiwan’s elected President, Chen Shui-bian (next to last item) – meaning this trip will likely not be frowned upon nearly as much by Chen and his Democratic Progressive Party. Meanwhile, Communist China’s offer of two pandas to Taiwan is stirring up trouble in the island democracy: in part due to the obvious fact that, as a DPP spokeswoman put it, “They send you a gift, but they want something from you” (USA Today), and in part due to environmentalists who called the possible gift “an act of animal abuse on an endangered species” (BBC).
From the Falun Gong War (Hong Kong and Singapore): Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal – the city’s highest court – “quashed the convictions of eight members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement” (BBC). The eight practitioners had been arrested for “obstructing and assaulting police officers,” but “the Court of Final Appeal decided the Falun Gong members should not have been prosecuted for resisting what was in effect an illegal attempt by police to arrest and charge them.” Meanwhile, the practitioners who were jailed in Singapore for trying to spread the word about the Communist persecution of their faith (third item) are now free, but only because their families paid government-ordered fines without their knowledge – or approval (Epoch Times). For more detail on this case, see Zheng Yuqing’s piece, also in the Epoch Times.
Securities firm launched by Communist-owned banks shuts down: China Southern Securities, well-heeled stock-trading firm “initiated jointly by four state-owned commercial banks along with the Bank of Communications and the People's Insurance Co. of China in December 1992” (Epoch Times), was ordered to close its doors and be liquidated amid massive debt due to “mismanagement and lack of internal supervision.”
Commentary on Communist China: An unnamed activist with the appellants (citizens with grievances against cadres who bring their pleas to Beijing – and are almost unanimously ignored) talked to Feng Changle, Epoch Times, on a wide range of subjects. The editors of the Epoch Times review the comments of speakers at last month’s Washington forum on the Nine Commentaries. Tiananmen survivor Wang Dan praises Lien Chan’s trip to Communist China, and hears criticism from the China Support Network’s John Patrick over the state of the dissident movement. Nick Mackie’s BBC column in Chongqing city is a good example of the myopia on Communist China that afflicts much of the financial media. Last, but most, Ilan Berman, vice president for policy at the American Foreign Policy Council, details Communist China’s growing ties to Russia and its charm offensive with India in National Review Online.
South Korea losing hope in six-party talks: South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon admitted that “the chances of resuming multi-national arms talks” (VOA via Epoch Times) on Stalinist North Korea’s nuclear weapons were “not bright” – which, given the actual results to come from the talks, is actually good news. Ban hinted that his government “is reviewing measures with all possibilities in mind.” Given the dovishness of President Roh Moo-hyun, one “possibility” sure to be low on the list is liberation.
Say what? Former Secretary of State blames Iraq war for SNK nukes: Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright claimed “that President Bush's decision to invade Iraq encouraged North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il to produce nuclear weapons” (Newsmax). Never mind the fact that the Stalinists first boasted of their nuclear weapons program five months before military action began.
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
News of the Day (May 4)
Lien declares “consensus” with Communist China, which rejects Chen’s talks offer: Fresh from his “journey of peace” to Communist China, Taiwan Nationalist Party Lien Chan declared a “fundamental consensus” (Washington Post) between himself and Communist leader Hu Jintao “to end hostilities that have enveloped the Taiwan Strait for more than half a century.” As Lien was throwing around silly rhetoric (“Isn’t this the time for dialogue?”) his “consensus” partner again rejected an offer for talks from President Chen Shui-bian, who the Taiwanese elected people over Lien in last year’s election, unless he “acknowledged that the island is part of China.” Translated from cadre-speak, Communist China wants Chen to accept its claim to sovereignty over the island democracy, despite having never set foot there. The Communists also shot down Chen’s invitation to Hu to visit Taiwan and see “what the 23 million people of Taiwan think” (Cybercast News). Also reporting: Voice of America via Epoch Times, BBC
France nabs Communist spy, wants to block textile imports, but arms sales OK: French authorities arrested Li Li and charged her with industrial espionage, in particular “data theft, illegal entry into a computer data system and breach of trust” (United Press International via Washington Times). Meanwhile, Paris joined several other European nations, including Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, Portugal, and Belgium, in demanding an upcoming European Union probe on Communist China’s textile imports (fifth item) be skipped in favor of “emergency measures” (Epoch Times) against the imports right now. Despite all of this, French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier is still calling the EU arms ban against Communist China an “anachronism” (Washington Post) that must be lifted.
Commentary on Communist China: William R. Hawkins, of the U.S. Business and Industry Council, has another terrific column on Communist China’s geopolitical ambitions, its economic policies, and how the U.S. should react, in the Washington Times. Far worse is William P. Kucewicz, National Review Online, who also ignores national security, and as such misses the boat completely. Robert Samuelson, Washington Post, makes the same error of omission on the security front, but finds some economic justification for threatening a currency-corrective tariff against the cadres, making column equivalent to his assessment of the idea: “it's better than nothing.” David Frum, also from NRO, expresses concern that Communist China could divide Australia from the U.S. – “The more fearsome China becomes, the more voices we will hear urging China's appeasement.” Louisa Lim, BBC, succumbs somewhat to the conventional wisdom on the anti-Japan riots, but does note the cadres’ role in stoking them.
U.S. sees evidence of possible SNK nuclear test, South Korea does not: U.S. satellites have captured images that “point to preparations for a possible underground nuclear test,” according to an unnamed U.S. official cited by South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo (via Washington Times). South Korea’s dovish government downplayed the news.
C’mon, Pat, say it just once – liberation: Sadly, Pat Buchanan avoids the L-word in his World Net Daily column, insisting the U.S. should tell Asia “that Kim Jong Il is, in the last analysis, their demented dictator to deal with, not ours.” Will he never learn?
France nabs Communist spy, wants to block textile imports, but arms sales OK: French authorities arrested Li Li and charged her with industrial espionage, in particular “data theft, illegal entry into a computer data system and breach of trust” (United Press International via Washington Times). Meanwhile, Paris joined several other European nations, including Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, Portugal, and Belgium, in demanding an upcoming European Union probe on Communist China’s textile imports (fifth item) be skipped in favor of “emergency measures” (Epoch Times) against the imports right now. Despite all of this, French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier is still calling the EU arms ban against Communist China an “anachronism” (Washington Post) that must be lifted.
Commentary on Communist China: William R. Hawkins, of the U.S. Business and Industry Council, has another terrific column on Communist China’s geopolitical ambitions, its economic policies, and how the U.S. should react, in the Washington Times. Far worse is William P. Kucewicz, National Review Online, who also ignores national security, and as such misses the boat completely. Robert Samuelson, Washington Post, makes the same error of omission on the security front, but finds some economic justification for threatening a currency-corrective tariff against the cadres, making column equivalent to his assessment of the idea: “it's better than nothing.” David Frum, also from NRO, expresses concern that Communist China could divide Australia from the U.S. – “The more fearsome China becomes, the more voices we will hear urging China's appeasement.” Louisa Lim, BBC, succumbs somewhat to the conventional wisdom on the anti-Japan riots, but does note the cadres’ role in stoking them.
U.S. sees evidence of possible SNK nuclear test, South Korea does not: U.S. satellites have captured images that “point to preparations for a possible underground nuclear test,” according to an unnamed U.S. official cited by South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo (via Washington Times). South Korea’s dovish government downplayed the news.
C’mon, Pat, say it just once – liberation: Sadly, Pat Buchanan avoids the L-word in his World Net Daily column, insisting the U.S. should tell Asia “that Kim Jong Il is, in the last analysis, their demented dictator to deal with, not ours.” Will he never learn?
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
News of the Day (May 3)
Taiwanese President makes another call for talks: Chen Shui-bian, elected President of the Republic of China (Taiwan), “for the establishment of a military and security mutual trust mechanism across the Taiwan Strait to help defuse cross-strait tensions” (Central News Agency, Taiwan, via Epoch Times) during a visit to the Marshall Islands. Chen has repeatedly offered olive branches to Communist China, only to be rejected by the cadres unless “he signs up to Beijing's so-called one-China policy” (BBC) – i.e., the ridiculous notion that the Communists are the rightful rulers of the island democracy. This time, the Communists insisted Chen’s Democratic Progressive Party delete “a clause in its party constitution calling for formal independence for the island” (MSNBC), a rejection they cloaked in offers to “lift restrictions on Chinese tourists going to Taiwan,” “scrap tariffs on more than 10 kinds of fruit from Taiwan and allow imports of six more fruit species.” The cadres also offered a pair of giant pandas; the animal has a long history of being manipulated by imperialists and Communists as diplomatic gifts (BBC).
More reaction to the Lien Chan visit: Meanwhile, the visit to the mainland by Lien Chan, the fellow who lost last year’s presidential election to Chen, is still generating reaction. Caroline Gluck has some interesting points about the political fallout on Taiwan, but her BBC column reveals a moderate pro-Lien bias. CNN’s Willy Lam notes how the trip plays into Hu Jintao’s “smile offensive” against Chen and his political allies. Blogger Barry Gibson rips Lien and his “pan-blue” Nationalist cohorts for attempting to “kiss and make up” (China Support Network, last item) with the Communists. Edward Lanfranco (United Press International via Washington Times) weighs in while reviewing Nancy Bernkopf Tucker’s Dangerous Strait: The U.S.-Taiwan-China Crisis.
Singapore mimics Communist China’s against Falun Gong as FM speaks of its rise: Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yeo spoke to the Washington Times about Communist China’s continuing rise in geopolitical power. While Yeo touted his nation’s “promiscuous” policy on trade, Tian Jie, Epoch Times, reveals the island city-state’s great fealty to Communist China. Of course, there’s been no cheating, as it were, on the Communist treatment of the two Falun Gong practitioners who tried to reveal the truths about the cadres’ persecution of their faith (thirteenth item). At least one analyst finds this to be no accident (Epoch Times).
Germany deports practitioner back to Communist China; UK almost follows suit: In a shocking example of ignorance, the German government – led by Jacques Chirac’s strongest ally in the effort to lift the EU arms embargo against Communist China, Gerhardt Schroeder – actually deported Falun Gong practitioner Jiang Renzheng and his family back to Communist China on the assumption that if he “practiced the exercises at home” (Epoch Times), he would be safe. He was sent to a labor camp within days. The United Kingdom nearly repeated Germany’s terrible mistake until news of it stayed London’s hand, for now (Epoch Times).
On the Uighurs at Guantanamo Bay: The editors of the Washington Post praise the Bush Administration for its ongoing determination to find a refuge for roughly fifteen Uighurs sent from Afghanistan to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, but since found not to be anti-American terrorists. The Administration “has rightly refused to turn over the Uighurs” to the cadres, who would certainly torture and probably kill them for resisting the brutal occupation of East Turkestan – the Uighur homeland which was an independent nation until the Communists invaded it in 1949 and renamed it “Xinjiang.”
Secretary of State Rice says U.S. can “deter” SNK: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reminded Stalinist North Korea that the U.S. “maintains significant – and I want to underline significant – deterrent capability of all kinds in the Asia-Pacific region” (Washington Times). That said, Rice steal pleaded with the Stalinists to return to the over-hyped six-party talks on their nuclear weapons programs, and of course, for all the “deterrent” talk, Rice never mentioned liberating the people of northern Korea. Also reporting: VOA via Epoch Times, Cybercast News, Fox News
Families of Japanese abduction victims seek U.S. sanctions against Stalinists: In an emotional appeal, Teruaki Masumoto, head of Association of Family Members Kidnapped by North Korea, “appealed to the Bush administration to support sanctions on Pyongyang until the communist regime provides a full accounting of the missing Japanese” (Bill Gertz, Washington Times). Stalinist North Korea admitted to kidnapping 13 Japanese citizens between 1978 and 1983. Five of them are now home with their families. The Stalinists insist the eight others – including Masumoto’s sister – are dead, despite a lack of evidence and many facts pointing to the contrary.
South Korea downplaying SNK nuclear and missile antics: The dovish government of South Korea joined Japan in “downplaying the seriousness” (VOA via Epoch Times) of a Stalinist missile test over the weekend. It also “dismissed on Tuesday reports by a local daily that the North Korea was preparing to conduct an underground nuclear test in one of its northeastern towns” (UPI via Washington Times).
