News of the Day (April 30)

Awarding of Olympics to Beijing has made human rights worse in Communist China: Amnesty International's latest report on Communist China has revealed what many of us predicted - that the cadres are using the Games "as a catalyst for repression" (Boycott 2008). In particular, "the August 2008 Olympics was 'a catalyst for a continued crackdown on human rights defenders, including prominent rights defence lawyers and those attempting to report on human rights violations'" (BBC).

One more call for a Boycott, and other Olympic news: David Sforza comes down in support of staying away from the Games (Boycott 2008). Meanwhile, the path of the Olympic torch continues to fan the flames of controversy (Boycott 2008, Boycott again).

Taiwan's opposition party prostrates itself to Communist China - again: Every Communists' favorite Taiwanese - Lien Chan - and several Kuomintang legislators visited Hu Jintao in Beijing (BBC).

Catholic bishop detained for over a month: Bishop Wu Qinjing (a.k.a. Martin Wu) is in a Communist jail for refusing to hand over control of the Shaanxi diocese to a more malleable Communist prelate (Asia News). Bishop Wu was consecrated by the Communists and the Vatican, but the former do not consider him leader of the diocese. It is the latest in the long running battle between the Communist regime and millions of Catholics who refuse to put the Party between themselves and their God. Pope Benedict XVI has repeatedly tried (and is still trying - Asia News and China Post) to mend fences with Beijing.

Other human rights news: Communist China once again has executed more people than the rest of the world combined (Boycott 2008). The cadres crack down on June 4th Poems (Voice of America via Epoch Times). The cadres are planning to use Confucius to erase Easter (Asia News). The Uyghur American Association has the latest on the persecution of the people of occupied East Turkestan. On the bright side, Yang Jianli was finally released (National Review Online).

Canada blocks grain shipments from Communist China: The Canadian government has made the following determination of grain shipments from Communist China - as summed up by Steve Janke, "Canadian border officials will assume that it's contaminated until proven otherwise." For now, this is a de facto ban on Communist grain until and unless the regime gets its act together on this (as Small Dead Animals and Janke note, spiking rice with the quasi-toxic melamine is fairly routine). Meanwhile, Jonah Goldberg at National Review Online's The Corner observes that "consumers should simply not buy pet food from China" - although he may be unaware that the human food chain has already been compromised.

Ignorant Comment of the Day: We have yet another pundit who refuses to take geopolitics into account while examining trade between the United States and Communist China. Richard Rahn, take a bow (Washington Times).

Enlightened Comment of the Day: We had some competition for this one. Guy Sorman's excellent observations on the Communist economy and human rights abuses were in the running (Between Heaven and Earth), as was Hu Shaojiang's examination of the former (Trend via Epoch Times) and AutoSavant's take on Communist China's moves against American and Japanese car makers. The winner, however, is Charles Smith's detailed history of the Communist firm CITIC (Newsmax).

Segolene Royal trying hard to win my support (and I'm nowhere near France): She's not there yet, but this letter of friendship to Falun Gong goes a long way (Epoch Times).

Communist China looks to slow down economy without raising its currency: Instead of an interest rate hike (which would put upward pressure on the deliberately devalued renminbi), the cadres chose to increase its reserve requirements (BBC).

More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Makina at Boycott 2008 relays and shares a sense of hopelessness on Huseyin Celil. Australia's opposition agrees in principle to a free-trade deal with Communist China (AAP via Epoch Times). New Zealand doctors rip Communist organ harvesting (Epoch Times).

Beijing surrender news: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits President Bush, and suddenly the President is taking tough again (BBC and United Press International via Washington Times) - thank you, Mr. Abe, and don't let the State Department grind you down (One Free Korea). As one would expect, Japan's refusal to knuckle under is not making the Stalinists happy (Daily NK); they much prefer dovish South Korea (Daily NK and UPI via Washington Times).

News of the Day (April 27)

Magazine reprimanded for "politically sensitive" subjects: Lifewise editors felt the sting of the censors after publishing articles on the Cultural revolution and Mao Zedong (South China Morning Post via Asia Media, h/t Boycott 2008).

Radio wars: The forces of free information and the cadres that try to jam the signal from said forces are battling it out once more (Amateur Radio News and Phayul).

Hong Kong judiciary following the lead of the rest of the regime: One country, one-and-half-systems is now reaching the courts (Epoch Times).

Communists use economic development to wipe out ethnic minorities: By steering the fruits to fellow Han Chinese, the cadres are shutting out Mongols, Tibetans, and Uighurs - especially in occupied Tibet and occupied East Turkestan (BBC).

Communists use fake numbers to downplay illiteracy: Even as local cadres were celebrating a census report of complete literacy in Liupu village, a local teacher was admitting to the Washington Post (via MSNBC) "that the census is based on a test that fails to measure adult literacy accurately." The Communists are admitting to over 100 million illiterate Chinese; no one knows what the real number is.

