News of the Day (July 25)

Communist China inches its currency upward: Communist China “revalued its currency, the yuan, for the first time in a decade” (BBC), from 12 cents to 12⅓ cents, still well below the consensus market value of 15-16 cents. So while the Communists managed to get a boatload of praise for its actions (Stephen Roach and Michael Schuman of Time Asia, Eric Baculinao of MSNBC, and Roland Flamini of United Press Int’l via Washington Times), its new currency level will still damage American manufacturing and the export sectors of our Asian allies. It also provided another opportunity for the Communists to rip efforts to impose a currency-corrective tariff (UPI via Washington Times), joined by the annoying Larry Kudlow (National Review Online) and Tom Nuegnt (also of NRO). Meanwhile, NRO’s David Malpass and UPI’s Gregory Fossedal (via Washington Times) weigh in on the economic effects of this minimal action – neither touch upon national security, of course.

Communists rip Pentagon military report: It took months for the Pentagon report on Communist China’s military to see the light of day, but the cadres were able to accuse its authors of “scheming to use this as an excuse to sell advanced weapons to Taiwan” (Washington Post) within hours. Among those not inclined to buy the Communists’ line are the editors of the Washington Times and Newsmax’s Charles R. Smith.

House of Representatives call for General Zhu to be canned: The House amended an appropriations bill for the State Department to include a call for “for the sacking of the Chinese Communist Party’s Major-General Zhu Chenghu” (Epoch Times). General Zhu threatened a nuclear response if America came to Taiwan’s defense against a Communist invasion. Zhu insisted he was merely airing his own opinion, a notion Zi Ding and Zhao Dagong (both in the Epoch Times) find laughable.

Chen Yonglin testifies before Congress: The former consular Communist talked to the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations on Communist China’s massive espionage network and how it is used to, among other things, intimidate overseas ethnic Chinese communities (Epoch Times). Meanwhile, Tim Luard, BBC, examines the reaction to the defections from Communist China.

Guergis demands Canadian aid to Communist China stop: Helena Guergis, Canada’s Opposition critic for international aid (lead and fourth items), “says it's time to ‘turn off the tap’ of Canadian foreign aid to China” (CTV).

Zimbabwe’s Mugabe in Communist China for help: Robert Mugabe, the dictator of Zimbabwe, visited his best friend, Communist China, “to discuss financial aid and trade” (BBC). Communist China’s ties to Mugabe run long and deep (third and sixth items).

As Falun Gong War enters seventh year, a new battlefield in Belgium: He Lizhi, a Falun Gong practitioner and victim of Communist persecution, detailed his suffering to the Epoch Times; the paper also spoke to practitioners who marked the anniversary of the beginning of the crackdown in front of the Communist New York consulate. Meanwhile, the very intimidation Chen Yonglin described (see above) was the cause for “a complaint in the Brussels Justice Palace against four high-ranking Chinese Communist Party officials” (Epoch Times) after two practitioners were forced to endure “several waves of phone calls defaming Falun Gong and urging people to dissociate from the practice.”

One child may trump "two systems": Ms. Hsuing, a Hong Kong resident visiting her family in Hunan Province, was nearly forced to abort her child as part of the hideous “one child” policy, before Hong Kong authorities got the cadres to beg off, for now. Hsuing has already seen three relatives “seized and forced to abort their unauthorized pregnancies. All were pregnant for the first time” (Epoch Times, emphasis added).

Resignations pass 3.2 million, issue reaches Washington: The mass renunciations from inspired by the Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party have caught the attention of the Washington Times, while Stockholm, Sweden, saw the first anti-CCP rally in Europe (Epoch Times). Xinfei, Epoch Times, discusses what the resignations mean for the West. Also reporting: Epoch Times

Communist wealth inequality passes “warning level”: The rampant corruption in Communist China has lede to an elite so wealthy that its “income disparity measured by the Gini coefficient has reached 0.465, higher than the internationally accepted warning level of 0.4” (Radio Free Asia via Epoch Times).

European Union shuts door on Communist sweaters: Remember the overhyped trade deal between the European Union and Communist China on textiles (sixth item)? Never mind: “The European Commission has blocked imports of sweaters made in China, after limits on imports were breached a month after a quota system was agreed” (BBC).

Communist auto firm buys Rover: Automaker MG Rover was bought by the CCP-owned Nanjing Automotive, completing the on-again, off-again Communist takeover of the British firm. At least some of Rover’s jobs will be sent to Communist China (BBC).

U.S./India nuclear deal wins praise and criticism: The U.S. offer of civilian nuclear technology and future weapons sales to India has run into criticism from many quarters – including a usual favorite of this quarter: Henry Sokolski (Weekly Standard), and Roland Flamini (UPI via Washington Times). The main concern is India’s possession of nuclear weapons and its refusal to sign the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (the document that has done wonderfully in keeping Iran and Stalinist North Korea nuclear-free). Of course the fact that India agreed to “nuclear controls that are in essence the same as those controls laid out in the NPT” (Voice of America via Epoch Times) seemed unimportant. Bush did win some praise from Jim Hoagland (Washington Post), who noted “this accord demonstrates the peaceful application of a national security strategy that holds that the nature of regimes, rather than the nature of the weapons they possess, will determine their relations with Washington.” Meanwhile, the Indian Communists also ripped the accord (Washington Times), but its expected to be easily approved in Parliament (UPI via Washington Times). Left almost entirely unmentioned was the greatest benefit of the deal – it largely ensured the Communist charm offensive (third item) with India would fail.

On Taiwan: Gary Schmitt, of the Project for the New American Century, and Dan Blumenthal, of the American Enterprise Institute, call for closer ties between the Taiwanese and American militaries. Meanwhile, the editors of the Epoch Times hold out hope for the new Kuomintang leader – Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou – based on who opposed him: James Soong (second item) and Lien Chan, and with enemies like those . . .

On Communist China and the United States: Dr. Jingduan Yang, Epoch Times, makes the case perfectly clear to American officials: “the US has a choice to make today – choosing to take sides with the Chinese communist regime, or with the Chinese people.” Albert Keidel, of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, chooses the regime in the Washington Post. Max Boot takes issue with that in a Los Angeles Times column that – very nearly – manages paint the entire, clear picture of Cold War II.

On Communist “academicians”: The next time you see a comment from a professor at a Communist university, remember this searing piece by Liu Fusan, Epoch Times, on the corruption and incompetence of the Communist academic community.

On Jiang Zemin: The editors of the Epoch Times release the next three chapters on their biography of the former Communist leader and author of the Falun Gong War.

Stalinist North Korea wants peace treaty: The Stalinist regime “has called for a peace treaty with the US, ahead of the resumption of talks aimed at ending the stand-off over its nuclear weapons” (BBC). SNK has previously demanded merely a “non-agression” statement as one of its conditions for its nuclear disarmament. The overhyped talks on SNK’s nuclear weapons being tomorrow. Also reporting: CNN

South Korea talks reunification without liberation: Anthony Faiola, Washington Post, examines the plans of the dovish South Korean government to provide electricity to SNK if it agrees to nuclear disarmament. Its supporters “described as the first part of a North Korean Marshall Plan” and “an essential investment in the future of Korean unification.” Will they never learn? How about liberating northern Korea first?