More reaction to the Lien Chan visit: Meanwhile, the visit to the mainland by Lien Chan, the fellow who lost last year’s presidential election to Chen, is still generating reaction. Caroline Gluck has some interesting points about the political fallout on Taiwan, but her BBC column reveals a moderate pro-Lien bias. CNN’s Willy Lam notes how the trip plays into Hu Jintao’s “smile offensive” against Chen and his political allies. Blogger Barry Gibson rips Lien and his “pan-blue” Nationalist cohorts for attempting to “kiss and make up” (China Support Network, last item) with the Communists. Edward Lanfranco (United Press International via Washington Times) weighs in while reviewing Nancy Bernkopf Tucker’s Dangerous Strait: The U.S.-Taiwan-China Crisis.
Singapore mimics Communist China’s against Falun Gong as FM speaks of its rise: Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yeo spoke to the Washington Times about Communist China’s continuing rise in geopolitical power. While Yeo touted his nation’s “promiscuous” policy on trade, Tian Jie, Epoch Times, reveals the island city-state’s great fealty to Communist China. Of course, there’s been no cheating, as it were, on the Communist treatment of the two Falun Gong practitioners who tried to reveal the truths about the cadres’ persecution of their faith (thirteenth item). At least one analyst finds this to be no accident (Epoch Times).
Germany deports practitioner back to Communist China; UK almost follows suit: In a shocking example of ignorance, the German government – led by Jacques Chirac’s strongest ally in the effort to lift the EU arms embargo against Communist China, Gerhardt Schroeder – actually deported Falun Gong practitioner Jiang Renzheng and his family back to Communist China on the assumption that if he “practiced the exercises at home” (Epoch Times), he would be safe. He was sent to a labor camp within days. The United Kingdom nearly repeated Germany’s terrible mistake until news of it stayed London’s hand, for now (Epoch Times).
On the Uighurs at Guantanamo Bay: The editors of the Washington Post praise the Bush Administration for its ongoing determination to find a refuge for roughly fifteen Uighurs sent from Afghanistan to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, but since found not to be anti-American terrorists. The Administration “has rightly refused to turn over the Uighurs” to the cadres, who would certainly torture and probably kill them for resisting the brutal occupation of East Turkestan – the Uighur homeland which was an independent nation until the Communists invaded it in 1949 and renamed it “Xinjiang.”
Secretary of State Rice says U.S. can “deter” SNK: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reminded Stalinist North Korea that the U.S. “maintains significant – and I want to underline significant – deterrent capability of all kinds in the Asia-Pacific region” (Washington Times). That said, Rice steal pleaded with the Stalinists to return to the over-hyped six-party talks on their nuclear weapons programs, and of course, for all the “deterrent” talk, Rice never mentioned liberating the people of northern Korea. Also reporting: VOA via Epoch Times, Cybercast News, Fox News
Families of Japanese abduction victims seek U.S. sanctions against Stalinists: In an emotional appeal, Teruaki Masumoto, head of Association of Family Members Kidnapped by North Korea, “appealed to the Bush administration to support sanctions on Pyongyang until the communist regime provides a full accounting of the missing Japanese” (Bill Gertz, Washington Times). Stalinist North Korea admitted to kidnapping 13 Japanese citizens between 1978 and 1983. Five of them are now home with their families. The Stalinists insist the eight others – including Masumoto’s sister – are dead, despite a lack of evidence and many facts pointing to the contrary.
South Korea downplaying SNK nuclear and missile antics: The dovish government of South Korea joined Japan in “downplaying the seriousness” (VOA via Epoch Times) of a Stalinist missile test over the weekend. It also “dismissed on Tuesday reports by a local daily that the North Korea was preparing to conduct an underground nuclear test in one of its northeastern towns” (UPI via Washington Times).
Monday, May 02, 2005
News of the Day (May 2)
Once again, the abundant news on Communist China is trumped by Kim Jong-il . . .
Stalinist North Korea fires test missile and slams President Bush: Stalinist North Korea “test fired a missile into the Sea of Japan” (Fox News) over the weekend, just after the regime labeled President Bush a “half-baked man in terms of morality and a philistine whom we can never deal with” (Washington Post). While Japan took the missile test in stride (BBC), the U.S. is increasingly frustrated with the Stalinists’ refusal to rejoin the six-party talks (SNK, South Korea, Japan, the U.S., Russia, and Communist China) on its nuclear weapons (Voice of America via Epoch Times) and, according to envoy Christopher Hill, is considering unnamed “other measures” (Time Asia) – not that the talks were much of a success anyway. Hill did not mention the option of liberation.
Bush gets criticism from home and praise from abroad on SNK: Senator Hillary Clinton (D-New York), blamed the Bush Administration for the Stalinists’ capability (second item) to arm missiles with nuclear warheads (Newsmax). However, Djoko Susilo, an Indonesian legislator from the opposition National Mandate Party expressed support for what he called “this hard-line approach” (Washington Times) on SNK from the United States. Does he know something we don’t know?
Defector blasts Stalinists for human rights abuses: Meanwhile, Daniel Choi, vice president of the Exile Committee for North Korean Democracy, and her mother, former Stalinist prisoner Soon Ok Lee, spoke of the Stalinists’ abuses of human rights in a rally on Friday in Washington, D.C. Report: VOA via Epoch Times
Uri Party takes a beating in South Korea by-elections: South Korea’s Uri Party – founded to support the dovish policies of President Roh Moo-hyun – took a beating in by-elections for the legislature, winning none of the six seats despite previously having five of them (Cybercast News). The pro-American opposition Grand National Party took five seats, ensuring the Uris would not regain their recently lost majority (last item).
South Korea to bolster its military: South Korea’s military announced plans to “enhance firepower in response to a change in security ties with the United States” (Washington Times), which is reducing its presence in South Korea (eighth item).
Birds of a feather: Al Kamen, Washington Post, examines the comments on SNK that got UN Ambassador-designate John Bolton in hot water, and finds the rhetoric similar to that of President Bush. Now on to Communist China . . .
Lien Chan finishes trip to Communist China, calls for “peace”: Lien Chan, leader of the Nationalist Party, finished his visit to the Communist mainland with this idiotic send-off to reporters: “Peace is no longer pie in the sky” (BBC). This would be news to Chen Shui-bian, who repeated his oft-rejected call for talks with the cadres (Cybercast News) – and who is the man Taiwan actually elected President (over Lien and his Communist-friendly party). Frank Hsieh, Taiwan’s Prime Minister, said the Nationalists should “work hard to become a ruling party” (BBC), rather than try to bypass it (Chen and Hsieh are members of the Democratic Progressive Party, which supports Taiwan independence and is far more anti-Communist than the Lien-led Nationalists). Lien’s running mate in last year’s election – People First Party leader James Soong – is headed to the mainland later this week, but “President Chen has asked him to take his undisclosed message to leaders in Beijing” (BBC).
Reaction to Lien’s trip: As expected, Communist-run press and Taiwan’s opposition-supporting papers had high praise for the trip, while Taiwan’s pro-DPP papers ripped it (BBC). Even so, the most incisive criticism of the Communist maneuver came from the editors of the Christian Science-Monitor: “China's autocrats can't seem to accept that Taiwan is a democracy in which the people have voted for Mr. Chen twice, and against Mr. Lien.” Andrew Perrin, Time Asia, had a largely vapid column on the trip, while Bill Kaufman, Calgary Sun, notes the reality of the Communist military threat to the island democracy. Perhaps the most telling reaction came from mainland dissidents who, “out of frustration with the Taiwan Nationalists” (China Support Network, ninth item), re-formed the Chinese Nationalist Party in the Mainland in a shot across the bow to Lien, whose party was dethroned and forced off the mainland by Mao Zedong in 1949.
Koizumi pushes EU to keep arms ban: Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi met with leaders of the European Union to repeat “his concern over the bloc's plans to lift an arms ban on China” (BBC). While the effort, led by France and (part of) Germany to lift the arms embargo has been shelved due to the objections of at least four EU members, France has made clear it will continue trying to lift the embargo.
Communist China to keep devalued currency: Amid reports that Communist China was allowing its currency to float upward in value against the dollar, a spokesperson for the Communist central bank “poured some cold water on talk that a revaluation might occur” (Washington Post). Communist China’s deliberately devalued currency has greatly damaged its neighbors export sectors, and led to a $160 billion trade surplus with the United States – the largest bi-lateral trade imbalance in the history of the world.
Resignations pass 1.2 million: However, at least one was posthumous – Ran Kongjie gave his father’s painful life story before withdrawing on his behalf (Epoch Times).
Movie banned in Communist China wins film honor: The Tribeca Film Festival gave its Founders Award to Stolen Life, a film “banned in its native China” (BBC).
The Falun Gong war spreads to Singapore: After Communist China began its brutal crackdown against Falun Gong six years ago this July, Singapore – which prides itself on its closeness to the regime – began to follow suit. That has now extended to Ng Chye Huay and Cheng Lujin; they were sent to prison for “mailing truth-clarifying video discs to the police” – despite the fact that one of them has a six-month-old daughter. Both are now on a hunger strike, and the Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group has appealed to the UN (all links courtesy Epoch Times). Don’t hold your breath folks (ninth item).
Media crackdown sends reporter to prison as 60 publications join banned list: Communist China’s General Administration of Press and Publishing ordered the shutdown of 60 newspapers and magazines, in addition to the 395 magazines and 282 newspapers where publication “has ceased” (Epoch Times) under Communist orders. Meanwhile, the cadres sent a financial reporter to prison for ten years for “illegally providing state secrets to foreigners” (Washington Times, fourth item). His real crime was more likely his “Internet essays advocating reforms to China's one-party system.”
Turnout low in Hong Kong “vote” for Election Committee: Hong Kong held “elections” in some of the “functional constituencies” for the 800-member panel that chooses the next leader of Hong Kong on 2007. Due to the fact that the “functional constituencies” are largely gerrymandered to ensure pro-Communist members (and that the rest of the panel is Communist-appointed) turnout was “was the lowest in the city's history” (United Press International via Washington Times).
On the future of Communist China: F. Andrew Messing, Jr. and Daniel A. Perez, of the National Defense Council Foundation, sound the alarm about Communist China’s ambitions for global dominance in the Washington Times. Fareed Zakaria, Newsweek, has a more mediocre column on the cadres’ ambitions – mediocre largely because of his unwillingness to recognize the military aspect of the Communist threat. Meanwhile, Yu Linyi, Epoch Times, believes the Communists have a much shorter lease on life, due to the effect of the Nine Commentaries. National Taiwan University Politics Professor Ming Juzheng likens the CCP to the Nazi Party, and like the Nazis, he sees the Communists’ reign of terror ending as well (Sound of Hope Radio via Epoch Times).
On Communist China and Japan: Eric Margolis (Toronto Sun) and Paul Greenberg (Washington Times) remind Communist China of its own historical troubles, while Japan’s Asahi Shimbun (via Washington Times) calls on its government to be more open in trade if it wishes to keep up with Communist China’s economic diplomacy. Finally, the BBC makes a highly unusual mistake in falling for the notion that the anti-Japanese riots (second item) revealed “holes” in the Communists control of communication.
Other Commentary on Communist China: Yours truly praises the people of Europe and its elected Parliament for their steadfast support for the EU arms embargo on Communist China (Epoch Times). Du Yilong, also in the Epoch Times, examines the cadres’ version of “patriotism” with disgust. Ellen Bork, Project for the New American Century, is stunned at the Bush Administration’s refusal to face reality about Hong Kong’s one country, one-and-a-half systems. Matthew Forney, Time Asia, finds that Hu Jintao’s much touted “Education Campaign of Maintaining Party Members' Advanced Nature” has devolved into cadres mailing it in – or to be more apropos, pasting it in.
Stalinist North Korea fires test missile and slams President Bush: Stalinist North Korea “test fired a missile into the Sea of Japan” (Fox News) over the weekend, just after the regime labeled President Bush a “half-baked man in terms of morality and a philistine whom we can never deal with” (Washington Post). While Japan took the missile test in stride (BBC), the U.S. is increasingly frustrated with the Stalinists’ refusal to rejoin the six-party talks (SNK, South Korea, Japan, the U.S., Russia, and Communist China) on its nuclear weapons (Voice of America via Epoch Times) and, according to envoy Christopher Hill, is considering unnamed “other measures” (Time Asia) – not that the talks were much of a success anyway. Hill did not mention the option of liberation.