Communist regime plans to use "cloud-seeders" to prevent Olympic rainfall: The cadres are hoping the seeded clouds will rain themselves out before the Games begin (CBN News, h/t Boycott 2008).

Taiwan is not happy with the Olympic torch route: The island democracy does "not want the torch to enter or leave via China" (BBC), since that would make it appear that Taiwan is supposed to be under Communist rule (Boycott 2008).

French presidential candidate keeps door open to Olympic Boycott: Segolene Royal's statement (Boycott 2008) wasn't nearly as strong as that of former candidate Francois Bayrou.

Ex-Ambassador to U.S. is now Communist China's Foreign Minister: Yang Jiechi will replace Li Zhoaxing (BBC).

Communist China "denies poisoning pets, and promises not to do it again": The quote comes from Steve Janke, and is a perfect example of what the cadres are actually saying (USA Today, for example, missed the subtleties involved). The cadres are allowing the Food and Drug Administration to "investigate," but left unspoken were the usual Communist restrictions on outside investigations. Meanwhile, Kate McMillan at Small Dead Animals repeats her call for an end to North American food imports from Communist China.

Canada's Foreign Minister to focus on Celil imprisonment during Beijing trip: Peter MacKay made it abundantly clear in his comments to the media, including the Epoch Times - "it's about being consistent and being forceful in our representations when it comes to Canadian citizens." Meanwhile, Celil's wife is calling for a special human rights envoy for Communist China - similar to Jay Leftkowitz's role as American envoy for human rights in Stalinist North Korea (Macleans).

Beijing surrender simply won't die: Now the Stalinist North Korea has gone nearly two weeks without complying with the Feburary 13 deal (One Free Korea), South Korea's dovish government has resorted to speculating that the Stalinists are preparing to comply (United Press International via Washington Times). On the other hand, One Free Korea has an excellent synopsis detailing SNK's recent terrorist history (one part of the Beijing surrender is taking the Stalinist regime off the American State Departments terrorist list).

More On Communist China's Korean colony: The Stalinists kick out the United Nations Development Program (UPI via Washington Times) and restore diplomatic ties with the Burmese dictatorship (Washington Times). The child abuse of Arirang is under more scrutiny (Daily NK and OFK). Kara Rowland (Washington Times) examines the independent radio programs broadcast into northern Korea to challenge Stalinist propaganda. Finally, South Korea's doves ally with everyone else to embarrass the hawkish opposition in local elections (UPI via Washington Times).

News of the Day (April 26)

Another day, another land seizure: Today's series of evictions, corrupt cadres, and "business development" comes from Hangzhou (Epoch Times), where the current residents were arrested and told they would never be released unless they agreed to the give up their homes.

More on Communist abuses: The editors of the Washington Post lament the imprisonment of Rebiya Kadeer's son. Amnesty International begins a letter campaign to highlight the plight of Falun Gong prisoners (Epoch Times). The regime stands by its kidnapping of Huseyin Celil (Macleans).

The long arm of lawlessness reaches Germany: An angry Communist consulate is demanding yet another democratic nation bend its own laws to suppress an anti-Communist demonstration (Epoch Times).

Here comes Communist Chinese cars - via Chrysler: The Communist-owned Chery auto firm "signed a deal to build small cars under a Chrysler nameplate to be marketed in the United States and Europe" (MSNBC).

Is George Will getting it? The syndicated columnist takes a long, hard look at the "engagement" crowd, and finds it wanting (Washington Post).

Taiwan politics news: The island democracy's Prime Minister "has unveiled a website giving information about what the government says are assets stolen by the opposition Kuomintang " (BBC). Kuomintang was able to build a portfolio of over $1 billion thanks to its fifty-year-plus reign on the island, which ended with the election of Democratic Progressive Chen Shui-bian in 2000 (note: PM Su Tseng-chang is also a Democratic Progressive and one of the party's candidates to succeed Chen in 2008).

News of the Day (April 25)

New computer simulation says Taiwan can beat back Communist invasion: The Taiwanese military has released the results of a new war-game involving a Communist invasion of the island in 2012, and finds "that China could land forces on rival Taiwan, but they would be repulsed after two weeks of fierce fighting and harsh losses to both sides" (National Review Online - The Tank) despite no projected involvement by American forces. While yours truly still believes we should come to the island democracy's defense when push comes to shove, this is still very good news. Of course, the Communists will make adjustments, aided in part by their spies (Defense News).

Non-profit group calls for grain imports from Communist China to be blocked: The Center for Science in the Public Interest - a nutrition lobbying group, or "the self-appointed food police" (Steve Janke), depending on one's point of view - has called for the United States to block shipments of Communist grain from entering the country. The call is in reaction to growing concern over poisoned grain from Communist China, something that now has the locals worried, too (Washington Post).