Bush gets criticism from home and praise from abroad on SNK: Senator Hillary Clinton (D-New York), blamed the Bush Administration for the Stalinists’ capability (second item) to arm missiles with nuclear warheads (Newsmax). However, Djoko Susilo, an Indonesian legislator from the opposition National Mandate Party expressed support for what he called “this hard-line approach” (Washington Times) on SNK from the United States. Does he know something we don’t know?
Defector blasts Stalinists for human rights abuses: Meanwhile, Daniel Choi, vice president of the Exile Committee for North Korean Democracy, and her mother, former Stalinist prisoner Soon Ok Lee, spoke of the Stalinists’ abuses of human rights in a rally on Friday in Washington, D.C. Report: VOA via Epoch Times
Uri Party takes a beating in South Korea by-elections: South Korea’s Uri Party – founded to support the dovish policies of President Roh Moo-hyun – took a beating in by-elections for the legislature, winning none of the six seats despite previously having five of them (Cybercast News). The pro-American opposition Grand National Party took five seats, ensuring the Uris would not regain their recently lost majority (last item).
South Korea to bolster its military: South Korea’s military announced plans to “enhance firepower in response to a change in security ties with the United States” (Washington Times), which is reducing its presence in South Korea (eighth item).
Birds of a feather: Al Kamen, Washington Post, examines the comments on SNK that got UN Ambassador-designate John Bolton in hot water, and finds the rhetoric similar to that of President Bush. Now on to Communist China . . .
Lien Chan finishes trip to Communist China, calls for “peace”: Lien Chan, leader of the Nationalist Party, finished his visit to the Communist mainland with this idiotic send-off to reporters: “Peace is no longer pie in the sky” (BBC). This would be news to Chen Shui-bian, who repeated his oft-rejected call for talks with the cadres (Cybercast News) – and who is the man Taiwan actually elected President (over Lien and his Communist-friendly party). Frank Hsieh, Taiwan’s Prime Minister, said the Nationalists should “work hard to become a ruling party” (BBC), rather than try to bypass it (Chen and Hsieh are members of the Democratic Progressive Party, which supports Taiwan independence and is far more anti-Communist than the Lien-led Nationalists). Lien’s running mate in last year’s election – People First Party leader James Soong – is headed to the mainland later this week, but “President Chen has asked him to take his undisclosed message to leaders in Beijing” (BBC).
Reaction to Lien’s trip: As expected, Communist-run press and Taiwan’s opposition-supporting papers had high praise for the trip, while Taiwan’s pro-DPP papers ripped it (BBC). Even so, the most incisive criticism of the Communist maneuver came from the editors of the Christian Science-Monitor: “China's autocrats can't seem to accept that Taiwan is a democracy in which the people have voted for Mr. Chen twice, and against Mr. Lien.” Andrew Perrin, Time Asia, had a largely vapid column on the trip, while Bill Kaufman, Calgary Sun, notes the reality of the Communist military threat to the island democracy. Perhaps the most telling reaction came from mainland dissidents who, “out of frustration with the Taiwan Nationalists” (China Support Network, ninth item), re-formed the Chinese Nationalist Party in the Mainland in a shot across the bow to Lien, whose party was dethroned and forced off the mainland by Mao Zedong in 1949.
Koizumi pushes EU to keep arms ban: Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi met with leaders of the European Union to repeat “his concern over the bloc's plans to lift an arms ban on China” (BBC). While the effort, led by France and (part of) Germany to lift the arms embargo has been shelved due to the objections of at least four EU members, France has made clear it will continue trying to lift the embargo.
Communist China to keep devalued currency: Amid reports that Communist China was allowing its currency to float upward in value against the dollar, a spokesperson for the Communist central bank “poured some cold water on talk that a revaluation might occur” (Washington Post). Communist China’s deliberately devalued currency has greatly damaged its neighbors export sectors, and led to a $160 billion trade surplus with the United States – the largest bi-lateral trade imbalance in the history of the world.
Resignations pass 1.2 million: However, at least one was posthumous – Ran Kongjie gave his father’s painful life story before withdrawing on his behalf (Epoch Times).
Movie banned in Communist China wins film honor: The Tribeca Film Festival gave its Founders Award to Stolen Life, a film “banned in its native China” (BBC).
The Falun Gong war spreads to Singapore: After Communist China began its brutal crackdown against Falun Gong six years ago this July, Singapore – which prides itself on its closeness to the regime – began to follow suit. That has now extended to Ng Chye Huay and Cheng Lujin; they were sent to prison for “mailing truth-clarifying video discs to the police” – despite the fact that one of them has a six-month-old daughter. Both are now on a hunger strike, and the Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group has appealed to the UN (all links courtesy Epoch Times). Don’t hold your breath folks (ninth item).
Media crackdown sends reporter to prison as 60 publications join banned list: Communist China’s General Administration of Press and Publishing ordered the shutdown of 60 newspapers and magazines, in addition to the 395 magazines and 282 newspapers where publication “has ceased” (Epoch Times) under Communist orders. Meanwhile, the cadres sent a financial reporter to prison for ten years for “illegally providing state secrets to foreigners” (Washington Times, fourth item). His real crime was more likely his “Internet essays advocating reforms to China's one-party system.”
Turnout low in Hong Kong “vote” for Election Committee: Hong Kong held “elections” in some of the “functional constituencies” for the 800-member panel that chooses the next leader of Hong Kong on 2007. Due to the fact that the “functional constituencies” are largely gerrymandered to ensure pro-Communist members (and that the rest of the panel is Communist-appointed) turnout was “was the lowest in the city's history” (United Press International via Washington Times).
On the future of Communist China: F. Andrew Messing, Jr. and Daniel A. Perez, of the National Defense Council Foundation, sound the alarm about Communist China’s ambitions for global dominance in the Washington Times. Fareed Zakaria, Newsweek, has a more mediocre column on the cadres’ ambitions – mediocre largely because of his unwillingness to recognize the military aspect of the Communist threat. Meanwhile, Yu Linyi, Epoch Times, believes the Communists have a much shorter lease on life, due to the effect of the Nine Commentaries. National Taiwan University Politics Professor Ming Juzheng likens the CCP to the Nazi Party, and like the Nazis, he sees the Communists’ reign of terror ending as well (Sound of Hope Radio via Epoch Times).
On Communist China and Japan: Eric Margolis (Toronto Sun) and Paul Greenberg (Washington Times) remind Communist China of its own historical troubles, while Japan’s Asahi Shimbun (via Washington Times) calls on its government to be more open in trade if it wishes to keep up with Communist China’s economic diplomacy. Finally, the BBC makes a highly unusual mistake in falling for the notion that the anti-Japanese riots (second item) revealed “holes” in the Communists control of communication.
Other Commentary on Communist China: Yours truly praises the people of Europe and its elected Parliament for their steadfast support for the EU arms embargo on Communist China (Epoch Times). Du Yilong, also in the Epoch Times, examines the cadres’ version of “patriotism” with disgust. Ellen Bork, Project for the New American Century, is stunned at the Bush Administration’s refusal to face reality about Hong Kong’s one country, one-and-a-half systems. Matthew Forney, Time Asia, finds that Hu Jintao’s much touted “Education Campaign of Maintaining Party Members' Advanced Nature” has devolved into cadres mailing it in – or to be more apropos, pasting it in.
Friday, April 29, 2005
News of the Day (April 29)
While there is quite a bit about Communist China today, we must begin with this.
SNK chemical weapons testing on political prisoner confirmed, again: Soon Ok Lee, a former political prisoner of Stalinist North Korea, further confirmed reports from last year that the regime performed “chemical testing on humans” (World Net Daily). The confirmation came as Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Simon Wiesenthal Center Associate Dean, announced plans “to pursue action against the North Korean regime for possible crimes against humanity” including the use of gas chambers against political prisoners. One of the sources for this had been hiding in Communist China, but the cadres caught him and sent him back to the Stalinist North.
Defense Intelligence Agency chief says SNK can arm missiles with warheads: Vice Admiral Lowell E. Jacoby told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Stalinist North Korea “has the ability to arm a missile with a nuclear device” (Washington Post), a major advance for the regime, which is developing missiles that can hit the United States.
U.S. pushing Stalinists on human rights, says envoy: Joseph DeTrani, special envoy to the suspended six-party talks on SNK’s nuclear weapons, told Congress that the U.S. has presented “in both bilateral and multilateral fora, our concerns for the very serious human rights situation in North Korea” (Voice of America via Epoch Times).
Bush still supports six-party talks, but “all options, of course, are on the table”: In a press conference last night, President Bush insisted the suspended talks on the Stalinists’ nuclear weapons were the “best way to solve this problem diplomatically” (Cybercast News), but cryptically added “all options, of course, are on the table.” One of his reasons for pushing the fruitless talks was disturbing: “it’s particularly important to have China involved. China has got a lot of influence in North Korea.” Will they never learn?
Bill Press can’t handle the truth: In a World Net Daily column lsiting his objections to UN Ambassador-designate John Bolton, Bill Press insinuated that Bolton’s reference to Kim Jong-il as a “tyrannical dictator” was irrational. Does the truth hurt that much, Bill?
Now on to Communist China, where Lien Chan sold out Taiwan during his meeting with Communsit leader Hu Jintao. The Nationalist Party leader agreed to “promote the reaching of an agreement to end the hostile situation” (BBC) and, in a joint statement with Hu, called for a “peace accord,” more “periodic contacts between the two parties,” and – get this – “discussion on issues of participation in international activities, which concern the Taiwan public.” In effect, Lien called for a codification of his party’s cozying up to Communist China – something which led to his defeat to President Chen Shui-bian in last year’s elections – but even give the Communists a role in Taiwan’s foreign policy. For the Communists, who have been trying to ignore and isolate Chen and his pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, this was a propaganda bonanza.
Deputy Defense Secretary meets L.A.-threatening Communist general: Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz held talks with Communist Lieutenant General Xiong Guangkai on the regime’s military modernization. Wolfowitz et al were “encouraged in the Chinese response to greater transparency in their military budget” (Bill Gertz, Washington Times). Of course, transparency is nothing new for General Xiong, “known widely in U.S. defense circles for his remark in 1995 that contained a veiled threat by China to use nuclear weapons against Los Angeles, if the United States defended the Republic of China (Taiwan) in a conflict.”
U.S. to launch second probe of Communist exports: The Commerce Department announced a new inquiry into a surge in imports of “Chinese-made shirts, sweaters, dressing gowns and women's underwear” (BBC). The probe, the second to be launched in a month (sixth item), “covers all the areas requested by the American textile industry,” and comes in reaction to the end of worldwide textile trade restrictions this year (fifth item). Communist China’s deliberately devalued currency has not only damaged U.S. textile firms, but also other exporters to the U.S., including the very developing nations who pushed for the restrictions to be dropped.
More Catholic preists arrested in Hebei: As Bishop Jia Zhiguo’s interview with Philip Pan hit the Washington Post, it leaked out that Communist China “arrested seven underground priests who had traveled here to attend a religious retreat organized by Jia.”
“Model Worker” Yao Ming: Houston Rockets Center Yao Ming was given the “vanguard worker” award by Communist China. In accepting the award, Yao had the audacity to call himself a “migrant worker” (BBC), which may come as a surprise to the millions of actual migrant workers “who come by the millions to China's large cities to work long hours on construction sites for less than $5 a day” (Washington Post).
HK legal community protests Communist interference: Communist China’s decision to impose its judgment on Hong Kong regarding the tenure of acting Chief Executive Donald Tsang – and the city’s willingness to give up its autonomy – sparked a silent protest from “people associated with the law or law school students” (Epoch Times). Pro-democracy politicians in Hong Kong wanted the issue resolved by the city’s judiciary, rather than the cadres; one country, one-and-a-half systems rolls on.
On CNN’s “Eye on China” Column series: Among the better columns were Joe Havely’s pieces on the disastrous ecology and, oddly enough, occupied East Turkestan, even though he never talks to anyone from its government-in-exile. Geoff Hiscock’s piece on the Communist economy starts poorly but finishes well. Not quite so good are Kristie LuStout’s column on Communist China’s internet generation, Havely’s piece on the cadres’ global ambitions, and his column on their space program. The worst three are Grant Holloway’s Olympic piece (no mention of the fury this has raised in the human rights community), and Havely’s column on Shanghai (silent on the role its favorite son, Jiang Zemin, may have played in its rise).
On the resignations from the CCP: Among those who attended Saturday’s rally commemorating the one million resignations inspired by the Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party from the Chinese Communist Party was Han Xiang, an exile whose family suffered horrendously in Communist China. He told an unnamed Epoch Times reporter of his family’s travails, and why he felt he needed to be there. Steve Ispas, a Romanian-born Californian, publicly declared in a letter to the Epoch Times his “renunciation” of his Ceaucescu-ordered membership in young Communist groups.
Other Commentary on Communist China: Tom Donnelly, Daily Standard, notes the cadres’ use of nationalism to promote their regime, and what it could mean for the U.S., Japan, and Taiwan. Victor Davis Hanson (National Review Online), listing America’s friend and enemies, notes Japan’s appreciation for the U.S., especially in light of Communist China. Meanwhile, Dennis Boyles, also in NRO (item five) examines France’s willingness to suck up to the Communists, and predicts more of the same.
SNK chemical weapons testing on political prisoner confirmed, again: Soon Ok Lee, a former political prisoner of Stalinist North Korea, further confirmed reports from last year that the regime performed “chemical testing on humans” (World Net Daily). The confirmation came as Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Simon Wiesenthal Center Associate Dean, announced plans “to pursue action against the North Korean regime for possible crimes against humanity” including the use of gas chambers against political prisoners. One of the sources for this had been hiding in Communist China, but the cadres caught him and sent him back to the Stalinist North.
Defense Intelligence Agency chief says SNK can arm missiles with warheads: Vice Admiral Lowell E. Jacoby told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Stalinist North Korea “has the ability to arm a missile with a nuclear device” (Washington Post), a major advance for the regime, which is developing missiles that can hit the United States.
U.S. pushing Stalinists on human rights, says envoy: Joseph DeTrani, special envoy to the suspended six-party talks on SNK’s nuclear weapons, told Congress that the U.S. has presented “in both bilateral and multilateral fora, our concerns for the very serious human rights situation in North Korea” (Voice of America via Epoch Times).
Bush still supports six-party talks, but “all options, of course, are on the table”: In a press conference last night, President Bush insisted the suspended talks on the Stalinists’ nuclear weapons were the “best way to solve this problem diplomatically” (Cybercast News), but cryptically added “all options, of course, are on the table.” One of his reasons for pushing the fruitless talks was disturbing: “it’s particularly important to have China involved. China has got a lot of influence in North Korea.” Will they never learn?
Bill Press can’t handle the truth: In a World Net Daily column lsiting his objections to UN Ambassador-designate John Bolton, Bill Press insinuated that Bolton’s reference to Kim Jong-il as a “tyrannical dictator” was irrational. Does the truth hurt that much, Bill?
Now on to Communist China, where Lien Chan sold out Taiwan during his meeting with Communsit leader Hu Jintao. The Nationalist Party leader agreed to “promote the reaching of an agreement to end the hostile situation” (BBC) and, in a joint statement with Hu, called for a “peace accord,” more “periodic contacts between the two parties,” and – get this – “discussion on issues of participation in international activities, which concern the Taiwan public.” In effect, Lien called for a codification of his party’s cozying up to Communist China – something which led to his defeat to President Chen Shui-bian in last year’s elections – but even give the Communists a role in Taiwan’s foreign policy. For the Communists, who have been trying to ignore and isolate Chen and his pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, this was a propaganda bonanza.
Deputy Defense Secretary meets L.A.-threatening Communist general: Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz held talks with Communist Lieutenant General Xiong Guangkai on the regime’s military modernization. Wolfowitz et al were “encouraged in the Chinese response to greater transparency in their military budget” (Bill Gertz, Washington Times). Of course, transparency is nothing new for General Xiong, “known widely in U.S. defense circles for his remark in 1995 that contained a veiled threat by China to use nuclear weapons against Los Angeles, if the United States defended the Republic of China (Taiwan) in a conflict.”
U.S. to launch second probe of Communist exports: The Commerce Department announced a new inquiry into a surge in imports of “Chinese-made shirts, sweaters, dressing gowns and women's underwear” (BBC). The probe, the second to be launched in a month (sixth item), “covers all the areas requested by the American textile industry,” and comes in reaction to the end of worldwide textile trade restrictions this year (fifth item). Communist China’s deliberately devalued currency has not only damaged U.S. textile firms, but also other exporters to the U.S., including the very developing nations who pushed for the restrictions to be dropped.
More Catholic preists arrested in Hebei: As Bishop Jia Zhiguo’s interview with Philip Pan hit the Washington Post, it leaked out that Communist China “arrested seven underground priests who had traveled here to attend a religious retreat organized by Jia.”
“Model Worker” Yao Ming: Houston Rockets Center Yao Ming was given the “vanguard worker” award by Communist China. In accepting the award, Yao had the audacity to call himself a “migrant worker” (BBC), which may come as a surprise to the millions of actual migrant workers “who come by the millions to China's large cities to work long hours on construction sites for less than $5 a day” (Washington Post).
HK legal community protests Communist interference: Communist China’s decision to impose its judgment on Hong Kong regarding the tenure of acting Chief Executive Donald Tsang – and the city’s willingness to give up its autonomy – sparked a silent protest from “people associated with the law or law school students” (Epoch Times). Pro-democracy politicians in Hong Kong wanted the issue resolved by the city’s judiciary, rather than the cadres; one country, one-and-a-half systems rolls on.
On CNN’s “Eye on China” Column series: Among the better columns were Joe Havely’s pieces on the disastrous ecology and, oddly enough, occupied East Turkestan, even though he never talks to anyone from its government-in-exile. Geoff Hiscock’s piece on the Communist economy starts poorly but finishes well. Not quite so good are Kristie LuStout’s column on Communist China’s internet generation, Havely’s piece on the cadres’ global ambitions, and his column on their space program. The worst three are Grant Holloway’s Olympic piece (no mention of the fury this has raised in the human rights community), and Havely’s column on Shanghai (silent on the role its favorite son, Jiang Zemin, may have played in its rise).
On the resignations from the CCP: Among those who attended Saturday’s rally commemorating the one million resignations inspired by the Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party from the Chinese Communist Party was Han Xiang, an exile whose family suffered horrendously in Communist China. He told an unnamed Epoch Times reporter of his family’s travails, and why he felt he needed to be there. Steve Ispas, a Romanian-born Californian, publicly declared in a letter to the Epoch Times his “renunciation” of his Ceaucescu-ordered membership in young Communist groups.
Other Commentary on Communist China: Tom Donnelly, Daily Standard, notes the cadres’ use of nationalism to promote their regime, and what it could mean for the U.S., Japan, and Taiwan. Victor Davis Hanson (National Review Online), listing America’s friend and enemies, notes Japan’s appreciation for the U.S., especially in light of Communist China. Meanwhile, Dennis Boyles, also in NRO (item five) examines France’s willingness to suck up to the Communists, and predicts more of the same.
Thursday, April 28, 2005
News of the Day (April 28)
Lien Chan comes to Beijing: Lien Chan – Taiwan’s Nationalist Party leader and defeated presidential candidate – brought his “journey of peace” to Beijing (BBC) and was warmly praised by Chen Yunlin, Communist China’s Minister of Taiwan Affairs. The United States inexplicably praised Lien’s trip, but also called on the Communists to stop giving the cold shoulder to President Chen Shui-bian, the man actually elected by the people of the island democracy as their leader. In fact, Chen defeated Lien in last year’s election due in large part to Lien’s record of cozying up to Communist China.
Commentary on Lien’s trip: Dan Blumenthal and Gary Schmitt, of the Project for the New American Century (reprinted from the Asian Wall Street Journal), ripped the Nationalists for letting Lien make his trip to Communist China and called on their younger members to “lead their party into a position of responsibility and leadership on national security and defense matters.”
Communist doctors operate on mentally disabled patients without their consent: Two mentally disabled patients “were sent to the hospital to have their cervixes removed” (Epoch Times) without their consent. The Nantong Nursing Home sent the girls to have the operations because they “started menstruating and it’s a hassle to take care of them” (how kind). A whistleblower doctor revealed the outrage; her fate is unknown.
On jailed dissident Yang Jianli: Communist China arrested Yang Jianli three years ago after he re-entered Communist China from exile in the United States (seventh item) to help labor dissidents. He has been repeatedly tortured in prison, suffered a stroke, and is rapidly deteriorating, but the Communists refuse to give him medical parole. Rachel DiCarlo, Daily Standard, has the latest on this outrage.
On the one million resignations from the CCP: Among the many speakers at Saturday’s rally commemorating the one million resignations from the Chinese Communist Party were John Patrick of the China Support Network. Meanwhile, Suman Srinivasan, Epoch Times, was so moved by the resignation-inspired Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party that he “felt shame because I had once regarded Communism as correct and as a hope for humanity.”
Commentary on Lien’s trip: Dan Blumenthal and Gary Schmitt, of the Project for the New American Century (reprinted from the Asian Wall Street Journal), ripped the Nationalists for letting Lien make his trip to Communist China and called on their younger members to “lead their party into a position of responsibility and leadership on national security and defense matters.”
Communist doctors operate on mentally disabled patients without their consent: Two mentally disabled patients “were sent to the hospital to have their cervixes removed” (Epoch Times) without their consent. The Nantong Nursing Home sent the girls to have the operations because they “started menstruating and it’s a hassle to take care of them” (how kind). A whistleblower doctor revealed the outrage; her fate is unknown.
On jailed dissident Yang Jianli: Communist China arrested Yang Jianli three years ago after he re-entered Communist China from exile in the United States (seventh item) to help labor dissidents. He has been repeatedly tortured in prison, suffered a stroke, and is rapidly deteriorating, but the Communists refuse to give him medical parole. Rachel DiCarlo, Daily Standard, has the latest on this outrage.
On the one million resignations from the CCP: Among the many speakers at Saturday’s rally commemorating the one million resignations from the Chinese Communist Party were John Patrick of the China Support Network. Meanwhile, Suman Srinivasan, Epoch Times, was so moved by the resignation-inspired Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party that he “felt shame because I had once regarded Communism as correct and as a hope for humanity.”
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
News of the Day (April 27)
Lien Chan ripped by Taiwan’s Foreign Minister and its ex-President: As Nationalist Party leader and defeated presidential candidate Lien Chan continued his “journey of peace” in Communist China, former President Lee Teng-hui – known as “Mr. Democracy” in Taiwan – blasted the trip and accused Lien of “jeopardizing national security by cozying up to Beijing” (Cybercast News). Lee, who left the Nationalists and is now an ally of President Chen Shui-bian, was joined in his criticism by Foreign Minister Tan Sun Chen, who “compared Lien's trip with visits to North Vietnam by U.S. lawmakers during the Vietnam War.” Chen defeated Lien in last year’s presidential elections due in large part to Lien’s record of said cozying.
Taiwan study reveals Communist ecological mess: Meanwhile, a survey by Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council on Communist China’s ecology found its “air and drinking water are severely polluted, and its ecosystem is out of balance” (Epoch Times).
Australian union official rips “free trade” with Communist China: Australian Manufacturing Workers Union Secretary Doug Cameron took aim at a proposed free trade agreement between his country and Communist China, noting the deliberately devalued Communist currency and the fact that “Workers are thrown in jail for actually complaining against the conditions in China” (Epoch Times).
Hu signs deals with the Philippines: Meanwhile, Philippine President Gloria Arroyo “signed trade and investment deals worth more than $1.5bn” (BBC) with Hu Jintao. The deals involved mining, oil, and infrastructure. Clearly, she needs to talk to Mr. Cameron.
Falun Gong founder insist his group is not political: Li Hongzhi, founder of the Falun Gong spiritual movement, denied Communist charges that Falun Gong is a “reactionary political organization.” Li did speak in favor of the Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party, but only “to clarify the truth” (Epoch Times) about the Party.
Cadre promises safer mines, again: On the heels of more mining accidents and deaths, Communist Vice Premier Huang Ju insisted, “ensuring safe production in coal mines is a top priority of the country” (United Press Int’l via Washington Times). Never mind the fact that the biggest obstacles to mine safety are Communist-caused: the lack of independent unions and mine owners who just happen to be safety inspectors (fifth item).
Cadres tell HK chief he has two years, not five: A dispute on the interpretation of Hong Kong’s Basic Law has been resolved by Zhongnanhai fiat. Communist China decreed that Donald Tsang, chosen by a Communist-appointed panel to replace Tung Chee-hwa as the city’s leader, can only serve two years because Tung resigned early. Pro-democracy politicians in Hong Kong wanted the issue resolved by the city’s judiciary, rather than the cadres; one country, one-and-a-half systems rolls on (BBC).