Captured Tibetan lama turns 18; protesters arrested: Gendun Cheokyi Nyima - named by the Dalai Lama as the next Panchen Lama in 1995 and under Communist detainment ever since - turned 18 today (BBC) Meanwhile, at Mount Everest, four members of Students for a Free Tibet were arrested by Communist police for unveiling a pro-Tibet banner (BBC).

Ignorant Comment of the Day: Today's dubious prize goes to Fareed Zakaria, whose Newsweek column is a naive paean to Communist China's international diplomacy in Asia.

Some things Zakaria should have seen before penning the ICOD: Perhaps this example of the Long Arm of Lawlessness in New York (Epoch Times) would have given Fareed pause on his assertion that the Communists don't involve themselves in other nations' domestic affairs; or maybe the wisdom of David Kilgour ("You can go around the world and pick out the pariah governments and almost all of them are supported by China" - Epoch Times) could have swayed him.

Canadian activists ask Foreign Minister MacKay to focus on human rights during Beijing visit: Several of them were interviewed by the Epoch Times.

Communist China is now Japan's biggest trading partner: Japan's Finance Ministry revealed the news (BBC).

Beijing surrender news: The apologias for the Stalinists are beginning to get embarrassing ("They are not experienced in international banking" - United Press International via Washington Times), although common sense still prevails in Japan (BBC), One Free Korea, and the American military (Bill Gertz, Washington Times).

More On Communist China's Korean colony: Laos is letting some Korean refugees go (BBC), while those in Thailand must resort to a hunger strike to get attention (Daily NK, h/t OFK). Stalinist-in-chief Kim Jong-il stops by a military parade (UPI via Washington Times). Charles Scanlon (BBC) talks about his visit to Stalinist North Korea. Daily NK calls for a UN investigation into Arirang. OFK further examines the Kaesung fiasco.

News of the Day (April 24)

Columnist for Britain's Guardian joins the boycott campaign: "If we value the human rights ideal then as a community we should boycott these games unless or until the Chinese government changes its attitudes towards its own people" (Rosa Davis, h/t Boycott 2008).

Cadres have no concern over their new role as lead carbon dioxide emitter: As Communist China is set to become the biggest carbon dioxide emitter on the planet (BBC and National Review Online), the cadres demand everyone else cripple their economies instead (BBC).

Hu Jintao wants the internet remade in Communist image: The Communist boss is looking "to rid the country's sprawling Internet of 'unhealthy' content and make it a springboard for Communist Party doctrine, state television reported" (Boycott 2008).

Communist regime to open up details of land seizures - next year: The cadres are getting high praise for new regulations "for disclosure of official information that would require local governments to reveal their accounts and inform farmers about the finances of often controversial land seizures" (Washington Post). Unfortunately for the Chinese people, the rules don't take effect until May of 2008, which will give the cadres plenty of time to reverse the move - and Communist thieves just over a year to grab as much land as they want even if the rules come into force.

On the future of the Chinese Communist Party: The Epoch Times focuses on the growing resignation movement. Chen Yonglin talks to the Epoch Times about the plight of Communist China's prisoners abroad (better known as diplomats). David Kilgour reviews The Writing on the Wall in the Epoch Times.

On Communist China and the rest of the world: The editors of the Washington Times win the prize for its lament of Communist China's enabling of the Sudan regime's Darfur massacre; Charles R. Smith (Newsmax) notes the warming ties between the United States and India, and the latter's troubles with Communist China.

News of the Weekend (April 21-23)

Poisoned foodstuffs from Communist China affecting human-consumed food, too: Less than three days after Judi McLeod (Canada Free Press) and Peter Kovacs (Washington Post) sounded the alarms about the possible indirect poisoning of human food by Communist China, the Food and Drug Administration confirmed our worst fears (Small Dead Animals and Steve Janke). Meanwhile, the FDA is also "considering the possibility that foreign substances are being added to Chinese foodstuffs in order to falsify protein content and other factors that would then increase the value of the product" (Janke, emphasis added). Of course, the cadres are keeping their own people in the dark on this (Janke).

More on Communist China and the United States: Analysts argue over who is to blame for Communist China's anti-satellite test; Michael Goldfarb (Worldwide Standard) has little patience for the Bush blamers. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulsen is trying to convince Communist China to stop depreciating its currency, again (BBC). Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales "plans to talk to Chinese government officials about lifting the country's blanket ban on the online encyclopedia" (AAP via Epoch Times). Ben MacIntyre chronicles the travails of two American agents jailed in Communist China for 20 years (Times of London).

Taipei Times calls for conditional Taiwanese boycott of Beijing Olympics: The paper's editorial was reprinted by Makina at Boycott 2008. One can guess how the Communists responded based on this rant noticed by Jennifer Chou (Worldwide Standard).