One million resignations get National Review Online’s attention: Jay Nordlinger, one of the better columnists on Communist China National Review Online (ninth item), notes the one million resignations from the Chinese Communist Party and the rally in New York commemorating the milestone. The Epoch Times reprinted three more speeches from the rally, including Xu Shuiliang, Ann Noonan (Loagai Research Foundation), and yours truly (whose remarks were read in absentia).
Ah, the United Nations Human Rights Commission: In an attempt to show the members of the UN Human Rights Commission the torture methods Communist China uses against Christians, Bob Fu, president of the China Aid Association, demonstrated the use of an electric baton. The Communists claimed Fu “made them feel threatened” (Jason Lee Steorts, National Review Online), and convinced the Commission chairman to expel him, take away his U.N. badge, and seize the baton.
On France and Communist China: The editors of the Washington Times give France a well-deserved dressing down for inanely supporting the cadres’ “anti-secession” law and continuing to try to lift the European Union arms embargo against Communist China.
A bad column on trade with Communist China comes courtesy of Daniel Ikenson, CATO Institute. Ikenson insists any attempt to correct Communist China’s currency devaluation – by talks or tariffs – “would be unlikely to have a meaningful impact on trade” (Fox News). However, he refuses to even discuss the national security implications of sending over $160 billion a year to the cadres.
Another bad column, this one on Stalinist North Korea, comes courtesy of Jude Wanniski (Wanniski.com). Wanniski insists the U.S. open bilateral talks with the Stalinists, assuming – without have the gumption to say so – that Kim Jong-il can be trusted. He even swallows SNK’s attempt to erase its 2002 boast to developing uranium-based nuclear weapons, and he has no time for liberation. Will they never learn?
Taiwan study reveals Communist ecological mess: Meanwhile, a survey by Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council on Communist China’s ecology found its “air and drinking water are severely polluted, and its ecosystem is out of balance” (Epoch Times).
Australian union official rips “free trade” with Communist China: Australian Manufacturing Workers Union Secretary Doug Cameron took aim at a proposed free trade agreement between his country and Communist China, noting the deliberately devalued Communist currency and the fact that “Workers are thrown in jail for actually complaining against the conditions in China” (Epoch Times).
Hu signs deals with the Philippines: Meanwhile, Philippine President Gloria Arroyo “signed trade and investment deals worth more than $1.5bn” (BBC) with Hu Jintao. The deals involved mining, oil, and infrastructure. Clearly, she needs to talk to Mr. Cameron.
Falun Gong founder insist his group is not political: Li Hongzhi, founder of the Falun Gong spiritual movement, denied Communist charges that Falun Gong is a “reactionary political organization.” Li did speak in favor of the Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party, but only “to clarify the truth” (Epoch Times) about the Party.
Cadre promises safer mines, again: On the heels of more mining accidents and deaths, Communist Vice Premier Huang Ju insisted, “ensuring safe production in coal mines is a top priority of the country” (United Press Int’l via Washington Times). Never mind the fact that the biggest obstacles to mine safety are Communist-caused: the lack of independent unions and mine owners who just happen to be safety inspectors (fifth item).
Cadres tell HK chief he has two years, not five: A dispute on the interpretation of Hong Kong’s Basic Law has been resolved by Zhongnanhai fiat. Communist China decreed that Donald Tsang, chosen by a Communist-appointed panel to replace Tung Chee-hwa as the city’s leader, can only serve two years because Tung resigned early. Pro-democracy politicians in Hong Kong wanted the issue resolved by the city’s judiciary, rather than the cadres; one country, one-and-a-half systems rolls on (BBC).
One million resignations get National Review Online’s attention: Jay Nordlinger, one of the better columnists on Communist China National Review Online (ninth item), notes the one million resignations from the Chinese Communist Party and the rally in New York commemorating the milestone. The Epoch Times reprinted three more speeches from the rally, including Xu Shuiliang, Ann Noonan (Loagai Research Foundation), and yours truly (whose remarks were read in absentia).
Ah, the United Nations Human Rights Commission: In an attempt to show the members of the UN Human Rights Commission the torture methods Communist China uses against Christians, Bob Fu, president of the China Aid Association, demonstrated the use of an electric baton. The Communists claimed Fu “made them feel threatened” (Jason Lee Steorts, National Review Online), and convinced the Commission chairman to expel him, take away his U.N. badge, and seize the baton.
On France and Communist China: The editors of the Washington Times give France a well-deserved dressing down for inanely supporting the cadres’ “anti-secession” law and continuing to try to lift the European Union arms embargo against Communist China.
A bad column on trade with Communist China comes courtesy of Daniel Ikenson, CATO Institute. Ikenson insists any attempt to correct Communist China’s currency devaluation – by talks or tariffs – “would be unlikely to have a meaningful impact on trade” (Fox News). However, he refuses to even discuss the national security implications of sending over $160 billion a year to the cadres.
Another bad column, this one on Stalinist North Korea, comes courtesy of Jude Wanniski (Wanniski.com). Wanniski insists the U.S. open bilateral talks with the Stalinists, assuming – without have the gumption to say so – that Kim Jong-il can be trusted. He even swallows SNK’s attempt to erase its 2002 boast to developing uranium-based nuclear weapons, and he has no time for liberation. Will they never learn?
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
News of the Day (April 26)
Taiwan’s opposition leader visits Communist China, and gets ripped at home: The leader of Taiwan’s largest opposition party – Nationalist Lien Chan – has begun his four-day visit to Communist China . Lien, who brought “senior officials from the Nationalist, or Kuomintang, party, and by more than 100 reporters” (BBC), will hold talks with Hu Jintao on Friday. As Nationalist leader Lien has been cozying up to Communist China for years, while President Chen Shui-bian, who defeated Lien in two elections in five years (BBC), has maintained a firm anti-Communist stance. Lien’s running mate from last year: People First leader James Soong, who “has also accepted an invitation to visit the mainland, and is expected to travel to China next month.” Taiwan’s newspapers largely split on Lien’s trip, depending on whether the paper leans in favor of Lien and Soong (“pan-blue”) or Chen (“pan-green”). Communist papers were, of course, ecstatic (BBC). Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Mark Stokes (retired), formerly a leading Pentagon official on Communist China and now a defense consultant in Taiwan, lamented the balance of power across the Taiwan straits – which is increasingly turning in the Communists favor. He also ripped Lien and his fellow Nationalists, who have blocked Chen’s attempts to win legislative approval for a major arms purchase and thus have “sacrificed long-term interests for short-term political gains” (Bill Gertz, Washington Times).
Communists arrest anti-Japan protestors – in Shanghai: Long after the windows of the Japanese Embassy were broken, Communist China decided to arrest 16 protestors. However, the arrests were not in Beijing, but Shanghai (Washington Post). As for the excuse the Communists used to start the riots – a textbook used by less than 1% of Japanese schools (fifth item) – the BBC’s Rupert Wingfield-Hayes has a powerful response: “Unlike Japan, in China the government really does control history.” Meanwhile, at least one Japanese firm in Communist China chose profits and “docile young workers” (Washington Post) over national security and helped the cadres squelch a strike that demanded an independent labor union – which is illegal in Communist China.
U.S. point man on SNK talks in Communist China: Christopher Hill, the lead U.S. negotiator on Stalinist North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, “is currently in Beijing for talks with Chinese officials on the latest efforts to persuade North Korea to return to the negotiating table” (BBC) for more talks on its nuclear arsenal. Hill ripped the Stalinists for “stalling” (Voice of America via Epoch Times) on the talks. Before trying to enlist the Communists’ aid regarding SNK (Will they never learn?), Hill met with South Korea’s dovish President Roh Moo-hyun (Cybercast News). As for the talks themselves – which include North and South Korea, Japan, Communist China, Russia, and the United States – past history shows restarting them is far from the optimal solution.
Sudan’s best friend in the UN – Communist China: As Sudan slaughters the residents of Darfur province, Communist China is pouring billions into the Islamic regime’s oil fields, and shielding it from any United Nation condemnation (Washington Times).
Australia skittish on East Asian “non-aggression” pact: The non-aggression pact Communist China and other members of the upcoming East Asian Summit are demanding Australia sign (fourth item) is giving the democracy pause, largely due to “its close political and military alliance with the United States” (Cybercast News).
On the Falun Gong War: Stephen Gregory, U.S. editor of the Epoch Times, marks the sixth anniversary (yesterday) of the spiritual movement’s protest in Beijing. The Communists banned the movement three months afterwards, beginning a brutal and deadly crackdown against its practitioners.
On the one million resignations and the Nine Commentaries: He Qinglian talks to Lu Qingshuang (Epoch Times) on the one million resignations from the Chinese Communist Party. The Epoch Times also has the speech of Zeng Zhen of the Global Coalition to Bring Jiang to Justice at the million resignation rally in New York last weekend, and the stories behind some of the million ex-cadres.
On Stalinist North Korea’s “strategic purpose”: Jong-Heon Lee adds another column long on words and short on actual substance – this time on the “strategic purpose” (United Press International via Washington Times) of the Stalinists’ nuclear ambitions. As usual, liberating northern Korea is not even discussed. Will they never learn?
Communists arrest anti-Japan protestors – in Shanghai: Long after the windows of the Japanese Embassy were broken, Communist China decided to arrest 16 protestors. However, the arrests were not in Beijing, but Shanghai (Washington Post). As for the excuse the Communists used to start the riots – a textbook used by less than 1% of Japanese schools (fifth item) – the BBC’s Rupert Wingfield-Hayes has a powerful response: “Unlike Japan, in China the government really does control history.” Meanwhile, at least one Japanese firm in Communist China chose profits and “docile young workers” (Washington Post) over national security and helped the cadres squelch a strike that demanded an independent labor union – which is illegal in Communist China.
U.S. point man on SNK talks in Communist China: Christopher Hill, the lead U.S. negotiator on Stalinist North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, “is currently in Beijing for talks with Chinese officials on the latest efforts to persuade North Korea to return to the negotiating table” (BBC) for more talks on its nuclear arsenal. Hill ripped the Stalinists for “stalling” (Voice of America via Epoch Times) on the talks. Before trying to enlist the Communists’ aid regarding SNK (Will they never learn?), Hill met with South Korea’s dovish President Roh Moo-hyun (Cybercast News). As for the talks themselves – which include North and South Korea, Japan, Communist China, Russia, and the United States – past history shows restarting them is far from the optimal solution.
Sudan’s best friend in the UN – Communist China: As Sudan slaughters the residents of Darfur province, Communist China is pouring billions into the Islamic regime’s oil fields, and shielding it from any United Nation condemnation (Washington Times).
Australia skittish on East Asian “non-aggression” pact: The non-aggression pact Communist China and other members of the upcoming East Asian Summit are demanding Australia sign (fourth item) is giving the democracy pause, largely due to “its close political and military alliance with the United States” (Cybercast News).
On the Falun Gong War: Stephen Gregory, U.S. editor of the Epoch Times, marks the sixth anniversary (yesterday) of the spiritual movement’s protest in Beijing. The Communists banned the movement three months afterwards, beginning a brutal and deadly crackdown against its practitioners.
On the one million resignations and the Nine Commentaries: He Qinglian talks to Lu Qingshuang (Epoch Times) on the one million resignations from the Chinese Communist Party. The Epoch Times also has the speech of Zeng Zhen of the Global Coalition to Bring Jiang to Justice at the million resignation rally in New York last weekend, and the stories behind some of the million ex-cadres.
On Stalinist North Korea’s “strategic purpose”: Jong-Heon Lee adds another column long on words and short on actual substance – this time on the “strategic purpose” (United Press International via Washington Times) of the Stalinists’ nuclear ambitions. As usual, liberating northern Korea is not even discussed. Will they never learn?
Monday, April 25, 2005
News of the Day (April 25)
One million resignations commemorated amid Nine Commentaries crackdown: Communist China decided ignoring the Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party – and the one million Party resignations it spawned – was not working, and have moved to crackdown on the seminal dissident publication: “anyone found with a copy of the ‘Nine Commentaries’ would be sentenced to a four-year jail term.” The cadres also deemed Falun Gong a “reactionary political organization,” on the assumption practitioners “participated in the publication and distribution” of the Commentaries. Falun Gong has already suffered a nearly six-year-long persecution by the Communists. As this news hit the wires, a rally in New York City in honor of the one million resignations was held, with several dissidents from inside Communist China offering their support (all links, save the Commentaries, via Epoch Times, which also included an explanation as to how the resignations were collected and counted).
Surprise! Hu Jintao is a hard-liner: Phillip Pan, Washington Post (via MSNBC), has an excellent column on the repressive regime of Hu Jintao. The man “engagement” supporters foolishly called a “reformer” is so tyrannical that one economist actually said this: “Looking back at the policies of Jiang Zemin now, it wasn't so bad (emphasis added). . . We survived for 10 years under Jiang, but with Hu Jintao the authorities are trying to shut us down.” Say it with me: once a Communist, always a Communist.
Koizumi meets Hu and gets a lecture: Speaking of Hu Jintao, he met with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi for talks on the textbook-riots dispute. Koizumi was hoping to ease tensions (Cybercast News); instead, Hu chose to demand Japan “seriously reflect” (MSNBC) on its past and “never do anything again that would hurt the feelings of the Chinese people” (BBC) – such words from Hu compel yours truly to remind the good readership of the Hanyuan County Massacre. Japan, meanwhile, is turning the tables on the Communists with plans to “scrutinize Chinese textbooks for anti-Japanese passages” (Washington Post) and other “extreme” airbrushes of Communist history.
Commentary on the dispute: The Asian press largely placed the blame on Japan for the brouhaha (BBC, note the Taiwanese paper cited, China Post, leans to the Communist-friendly “pan-blue” opposition), while Time Asia has two less-than-stellar pieces. Jim Frederick has an informative but biased piece on the rising anti-Communism in Japan. Anne Wu’s column is far worse; she calls for Zhongnanhai and Tokyo to look past their differences and “break the deadlock” on Stalinist North Korea. Will they never learn?
European Union wants Communist China to curtail textile exports: European Union Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson is now in Hong Kong in “efforts to get China to limit textile exports” (BBC). Mandelson also “launched an EU probe into nine categories of Chinese textile exports” (BBC). All of this comes amid concern about Communist China’s textile exports to the EU from officials in Luxembourg and, get this, France.
More commentary on Communist China: The Washington Post scored another hit on Communist China, this time from its editorial page, in which Hu Jintao’s notion of his regime’s “peaceful rise” in the world is ripped as a dishonest cover for “dangerous and irresponsible” moves on the world scene – although the notion that the cadres will ever recognize and learn from a string of mistakes” was a sour note. The Post’s editors also show their geopolitical acumen while criticizing the Bush Administration for slapping tariffs on India shrimpers, “complicating the Bush team's efforts to get India's help in handling a rising China.” Also on that “rise,” Eric Baculinao, whose MSNBC pieces usually rankle, does pretty well in documenting Communist China’s alarming influence in Africa and Latin America, and even reports one admission from a Beijing professor: “Of course one goal of Chinese diplomacy is to raise China’s international influence and prestige and in the process check the excessive influence of the United States.” Henry Blodget, Newsweek (via MSNBC), sounds the alarm on Communist China’s money holes – ahem, stock markets. Jorn Madslien, BBC, examines the state and plans of a major Communist-run automaker: the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation.
Stalinists may conduct nuclear test as U.S. ponders UN (in-)action: According to American officials anonymously cited by Bill Gertz (Washington Times), Stalinist North Korea “may be preparing to conduct its first nuclear test in the near future.” In response, South Korea “warned North Korea not to conduct a nuclear test” (BBC), while the U.S. is trying to coax Communist China into moving SNK away from then idea (Will they never learn?). The Stalinists, for their part, repeated their assertion that they would “bolster” (International Herald Tribune) their nuclear arsenal. Meanwhile, the U.S. is “debating a plan to seek a United Nations resolution empowering all nations to intercept shipments in or out of” SNK (New York Times). The naïveté behind this idea is breathtaking: “the main purpose would be to give China political cover to police its border with North Korea . . . now largely open for shipments of arms, drugs and counterfeit currencies, North Korea's main source of hard currency.” Will they never learn?
Japanese take to the streets to denounce Stalinist abductions: Roughly 6,000 Japanese demonstrated for “sanctions against North Korea over its abduction of Japanese people more than 20 years ago” (BBC). SNK admitted to thirteen abductions between 1978 and 1983; five of the victims are now home. The Stalinists insist the eight others are dead, despite a lack of evidence and many facts pointing to the contrary.
Talks between South Korea and SNK back on: A bilateral dialogues between Stalinist North Korea and democratic South Korea is back on after talks between South Korean Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan and Kim Yong-nam, head of the Stalinist “parliament.” Progress on actual issues was absent. Report: BBC
Pro-Stalinist “community group” can keep tax breaks in Kumamoto: The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan will not lose tax breaks given by the city of Kumamoto despite its “pro-Pyongyang” stand (Washington Times, third item). Relatives of the aforementioned abduction victims wanted the tax breaks pulled. Cities with more clear-eyed politicians, such as Governor Shintaro Ishihara of Tokyo, have chosen not extend such tax breaks to Stalinist organizations in Japan (eleventh item).
Surprise! Hu Jintao is a hard-liner: Phillip Pan, Washington Post (via MSNBC), has an excellent column on the repressive regime of Hu Jintao. The man “engagement” supporters foolishly called a “reformer” is so tyrannical that one economist actually said this: “Looking back at the policies of Jiang Zemin now, it wasn't so bad (emphasis added). . . We survived for 10 years under Jiang, but with Hu Jintao the authorities are trying to shut us down.” Say it with me: once a Communist, always a Communist.
Koizumi meets Hu and gets a lecture: Speaking of Hu Jintao, he met with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi for talks on the textbook-riots dispute. Koizumi was hoping to ease tensions (Cybercast News); instead, Hu chose to demand Japan “seriously reflect” (MSNBC) on its past and “never do anything again that would hurt the feelings of the Chinese people” (BBC) – such words from Hu compel yours truly to remind the good readership of the Hanyuan County Massacre. Japan, meanwhile, is turning the tables on the Communists with plans to “scrutinize Chinese textbooks for anti-Japanese passages” (Washington Post) and other “extreme” airbrushes of Communist history.
Commentary on the dispute: The Asian press largely placed the blame on Japan for the brouhaha (BBC, note the Taiwanese paper cited, China Post, leans to the Communist-friendly “pan-blue” opposition), while Time Asia has two less-than-stellar pieces. Jim Frederick has an informative but biased piece on the rising anti-Communism in Japan. Anne Wu’s column is far worse; she calls for Zhongnanhai and Tokyo to look past their differences and “break the deadlock” on Stalinist North Korea. Will they never learn?
European Union wants Communist China to curtail textile exports: European Union Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson is now in Hong Kong in “efforts to get China to limit textile exports” (BBC). Mandelson also “launched an EU probe into nine categories of Chinese textile exports” (BBC). All of this comes amid concern about Communist China’s textile exports to the EU from officials in Luxembourg and, get this, France.
More commentary on Communist China: The Washington Post scored another hit on Communist China, this time from its editorial page, in which Hu Jintao’s notion of his regime’s “peaceful rise” in the world is ripped as a dishonest cover for “dangerous and irresponsible” moves on the world scene – although the notion that the cadres will ever recognize and learn from a string of mistakes” was a sour note. The Post’s editors also show their geopolitical acumen while criticizing the Bush Administration for slapping tariffs on India shrimpers, “complicating the Bush team's efforts to get India's help in handling a rising China.” Also on that “rise,” Eric Baculinao, whose MSNBC pieces usually rankle, does pretty well in documenting Communist China’s alarming influence in Africa and Latin America, and even reports one admission from a Beijing professor: “Of course one goal of Chinese diplomacy is to raise China’s international influence and prestige and in the process check the excessive influence of the United States.” Henry Blodget, Newsweek (via MSNBC), sounds the alarm on Communist China’s money holes – ahem, stock markets. Jorn Madslien, BBC, examines the state and plans of a major Communist-run automaker: the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation.
Stalinists may conduct nuclear test as U.S. ponders UN (in-)action: According to American officials anonymously cited by Bill Gertz (Washington Times), Stalinist North Korea “may be preparing to conduct its first nuclear test in the near future.” In response, South Korea “warned North Korea not to conduct a nuclear test” (BBC), while the U.S. is trying to coax Communist China into moving SNK away from then idea (Will they never learn?). The Stalinists, for their part, repeated their assertion that they would “bolster” (International Herald Tribune) their nuclear arsenal. Meanwhile, the U.S. is “debating a plan to seek a United Nations resolution empowering all nations to intercept shipments in or out of” SNK (New York Times). The naïveté behind this idea is breathtaking: “the main purpose would be to give China political cover to police its border with North Korea . . . now largely open for shipments of arms, drugs and counterfeit currencies, North Korea's main source of hard currency.” Will they never learn?
Japanese take to the streets to denounce Stalinist abductions: Roughly 6,000 Japanese demonstrated for “sanctions against North Korea over its abduction of Japanese people more than 20 years ago” (BBC). SNK admitted to thirteen abductions between 1978 and 1983; five of the victims are now home. The Stalinists insist the eight others are dead, despite a lack of evidence and many facts pointing to the contrary.
Talks between South Korea and SNK back on: A bilateral dialogues between Stalinist North Korea and democratic South Korea is back on after talks between South Korean Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan and Kim Yong-nam, head of the Stalinist “parliament.” Progress on actual issues was absent. Report: BBC
Pro-Stalinist “community group” can keep tax breaks in Kumamoto: The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan will not lose tax breaks given by the city of Kumamoto despite its “pro-Pyongyang” stand (Washington Times, third item). Relatives of the aforementioned abduction victims wanted the tax breaks pulled. Cities with more clear-eyed politicians, such as Governor Shintaro Ishihara of Tokyo, have chosen not extend such tax breaks to Stalinist organizations in Japan (eleventh item).
Friday, April 22, 2005
News of the Day (April 22)
Raffarin OK with “anti-secession” law: Fresh off his insistence that France would continue to try to lift the European Union arms embargo on Communist China, French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin “said France had no objection to China's anti-secession law” (BBC) aimed at Taiwan. He also ripped the embargo again.
Paal on his way out? Sources tell the Washington Times (last item) that Douglas Paal, the less than ideal de facto ambassador to Taiwan (second item), is on his way out, to be replaced by Stephen Young, currently the ambassador to Kyrgyzstan.
Koizumi apologizes for war atrocities, wants to meet Hu Jintao: Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi expressed “deep remorse” (BBC) for the “tremendous damage and suffering to the people of many countries, particularly to those of Asian nations” (Cybercast News) caused by Japan during World War II. He also expressed hope that he would meet Communist leader Hu Jintao tomorrow, but the Communists have said nothing about the possible summit.
Communist China looking at building Rovers: After turning down a de facto buyout of MG Rover, the Communist-owned Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, which now owns the right to make Rovers, “has approached suppliers about making Rover cars” (London Telegraph). Meanwhile, no one has bothered to ask Prime Minister Tony Blair, in the middle of election campaign no less, why he pinned his hopes on Communist China to save Rover now that it is moving in to wholly replace it.
Yao Ming nominated for Communist Party award: Yao Ming, center for the Houston Rockets, “has been nominated for a special Communist Party award” (BBC) for being what Shanghai cadres called “a perfect image ambassador for China in the eyes of the world,” i.e., he has said nothing about the cruelty of the Chinese Communist Party.
Resignations pass one million: Over one million people have resigned from the Chinese Communist Party in wake of the Nine Commentaries. Among the ex-cadres now include 63 medical professionals who quit in a joint statement and Cao Bingyan, a Communist military veteran and Party member for 50 years. The Epoch Times, which ran the above links, talked to pro-democracy activist Wang Juntao about the future of the CCP.
Petitioners crash gates to cadres: The Letters and Calls Bureau of the General Office of the State Council and the Letters and Calls Office of the National People's Congress are in the same building, guarded by the same gate. That gate came crashing down under the weight of 10,000 appellants – citizens petitioning Beijing for grievances against lower-level cadres. The petitions are almost always ignored. Report: Epoch Times
On “harming relations with China”: In a piece on U.S.-Russia relations, Washington Times columnist Harlan Ullman asserts that “harming relations with China must be avoided.” Should we ignore the threats against Taiwan and aid for terrorists, Harlan?
On the Vatican, Communist China and Stalinist North Korea: Frank Ching, of the Jamestown Foundation (via Epoch Times) examines the possibilities of an agreement between the Vatican and Communist China, which would involve throwing Taiwan under the geopolitical bus. Meanwhile, Korean Catholics hope that Benedict XVI’s experience under the Nazis will lead to a greater focus on the horrors of SNK (Cybercast News).