Hong Kong refuses to allow Taiwanese Falun Gong practitioners into the city: One country, one-and-a-half systems rolls on (Between Heaven and Earth).

Beijing surrender descends into farce over supposedly unconnected money: The saga of the $25 million that was supposed to have nothing to do with Stalinist North Korea's nuclear disarmament has brought South Korea's doves into the fray (BBC, BBC again, and Washington Post). Meanwhile, the South Korean people are beginning to wise up about the Stalinist regime (Daily NK).

More On Communist China's Korean colony: A Yale University symposium examines the fiasco in northern Korea that has led so many to attempt escape (Daily NK); Pyongyang's views on disabled citizens ("should not have been born") is also reviewed by Daily NK.

Enlightened Comment of the Day: Peter Lokarlo Marsu takes the prize for noting the common blood-ties (i.e., they spill a lot of it) between Communist China and Sudan (Sudan Tribune via BH&E).

The long arm of lawlessness reaches Belgium: Yves Dumans (Epoch Times France) has the details.

Communist China fleeces investors for $5 billion: Of course, that's not what they want the investors to think about the CITIC IPO (BBC).

Environmental activist arrested: Wu Lihong has been fighting local Communists (Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces) to clean up Lake Tai Hu. It appears the cadres had enough of him (Time).

More on Communist China's ecological mess: Pollution is now hitting farmland in Communist China, cutting back arable land by just over 10% last year alone (BBC). Fertility among humans is also taking a hit (Voice of America via Epoch Times).

Gao Yaojie is back under house arrest: The AIDS activist was released and allowed to receive an award in America earlier this year. Upon her return, the cadres re-detained her (BBC and Taiwan's Central News Agency via Epoch Times).

More on human rights abuses in Communist China: Denis Charleton (Epoch Times Australia) details Communist China's continuing battle with journalists from around the globe. Several American experts say the "one child" policy is as restrictive as ever (United Press Int'l via Washington Times). Yifan (Epoch Times) discusses the latest Communist actions against Gao Zhisheng.

News of the Day (April 20)

Guangxi Communists kill 61 unborn children in forced abortions: Communist China continues to be one of the few entities on earth that can unite pro-choicers and pro-lifers in disgust at its behavior - and the regime is at it again. China Aid (via Epoch Times) is reporting that cadres in Guangxi Province "have seized at least 61 women and forcibly transported them to the Youjiang District People's Hospital of Baise City, where the women have been injected with drugs to kill their unborn children" (emphasis added). This is not the first (and sure not to be the last) incident of forced abortion as part of the Communists' "one child" policy. In 2001, Guangdong Province ordered 20,000 abortions and sterilizations as part of "one child."

More on matters inside Communist China: Bill Powell ponders a possible economic crash in Time. Makina at Boycott 2008 examines the desertification of the northern regions.

Enlightened Comment of the Day: Ed Feulner takes the prize for noting Communist China's massive military spending spree and demanding America ensure it has a military strong enough to counter the cadres (Chicago Sun-Times).

Ignorant Comment of the Day: From the sublime to the ridiculous, we also have Muazzam Gill of the American Leadership Institute, who isn't happy with the idea of an India-U.S. alliance to counter Communist China (United Press International via Washington Times).

Jailed dissident's wife sues Yahoo for helping Communists arrest her husband: Yu Ling is suing on behalf of her husband Wang Xiaoning, whose arrested was facilitated by the internet service on the cadres' request (Boycott 2008 and San Francisco Chronicle). The editors of the Washington Times, while recognizing the evil of the Communist regime, seemed to miss the point.

Canada rips Celil sentence: Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay was unhappy with Celil being jailed for life; the Communists' refusal to let anyone from his ministry talk to Celil isn't making any friends in Ottawa either. As MacKay put it, "We don't intend to let this case go" (BBC).

Communist diplomat in hot water for television interference: New Tang Dynasty Television demanded the expulsion of Huang Huikang, Communist China's number two at its Ottawa Embassy for his attempt "to block New Tang Dynasty Television's entry to Canadian broadcast airwaves" (Between Heaven and Earth and Epoch Times).

News of the Day (April 19)

Huseyin Celil sentenced to life in prison: The Uighur-Canadian who was arrested by Uzbekistan and sent to Communist China will not be executed, but he will spent the rest of his life in jail for a supposed act of violence that occurred when he was hundreds of miles away. To make matters worse, the Communists refuse to acknowledge Celil's Canadian citizenship, and still won't let any Canadian see him (Macleans).

Ignorant Comment of the Day: Bertil Lintner (Asia Times) takes the dubious honor more due to lack of competition than anything else. Still, when one dedicates as much verbage as Lintner does to the Chinese diaspora around the world without mentioning Communist intimidation, the door is opened to an ICOD label.