On South Korea and the Stalinist North: Jong-Heon Lee, United Press International via Washington Times, examines the efforts of South Korea’s dovish government to restart the largely unsuccessful talks on Stalinist North Korea’s nuclear weapons.
Paal on his way out? Sources tell the Washington Times (last item) that Douglas Paal, the less than ideal de facto ambassador to Taiwan (second item), is on his way out, to be replaced by Stephen Young, currently the ambassador to Kyrgyzstan.
Koizumi apologizes for war atrocities, wants to meet Hu Jintao: Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi expressed “deep remorse” (BBC) for the “tremendous damage and suffering to the people of many countries, particularly to those of Asian nations” (Cybercast News) caused by Japan during World War II. He also expressed hope that he would meet Communist leader Hu Jintao tomorrow, but the Communists have said nothing about the possible summit.
Communist China looking at building Rovers: After turning down a de facto buyout of MG Rover, the Communist-owned Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, which now owns the right to make Rovers, “has approached suppliers about making Rover cars” (London Telegraph). Meanwhile, no one has bothered to ask Prime Minister Tony Blair, in the middle of election campaign no less, why he pinned his hopes on Communist China to save Rover now that it is moving in to wholly replace it.
Yao Ming nominated for Communist Party award: Yao Ming, center for the Houston Rockets, “has been nominated for a special Communist Party award” (BBC) for being what Shanghai cadres called “a perfect image ambassador for China in the eyes of the world,” i.e., he has said nothing about the cruelty of the Chinese Communist Party.
Resignations pass one million: Over one million people have resigned from the Chinese Communist Party in wake of the Nine Commentaries. Among the ex-cadres now include 63 medical professionals who quit in a joint statement and Cao Bingyan, a Communist military veteran and Party member for 50 years. The Epoch Times, which ran the above links, talked to pro-democracy activist Wang Juntao about the future of the CCP.
Petitioners crash gates to cadres: The Letters and Calls Bureau of the General Office of the State Council and the Letters and Calls Office of the National People's Congress are in the same building, guarded by the same gate. That gate came crashing down under the weight of 10,000 appellants – citizens petitioning Beijing for grievances against lower-level cadres. The petitions are almost always ignored. Report: Epoch Times
On “harming relations with China”: In a piece on U.S.-Russia relations, Washington Times columnist Harlan Ullman asserts that “harming relations with China must be avoided.” Should we ignore the threats against Taiwan and aid for terrorists, Harlan?
On the Vatican, Communist China and Stalinist North Korea: Frank Ching, of the Jamestown Foundation (via Epoch Times) examines the possibilities of an agreement between the Vatican and Communist China, which would involve throwing Taiwan under the geopolitical bus. Meanwhile, Korean Catholics hope that Benedict XVI’s experience under the Nazis will lead to a greater focus on the horrors of SNK (Cybercast News).
On South Korea and the Stalinist North: Jong-Heon Lee, United Press International via Washington Times, examines the efforts of South Korea’s dovish government to restart the largely unsuccessful talks on Stalinist North Korea’s nuclear weapons.
Thursday, April 21, 2005
News of the Day (April 21)
France still trying to get EU arms embargo lifted: French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin insisted his government would continue its ill-fated effort to lift the European Union arms embargo against Communist China. Raffarin did not go into detail on how he would change the minds of those in favor of keeping the embargo, which include at least Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and the Czech Republic. Report: Cybercast News
NTDTV thanks supporters; Colorado State Senate backs network: As New tang Dynasty Television thanked those who pushed Eutelsat to temporarily extend its signal into Communist China (sixth item, Epoch Times), the dissident Chinese network received another boost – support from the Colorado State Senate (Epoch Times).
Former Communist Chinese Olympian quits the CCP: Huang Xiaomin, a silver medalist swimmer for Communist China in the 1988 Olympic Games, has joined the ranks of former Communists (Epoch Times). In response, the Communists threatened her sister, banned her from returning home (she is coaching South Korea National Swim Team). Also “resigning” from the Party is democracy activist Li Guotao – the Party booted him for his pro-democracy work over a decade ago (Epoch Times).
IMF questions Communist monetary policies: The International Monetary Fund “urged the Chinese government to ‘tighten monetary policy’ in order to control inflationary pressure and call for ‘greater exchange rate flexibility’” (Epoch Times).
On the Japan-Communist China dispute: Several more columns on the spat between Japan and Communist China hit the web, including one from yours truly in the Epoch Times pointing at the Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party as the real reason for the riots. Masha Loftus, also in the Epoch Times, agrees, and notes a number of other underlying problems the Communists are trying to avoid. Jim Hoagland, Washington Post, also sees Communist ambition for future geopolitical power, although his advice to “caution China” is very weak. George Washington University Professor Mike Mochizuki and Brookings Institution senior fellow Michael O'Hanlon are far worse in their Washington Times column, although my opinion may be colored by the slight at unnamed Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara (third item, ninth item, twelfth item).
Other Commentary on Communist China: Gong Ping, Epoch Times, discusses the impact of the Nine Commentaries. Douglas Brown, of The Nathan Hale Institute, details Russia’s growing ties to Communist China in Newsmax. Roy Clancy, Calgary Sun, visits Taiwan and examines the Communist military buildup against the island republic.
UN envoy to SNK steps aside amid probe: Maurice Strong, the United Nations special envoy to Stalinist North Korea, “decided Wednesday to step aside until U.N.-appointed investigators and federal prosecutors finish examining his financial ties to a South Korean lobbyist accused of trying to bribe U.N. officials” (Washington Post). Said lobbyist, Tongsun Park, is under indictment for being an unregistered agent of Saddam Hussein. Strong “acknowledged Monday that Park had invested money in a business he was ‘associated with’ in 1997 and later advised him on his dealings with Pyongyang” (see also last item). SNK sold missile technology to Saddam for $10 million (second item).
South Korea gives no statement on possible Security Council action on SNK: South Korea’s dovish government gave no opinion on the possibility of taking the Stalinists’ intransigence on its nuclear weapons to the United Nations Security Council, but a high-ranking member of President Roh Moo-hyun’s Uri party opposed it (Cybercast News). While it would say quite a bit about the Uri Party, the issue means little in real terms given that Communist China would certainly veto any move against its Stalinist allies.
Bolton criticized for telling the truth about SNK: Thomas Hubbard, ex-ambassador to South Korea, is telling the Senate Foreign Relations Committee “he had asked the undersecretary to tone down his comments about Kim Jong Il” (Newsweek) in a speech Bolton gave in 2003 (fourth item). Bolton stuck to the truth about the Stalinist-in-chief.
NTDTV thanks supporters; Colorado State Senate backs network: As New tang Dynasty Television thanked those who pushed Eutelsat to temporarily extend its signal into Communist China (sixth item, Epoch Times), the dissident Chinese network received another boost – support from the Colorado State Senate (Epoch Times).
Former Communist Chinese Olympian quits the CCP: Huang Xiaomin, a silver medalist swimmer for Communist China in the 1988 Olympic Games, has joined the ranks of former Communists (Epoch Times). In response, the Communists threatened her sister, banned her from returning home (she is coaching South Korea National Swim Team). Also “resigning” from the Party is democracy activist Li Guotao – the Party booted him for his pro-democracy work over a decade ago (Epoch Times).
IMF questions Communist monetary policies: The International Monetary Fund “urged the Chinese government to ‘tighten monetary policy’ in order to control inflationary pressure and call for ‘greater exchange rate flexibility’” (Epoch Times).
On the Japan-Communist China dispute: Several more columns on the spat between Japan and Communist China hit the web, including one from yours truly in the Epoch Times pointing at the Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party as the real reason for the riots. Masha Loftus, also in the Epoch Times, agrees, and notes a number of other underlying problems the Communists are trying to avoid. Jim Hoagland, Washington Post, also sees Communist ambition for future geopolitical power, although his advice to “caution China” is very weak. George Washington University Professor Mike Mochizuki and Brookings Institution senior fellow Michael O'Hanlon are far worse in their Washington Times column, although my opinion may be colored by the slight at unnamed Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara (third item, ninth item, twelfth item).
Other Commentary on Communist China: Gong Ping, Epoch Times, discusses the impact of the Nine Commentaries. Douglas Brown, of The Nathan Hale Institute, details Russia’s growing ties to Communist China in Newsmax. Roy Clancy, Calgary Sun, visits Taiwan and examines the Communist military buildup against the island republic.
UN envoy to SNK steps aside amid probe: Maurice Strong, the United Nations special envoy to Stalinist North Korea, “decided Wednesday to step aside until U.N.-appointed investigators and federal prosecutors finish examining his financial ties to a South Korean lobbyist accused of trying to bribe U.N. officials” (Washington Post). Said lobbyist, Tongsun Park, is under indictment for being an unregistered agent of Saddam Hussein. Strong “acknowledged Monday that Park had invested money in a business he was ‘associated with’ in 1997 and later advised him on his dealings with Pyongyang” (see also last item). SNK sold missile technology to Saddam for $10 million (second item).
South Korea gives no statement on possible Security Council action on SNK: South Korea’s dovish government gave no opinion on the possibility of taking the Stalinists’ intransigence on its nuclear weapons to the United Nations Security Council, but a high-ranking member of President Roh Moo-hyun’s Uri party opposed it (Cybercast News). While it would say quite a bit about the Uri Party, the issue means little in real terms given that Communist China would certainly veto any move against its Stalinist allies.
Bolton criticized for telling the truth about SNK: Thomas Hubbard, ex-ambassador to South Korea, is telling the Senate Foreign Relations Committee “he had asked the undersecretary to tone down his comments about Kim Jong Il” (Newsweek) in a speech Bolton gave in 2003 (fourth item). Bolton stuck to the truth about the Stalinist-in-chief.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
News of the Day (April 20)
Taiwan’s top opposition politician to meet Hu Jintao: Lien Chan, leader of Taiwan’s Nationalist Party, “will hold historic talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing next week” (BBC). The only trouble is, the person chosen by the Taiwanese people to speak for them is President Chen Shui-bian, who defeated Lien in last year’s presidential election precisely because of the Nationalists’ recent tilt toward the Chinese Communist Party (sixth item) – including this trip – which has driven millions of anti-Communist Taiwanese to Chen’s Democratic Progressive Party and its ally, former President and former Nationalist Lee Teng-hui’s Taiwan Solidarity Union.
Communist China tells Benedict XVI to cut ties with Taiwan: Communist China congratulated Pope Benedict XVI on his election, but called on him “to break the Holy See's ties to Taiwan, recognize Beijing's claim to the island, and ‘not interfere in internal Chinese affairs’” (Cybercast News). These are the oft-repeated conditions Communist China sights in exchange for diplomatic relations with the Vatican. Communist China maintains its own “patriotic” Catholic Church; 10 to 12 million Catholics remain loyal to the Vatican and worship “underground.”
Pentagon joined push to save NTDTV, but is now getting extorted: The efforts to keep New Tang Dynasty Television on the air in Communist China – so far temporarily successful – were joined by the Pentagon, which “quietly pressured Eutelsat last year to keep NTDTV on the air” (Accuracy in Media via Epoch Times). Sadly, Eutelsat is now using the NTDTV situation to demand the U.S. government buy more bandwith.
Communist China building Henan AIDS prison – errrr, hospital: Communist China claims it is building “a hospital to house AIDS patients” in Henan province, where an unhygienic Communist-run blood-donation scheme infected one million people with AIDS (sixth item). As it turns out, the Communists are actually building a prison for “AIDS patients who are alleged to have violated law and discipline” (Epoch Times), i.e., those who tried to tell the world they were infected by Communist incompetence.
Military petitioners angry about pensions, among other things: The Epoch Times discovered one of the grievances that brought roughly one thousand Communist military veterans to Beijing to petition the regime (third item) – their pensions.
There are protests, and there are protests: Michael Ledeen, National Review Online, takes note of the real forces behind the anti-Japan riots (namely the surge of anti-Communist protests throughout Communist China) and calls for the United States to provide “a steady flow of the truth from outside their borders, guidance for those who undertake the struggle against the tyrants, and constant reminders — backed up with modest action — that we are with them.” Max Dobson, the Epoch Times, joins Ledeen with this critical point about all protests “there can be basically two scenarios, either they are squashed or supported for the political gain of the Chinese Communist Government.”
Resignations from Chinese Communist Party approach 1 million: Xin Fei, Epoch Times, spoke to democracy activist Zeng Ning about the significance of the resignations.
Communist counterfeiting reaches New York, damages businesses: The widespread counterfeiting in Communist China has whacked major firms such as Christian Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Prada. More ominously, it has also expanded beyond Communist China to New York, where the Epoch Times “located a counterfeit Chinese baby formula available in shops.” Fake baby milk killed over 50 infants in Communist China last year (twenty-fifth item).
Economy in Communist China surges despite cadre slow-down efforts: Communist China reported economic growth of 9.5%, “well ahead of the official target of 8%” (BBC). While the Communists have a history of fudging growth numbers (fifteenth item), the fact that “Massive investment by China's industries, up 23% over the year, has led the growth” is also a sign that the cadres’ efforts to slow down growth are still being subverted (twenty-ninth item, twenty-eighth item).
Commentary on the Japan-Communist China dispute: Jefferson Morley, Washington Post, foolishly takes the Communists at their word when they claim the anti-Japan riots (third item, second item, lead item) are outside the Party’s control. His colleague David Ignatius does not make that mistake; neither does fellow Post writer Edward Cody (via MSNBC). The Washington Times demeaned itself by running a column by Allan Topol, who reveals his stunning ignorance of the danger facing Taiwan by wondering why the U.S. and Japan issue a joint statement expressing concern for the island democracy and claiming the Communists’ “anti-secession” law was a response to this statement.
More commentary on Communist China: Larry Kudlow, National Review Online, makes the case that Communist China’s currency, while pegged, may not be devalued, but there is still no mention of the national security danger the Communists pose to the U.S. The editors of The New Republic make a similar error, rather surprising given their recent anti-Communist history. George Wythe College Professor Steve Farrell, in Newsmax, offers the badly needed complete picture. Maureen Zebian, Epoch Times, looks back at the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
Japan upset over Stalinist reactor shutdown: Days after reports that Stalinist North Korea had shut down its Yongbyon reactor – and thus may be kicking its plutonium weaponization into high gear – hit the airwaves (next to last item), Japan “added its voice to growing concerns” (BBC) over the news.
Communist China tells Benedict XVI to cut ties with Taiwan: Communist China congratulated Pope Benedict XVI on his election, but called on him “to break the Holy See's ties to Taiwan, recognize Beijing's claim to the island, and ‘not interfere in internal Chinese affairs’” (Cybercast News). These are the oft-repeated conditions Communist China sights in exchange for diplomatic relations with the Vatican. Communist China maintains its own “patriotic” Catholic Church; 10 to 12 million Catholics remain loyal to the Vatican and worship “underground.”
Pentagon joined push to save NTDTV, but is now getting extorted: The efforts to keep New Tang Dynasty Television on the air in Communist China – so far temporarily successful – were joined by the Pentagon, which “quietly pressured Eutelsat last year to keep NTDTV on the air” (Accuracy in Media via Epoch Times). Sadly, Eutelsat is now using the NTDTV situation to demand the U.S. government buy more bandwith.
Communist China building Henan AIDS prison – errrr, hospital: Communist China claims it is building “a hospital to house AIDS patients” in Henan province, where an unhygienic Communist-run blood-donation scheme infected one million people with AIDS (sixth item). As it turns out, the Communists are actually building a prison for “AIDS patients who are alleged to have violated law and discipline” (Epoch Times), i.e., those who tried to tell the world they were infected by Communist incompetence.
Military petitioners angry about pensions, among other things: The Epoch Times discovered one of the grievances that brought roughly one thousand Communist military veterans to Beijing to petition the regime (third item) – their pensions.
There are protests, and there are protests: Michael Ledeen, National Review Online, takes note of the real forces behind the anti-Japan riots (namely the surge of anti-Communist protests throughout Communist China) and calls for the United States to provide “a steady flow of the truth from outside their borders, guidance for those who undertake the struggle against the tyrants, and constant reminders — backed up with modest action — that we are with them.” Max Dobson, the Epoch Times, joins Ledeen with this critical point about all protests “there can be basically two scenarios, either they are squashed or supported for the political gain of the Chinese Communist Government.”
Resignations from Chinese Communist Party approach 1 million: Xin Fei, Epoch Times, spoke to democracy activist Zeng Ning about the significance of the resignations.
Communist counterfeiting reaches New York, damages businesses: The widespread counterfeiting in Communist China has whacked major firms such as Christian Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Prada. More ominously, it has also expanded beyond Communist China to New York, where the Epoch Times “located a counterfeit Chinese baby formula available in shops.” Fake baby milk killed over 50 infants in Communist China last year (twenty-fifth item).
Economy in Communist China surges despite cadre slow-down efforts: Communist China reported economic growth of 9.5%, “well ahead of the official target of 8%” (BBC). While the Communists have a history of fudging growth numbers (fifteenth item), the fact that “Massive investment by China's industries, up 23% over the year, has led the growth” is also a sign that the cadres’ efforts to slow down growth are still being subverted (twenty-ninth item, twenty-eighth item).
Commentary on the Japan-Communist China dispute: Jefferson Morley, Washington Post, foolishly takes the Communists at their word when they claim the anti-Japan riots (third item, second item, lead item) are outside the Party’s control. His colleague David Ignatius does not make that mistake; neither does fellow Post writer Edward Cody (via MSNBC). The Washington Times demeaned itself by running a column by Allan Topol, who reveals his stunning ignorance of the danger facing Taiwan by wondering why the U.S. and Japan issue a joint statement expressing concern for the island democracy and claiming the Communists’ “anti-secession” law was a response to this statement.
More commentary on Communist China: Larry Kudlow, National Review Online, makes the case that Communist China’s currency, while pegged, may not be devalued, but there is still no mention of the national security danger the Communists pose to the U.S. The editors of The New Republic make a similar error, rather surprising given their recent anti-Communist history. George Wythe College Professor Steve Farrell, in Newsmax, offers the badly needed complete picture. Maureen Zebian, Epoch Times, looks back at the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
Japan upset over Stalinist reactor shutdown: Days after reports that Stalinist North Korea had shut down its Yongbyon reactor – and thus may be kicking its plutonium weaponization into high gear – hit the airwaves (next to last item), Japan “added its voice to growing concerns” (BBC) over the news.
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
News of the Day (April 19)
German Foreign Minister calls for “containment” of Communist China: Joschka Fischer, Germany’s Foreign Minister and Green Party leader, recommended a “policy of containment” (EU Observer) against Communist China as the best means of avoiding a war. Fischer put forth this advice just after publicly calling for the European Union arms embargo against Communist China to remain (last item). With both comments, Fischer, publicly broke with his Chancellor (Prime Minister) and coalition partner: Social Democratic leader Gerhardt Schroeder.
Japanese Foreign Minister goes home, calls trip “small step”: Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Nobutaka returned home from Communist China, calling his trip a “small step” (United Press International via Washington Times). Given the verbal harangue he took from his Communist counterpart Li Zhaoxing, it must have been a very small step. Meanwhile, more reports streamed in that the protests against Japan in Communist China were orchestrated by the cadres themselves (Epoch Times).
Trilats rip Japan for the dispute; others slam Communists: The Trilateral Commission, which is either an overblown confab, the puppet-masters of the world, or something in between, weighed in on the dispute with harsh words – for Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi: “he is basically stubborn. If he is criticized for one thing, he intentionally sticks to it and repeats it” (Washington Times). Not a word of criticism of Communist China was reported, although the editors of the Washington Times and the Japanese press (via BBC) had that angle well-covered.
U.S. hopes dispute is settled, hoping all will cooperate on Stalinist North Korea: Thomas Schieffer, the new American Ambassador to Japan “said the U.S. was concerned about the tensions between Japan and China and hoped they would be able to resolve their differences” (Cybercast News). He also claimed that both Communist China and Japan “shared the goal of denuclearizing” Stalinist North Korea. Will they never learn?
Australia agrees to free trade talks with Communist China: Visiting Prime Minister John Howard signed an agreement with his Communist Chinese hosts “to begin negotiations on a free trade agreement” (CNN). Howard also called Communist China a “market economy,” which would come as a surprise to those who thought a market economy included the freedom of labor to organize independently. The news sparked another round of speculation on Australia’s growing ties to Communist China, and their effects on its alliance with the United States (Cybercast News).
Auto sales falling in Communist China: Foreign car builders who have thrown good money after bad in Communist China may face a day of reckoning, car sales fell by more than 3% in the first three months of this year, compared to last (BBC). General Motors “expects a fierce price war with its rivals to intensify,” cutting revenue even further.
More praise for Harvard’s divestment of PetroChina: Carlos Ramos-Mrosovsky, a law student at Harvard University, praises his school for choosing to divest in PetroChina – the Communist-owned oil firm “responsible for bankrolling much of the Arab-dominated Sudanese government's genocide against the black African population of Sudan's Darfur region” (National Review Online).
On the fate of New Tang Dynasty Television: Bin Wang, a writer for the Epoch Times, explains why the fate of the dissident run New Tang Dynasty Television is so critical to the paper’s quest for freedom for the Chinese people.
UN envoy to SNK admits financial ties Oil-for-Food tainted South Korean: Maurice Strong, the United Nations special envoy to Stalinist North Korea, admitted that Tongsun Park, a South Korean indicted “as an ‘unregistered agent’ of the former Iraqi regime to lobby senior U.N. officials for favorable terms in the oil-for-food program” (Washington Post). More interestingly, Park supposedly “counseled Strong on his dealings with the North Korean regime” – the same “regime” that sold missile technology to Saddam Hussein for $10 million (second item).
Japanese Foreign Minister goes home, calls trip “small step”: Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Nobutaka returned home from Communist China, calling his trip a “small step” (United Press International via Washington Times). Given the verbal harangue he took from his Communist counterpart Li Zhaoxing, it must have been a very small step. Meanwhile, more reports streamed in that the protests against Japan in Communist China were orchestrated by the cadres themselves (Epoch Times).
Trilats rip Japan for the dispute; others slam Communists: The Trilateral Commission, which is either an overblown confab, the puppet-masters of the world, or something in between, weighed in on the dispute with harsh words – for Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi: “he is basically stubborn. If he is criticized for one thing, he intentionally sticks to it and repeats it” (Washington Times). Not a word of criticism of Communist China was reported, although the editors of the Washington Times and the Japanese press (via BBC) had that angle well-covered.
U.S. hopes dispute is settled, hoping all will cooperate on Stalinist North Korea: Thomas Schieffer, the new American Ambassador to Japan “said the U.S. was concerned about the tensions between Japan and China and hoped they would be able to resolve their differences” (Cybercast News). He also claimed that both Communist China and Japan “shared the goal of denuclearizing” Stalinist North Korea. Will they never learn?
Australia agrees to free trade talks with Communist China: Visiting Prime Minister John Howard signed an agreement with his Communist Chinese hosts “to begin negotiations on a free trade agreement” (CNN). Howard also called Communist China a “market economy,” which would come as a surprise to those who thought a market economy included the freedom of labor to organize independently. The news sparked another round of speculation on Australia’s growing ties to Communist China, and their effects on its alliance with the United States (Cybercast News).
Auto sales falling in Communist China: Foreign car builders who have thrown good money after bad in Communist China may face a day of reckoning, car sales fell by more than 3% in the first three months of this year, compared to last (BBC). General Motors “expects a fierce price war with its rivals to intensify,” cutting revenue even further.
More praise for Harvard’s divestment of PetroChina: Carlos Ramos-Mrosovsky, a law student at Harvard University, praises his school for choosing to divest in PetroChina – the Communist-owned oil firm “responsible for bankrolling much of the Arab-dominated Sudanese government's genocide against the black African population of Sudan's Darfur region” (National Review Online).
On the fate of New Tang Dynasty Television: Bin Wang, a writer for the Epoch Times, explains why the fate of the dissident run New Tang Dynasty Television is so critical to the paper’s quest for freedom for the Chinese people.
UN envoy to SNK admits financial ties Oil-for-Food tainted South Korean: Maurice Strong, the United Nations special envoy to Stalinist North Korea, admitted that Tongsun Park, a South Korean indicted “as an ‘unregistered agent’ of the former Iraqi regime to lobby senior U.N. officials for favorable terms in the oil-for-food program” (Washington Post). More interestingly, Park supposedly “counseled Strong on his dealings with the North Korean regime” – the same “regime” that sold missile technology to Saddam Hussein for $10 million (second item).
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