"The Chinese police took all the money I saved. They beat and kicked me." That how the Communist regime treated a refugee in their midst from Stalinist North Korea (One Free Korea). Sadly, this is the rule, not the exception.

South Korea's doves still pretending the Beijing surrender is A-OK: A pledge by South Korea's government to cancel a fuel contract with the Stalinists should they refuse to shut down their nuclear reactor is, not surprisingly, still in force (Daily NK).

Enlightened Comment of the Day: Michael Goldfarb (Worldwide Standard) uses the strange journey of Russia beer-maker Baltika in SNK to make a humorous but important point - "given that it takes Kim six years to order a beer, one has good reason to be skeptical that the regime will dismantle its nuclear program after just four years of giving us the run around."

More On Communist China's Korean colony: Choi Myung Chul (Daily NK) reveals the depths of poverty and starvation in northern Korea. Charles Scanlon (BBC) completes his account of SNK.

International Olympic Committee is happy with Beijing's preparation for 2008 Games: The IOC chairman called his visit "a particularly emotional experience" (United Press International via Washington Times). So would I, but for entirely different reasons.

Communist China's economic growth passes 11% - or so the cadres claim: The cadres are touting their white-hot economy (UPI via Washington Times); He Qinglian (Huaxia Electronic Journal via Epoch Times) explains the truth behind the less-than-trustworthy numbers.

Cadre rants about mine cover-ups: Li Yizhong, dubbed a "safety official" by the BBC, is upset about mine owners and managers having "covered up the accidents and refused to report them." The fact that most of said "owners" are his fellow Communists was something he chose not to mention.

News of the Day (April 18)

Communist China's plan to fight global warming - more hot air: Whatever one thinks about climate change, it is inarguable that Communist China's refusal to address its emissions (by year's end, it will be the largest carbon emitter on earth) messes up any attempt, necessary or not, at greenhouse gas reduction. Recently, the Communists leaked a "plan" to reduce emission intensity (emissions per capita). The trouble is, as noted by Marlo Lewis (cited by Iain Murray in National Review Online), "it looks like China's goals—a 40% drop in carbon intensity by 2020 and an 80% drop by 2050—will not require much if anything beyond BAU [business as usual]." In other words, the cadres' plan on global warming is nothing more than hot air.

Australian court advances lawsuit against Communist official for persecution of Falun Gong: The court in New South Wales "permitted two Chinese women to apply for a default judgment" (Epoch Times) against Guangdong cadre Chen Shaoji.

Son of Rebiya Kadeer sent to prison for nine years: Communist China can't reach Rebiya Kadeer, who is now in exile in the United States and spreading the word about the Communists' brutal occupation of East Turkestan. So the cadres are taking it out on her children instead (Uyghur American Association).

Kilgour and Matas call on Communist China to follow its new organ law: The team that led the investigation of Communist organ harvesting emphasized this point - "China has had a history in this area of announcing policies and laws which sound fine in principle but are then not enforced" (Between Heaven and Earth).

Stalinist North Korea still not doing its part in nuclear deal: South Korea's dovish government may have been engaged in wishful thinking when it said SNK was shutting down its nuclear reactor (One Free Korea). Meanwhile, former State Department official David Straub had words of wisdom at a South Korean forum on the Beijing surrender (Daily NK).

More On Communist China's Korean colony: South Korean firms in Kaesung are losing money (Daily NK); Charles Scanlon (BBC) continues his account from SNK.

On the state of the workers in the workers' state: Communist China's impoverished rural interior has fared no better since the regime signed up for the World Trade Organization (United Press International via Washington Times).

On human rights abuses in Communist China: Boycott 2008 remembers the Cultural Revolution; Zhang Haishan (Epoch Times) examines how Gao Zhisheng may be a pawn in the CCP's factional battles.

News of the Day (April 17)

Bush Administration plays apologist for Stalinist regime: The Stalinists don't need to worry about muting reaction from its refusal to do what was asked of it during the Beijing surrender. Washington is doing it for them: "The Bush Administration is struggling to downplay North Korea's refusal to honor its agreement to shut down its Yongbyon nuclear reactor" (Time). Meanwhile, we have reports that the Stalinist regime may honor the deal (BBC); South Korea may stop sending aid northward (Washington Times); and the disgust continues to grow at American weakness ("analysts argue that this game play between the U.S. and Kim Jong-Il may just continue with the U.S. making additional concessions" - Daily NK; "They will pretend to disarm, and we will pretend to believe them" - One Free Korea).

More On Communist China's Korean colony: Charles Scanlon (BBC) begins his North Korea diary, or as he puts it, "the inevitable game of cat and mouse that is a feature of any visit to North Korea." A defector describes the choreographed "celebration" of the late Kim Il-Sung's birthday (Daily NK). Kim Song A (Daily NK) examines the possibilities of Stalinist interference in South Korea's presidential election this December.

Defector in Canada details the long arm of Communist lawlessness: Jiyan Zhang talks to Bill Gertz of the Washington Times (h/t Between Heaven and Earth).

U.S. finds persecution of Gao Zhisheng "troubling": The State Department weighed in on the torture the human rights lawyer has suffered (AP via BH&E).

David Kilgour continues to press on organ harvesting: Donna Jacobs (Ottowa Citizen) caught up with the former MP (h/t BH&E).

Cadres admit Yangtze river is beyond repair: The Communists' rampant over-development has so polluted the Yangtze River that the regime is now admitting that the damage "is largely irreversible" (BBC). Even the much-praised (by the Communists) and much-maligned (by everyone else) Three Gorges Dam reservoir "has become heavily polluted."

Communists crack down on casinos: Over 120 casinos have been shut down over the last couple of years, at least if the Communists are to be believed. Casinos are usually the final stop (through lost wagers) for money pilfered by corrupt cadres.

News of the (longer than it should have been) Weekend (April 12-16)

Stalinist North Korea misses Beijing surrender deadline: Well, well, well, we hand them the money that was supposed to have nothing to do with the "agreement" (National Review Online and One Free Korea) and they still can't shut their nuclear reactor down on time (BBC, NRO, and OFK). Of course, the conventional wisdom holds that we should surrender more to the Stalinists and the Communist Chinese allies (Cybercast News and United Press International via Washington Times), although Daily NK - as usual - stands athwart the madness.

More On Communist China's Korean colony: As northern Korea continues to waste away, the Stalinist leadership puts into focus a new priority - the birthday of the late Kim Il-Sung (Daily NK). A Korean-American is sent to prison for spying on behalf of the Stalinists (BBC). Daily NK pans South Korea's dovish attitude; while OFK has Bill Richardson in his sights.

Ignorant Comment of the Day: Orville Schell takes the dubious prize for this sojourn into naivete on Communist China and the environment (Washington Post); for a more reasonable outlook, check out Chris Horner in NRO.

As 2008 Olympics near, concern rises: John Kusumi calls for a boycott (Boycott 2008); Nat Hentoff (Washington Times) notes the Bayrou call.

More on Communist China and the United States: Washington's two papers commented on the Bush Administration's decision to call Communist China out on copyright piracy; the Times was happier than the Post - in part because the latter was critical of the Administration's move against Communist paper exports. Meanwhile, a former Pentagon official and China specialist told the the U.S. China Economic Security Review Commission that "tighter U.S. export controls on China might 'impede China's potential acquisition of anti-satellite systems'" (Bill Gertz, Washington Times).

Wen Jiabao returns home from Japan: The Communist Premier was his usual, slick self (Asahi Shimbun via Washington Times, BBC, and UPI via Washington Times).

More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Anton Foek (Washington Times) pays a sanitized visit to occupied East Turkestan (but is well aware of the circumstances around him); a New Zealand mayor calls for Communist China to end its abuses of human rights (Between Heaven and Earth); Russia threatens another Falun Gong deportation (Epoch Times); Communist China's foreign reserves continue to grow (BBC).

Gao Zhisheng continues to suffer under house arrest: Gao revealed the Communists' efforts to break him last week (Epoch Times); now the cadres have placed Hu Jia under house arrest for trying to spread word of what is happening to Gao (Epoch Times).

Painter sentenced to prison: A Communist court sentenced Yan Zhengxue to three years in jail for "inciting subversion of state power" (Epoch Times).

Beijing continues to receive, ignore, and arrest thousands of petitioners: Not even former veterans of the Communist military get a sympathetic ear (64tiangwang.com via Epoch Times and Taiwan's Central News Agency via Epoch Times).

New execution vans on the way: Cjunk at Small Dead Animals has the link.

In case anyone's wondering where I went

Yesterday's post fell victim to my son's illness; thankfully, he is now well, but in the meantime he made me sick, which torpedoed today's post.

Things should be back to normal on Monday at the latest.

News of the Day (April 11)

American debate on Communist China heats up, and not along the usual lines. Two authors from National Review Online compete for Ignorant Comment of the Day for a combination of economic naivete and geopolitical ignorance (Cato's James Dorn edges out Donald Luskin for the dubious honor), while a call for a stronger Pacific military presence to counter the Communists comes from the Council on Foreign Relations - of all people (Bill Gertz, Washington Times). However, the indomitable William Hawkins of the U.S. Business and Industry Council once again takes Enlightened Comment of the Day honors for another excellent piece (Washington Times).

Communists put Rebiya Kadeer's son in charge of efforts to collect fines against her: Kahar Abdureyim is Rebiya Kadeer's eldest son; the cadres have demanded he lead efforts to liquidate her assets in occupied East Turkestan to pay fines levied against her (Uyghur Human Rights Project). Ms. Kadeer, in exile in the United States for two years and counting, sees a plot by "PRC authorities (who) hope to find an excuse to arrest him."

More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Communist Premier Wen Jiabao visits Japan (BBC). Bill Powell discusses Communist China's lack of concern over piracy (Time).

Beijing surrender news - Stalinists get their money but still press for time: Now that Stalinist North Korea will get its ill-gotten $25 million after all (David Frum - National Review Online, Washington Post via MSNBC, and Washington Times), the regime was still hoping " for a further 30 days" (BBC) to shut down its nuclear reactor (which it had promised to close by Saturday).

More On Communist China's Korean colony: Bill Richardson gets the remains of six American troops who died in the Korean War (BBC), but according to Kenneth R. Timmerman of Newsmax, he may have torpedoed his presidential campaign in the process. Defectors from the Stalinist North form the Committee for Democratization of North Korea (Daily NK), and start the group with a revelation of Kim Jong-il's 17 palaces (Daily NK and One Free Korea). Nora Boustany (Washington Post) interviews three Korean refugees being held in Laos who may be sent back.

The China Human Rights Forum rips the cadres' campaign against Gao Zhisheng: The group published an open letter reprinted by the Epoch Times.

Communists demand computer game designers impose time limits: This BBC story leaves open the possibility that the cadres' demand will force gamers into time limits worldwide. If that happens, my older kids may finally have an interest in what I'm doing over here.

On the Communist academic world: Michael Goldfarb (Worldwide Standard) examines Carson A. Holz's detailed account of Communist China imposing its will on academic researchers, both native and foreign.

News of the Day (April 10)

The "parliament" leaves; the petitioners come back: Without the rubber-stamp parliament or major media to watch, the cadres have reverted to waiting out the petitioners (a.k.a. appellants) in Beijing (Epoch Times), until the next excuse on the calendar to arrest them and send them back.

More on human rights abuses in Communist China: Human Rights Watch focuses on organs (Between Heaven and Earth) while Amnesty International takes on all outrages (BH&E).

Cadre focuses on green issues and hits glass ceiling: The Communist regime loves cadres like Pan Yue, the Vice-Minister for the State Environmental Protection Administration. He hits all the environmentalist notes, and pushes the "green" credentials of his piece of the regime. The trouble is, Pan seems to be serious about the environment - to the point of taking on well-connected cadres like Li Xiaopeng (an electricity chief and son of Tiananmen butcher Li Peng). Now his interviews are squelched and he is " unable to rise above the vice-ministerial level" (Worldwide Standard).

Communist anti-satellite test increased space debris: The November launch added 1,000 space objects to the orbital flotsam that can bring down orbiting satellites (Bill Gertz, Washington Times).

U.S. presents piracy complaint against Communist China to World Trade Organization: The Communists, naturally, ripped the move (BBC and CNN), but a leading member of Congress was happy (Washington Times).

Enlightened Comment of the Day: Peter Brookes (New York Post) takes the prize for ripping Communist China's support of the murderous Sudanese regime and for endorsing a boycott of the Beijing Olympics.

Will a military "hotline" improve relations between the U.S. and Communist China? Richard Weitz of the Hudson Institute answers "No" (International Herald Tribune).

The long arm of lawlessness: Defector Zhang Jiyan discusses how the Communist regime works against democracy activists in Canada (Epoch Times), while Richard Long (Dominion Post, New Zealand) rips officials in his home country for wilting under Communist pressure (h/t BH&E).

Taiwan begins military tests: The month-long exercise began today (Epoch Times).

Communist Premier in South Korea: Wen Jiabao and his hosts "agreed to co-operate more closely at talks on ending the North's nuclear program" (BBC).

South Korean court invalidates contract between refugee and "broker": The folks who smuggle people out of Communist regimes into free nations get a bad rap - and their willingness to charge exorbitant fees usually makes such criticism well deserved. However, as Han Young Jin (Daily NK) notes, trying to remove the "broker" from the equation, as the Seoul Metropolitan West District Court tried to do, can simply end the practice, and keep Korean refugees trapped in Communist China.

Sadly, the Beijing surrender lives on (for now): The $25 million in ill-gotten Stalinist gains will be "unblocked" (BBC), meaning everything is supposedly hunky-dory. Meanwhile, South Korea's opposition endorses the diplomatic surrender framework (Daily NK).

More On Communist China's Korean colony: Gary Feuerberg (Epoch Times) examines the food shortage in Stalinist North Korea, while Michael Goldfarb (Worldwide Standard) remembers the Pueblo incident.

News of the Weekend (April 7-9)

Pro-democracy activists detained for honoring Zhao Ziyang: Hu Jia and Qi Zhiyong visited the home of Zhao Ziyang - the reformer who was bounced from the Communist Party and kept under house arrest until he died for opposing the Tiananmen crackdown - to honor him on Qingming Day. The cadres quickly placed them under arrest (Epoch Times).

Christian arrested for spreading the Word: Religious freedom in China? Talk to Gu Changrong - if she ever reappears from the Communist jail in which she currently languishes (Epoch Times).

Message from Gao Zhisheng makes it to outside world: The jailed human rights attorney (UPDATE: Oops! he's actually under house arrest) is able to place a call to activist Hu Jia (Epoch Times).

Was the resident holdout in Chongqing compensated? Or just erased? Amid news reports that Yang Wu "finally reached a deal with the city and the development company" (Epoch Times) after resisting attempts to bulldoze his home, he has completely disappeared, leaving some "to question whether they actually received the sum they were promised."

Communist China issues "new" organ sale ban: The Communists are once again proclaiming a ban on organ sales (BBC).

Communist China growing drier: The rampant over-development orchestrated by the Chinese Communist Party is leading to a massive water shortage (Newsweek via Taiwan Security Research) - although this is not exactly news.

Hong Kong leader starts new term: The Communist-backed Donald Tsang won high praise from Communist Premier Wen Jiabao (BBC).

Enlightened Comment of the Day: Yours truly almost never trusts any professor at a Communist university - a stance that has sent quite a bit of flak my way. Carsten A. Holz, herself a professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, reveals why my cynicism is more than justified (Far Eastern Economic Review).

U.S. preparing to take Communist China to WTO with trade complaints: An Administration source calls it "a fairly big deal" (CNN); whether or not the World Trade Organization will actually do anything is something else again.

Communists willing to look into wheat gluten poisoning: The cadres are "investigating allegations" (Washington Post) after poisoned gluten from from a regime-run firm killed at least a dozen American pets.

More on Communist China and the rest of the world: As condemnation over the cadres' defense of the brutal Sudanese regime continues (Boycott 2008 and Taipei Times), the Communists try some boilerplate language on "flexibility" for a distraction (BBC). Meanwhile, in Japan, fierce anti-Communist Shintaro Ishihara - a favorite of yours truly - wins a third term as Governor of Tokyo (BBC), and Duncan Currie (Daily Standard) praises the international policy of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Reports of 30 more possible abductions strike another blow against the Beijing surrender: The Japanese newspaper Yomiuri found "evidence that approximately 30 additional people were also kidnapped by North Korea" (Daily NK). The Stalinists' refusal to come clean on eight Japanese kidnap victims has kept Japan on the outside looking in regarding the six-party talks on Stalinist North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

Ignorant Comment of the Day: Steven Chapman (Washington Times) has been weak on Stalinist North Korea for years. He was true to form yesterday, and as such wins the dubious honor.

More Beijing surrender news: Not only has the Bush Administration embarrassed itself with a new "pathway" for the $25 million SNK has demanded to come back to the table (BBC); we now have a report that the United States allowed the Stalinists to sell weapons to Ethiopia ("six months after its unanimous passage, UNSCR 1718 is a dead letter - One Free Korea). Meanwhile, One Free Korea also praises John Bolton and argues with David Albright in respective links; as for the Stalinists, deal or no deal, anti-American propaganda continues apace (Daily NK), even as New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson pays a visit (BBC).

News of the Day (April 6)

Communist China stays mum on anti-satellite launch as it builds its arsenal: Despite a direct request from Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Peter Pace, Communist China "refused to disclose any details about a recent test of a new anti-satellite weapon system or other aspects of a secret space-arms program" (Bill Gertz, Washington Times). Meanwhile, "Pentagon officials said intelligence estimates indicate that China will have produced enough satellite interceptors by 2010 to destroy most U.S. low-earth orbit satellites."

Communist China on poisoned wheat gluten that killed American pets - who, us? Communist China has, as expected, denied all responsibility for the poisoned wheat gluten it exported to North America (Steve Janke). The tainted food ingredient has already led to more than a dozen pet deaths in the U.S.

More on Communist China and the United States: He who must be president talks to Newsmax; Egypt looks to Communist China as a diplomatic foil against Washington (Jamestown Foundation via Uighur American Association); and F. Michael Maloof examines the Communists' plans for an aircraft carrier (Noisy Room).

Communist China to pass Japan in car production by 2010: A study by JD Power-Automotive cited "Japanese producers . . . shifting production to China" (BBC) as one of the reasons.

What passes for justice in Communist China: A cadre rapes a young girl and gets a two-week unpaid vacation, while a Falun Gong practitioner is sent to a prison camp for three years (Epoch Times).

Ex-Communists pass 20 million: As the truth about the Communist regime spread, more and more of the Chinese people turn away in disgust (Epoch Times).

Beijing surrender snags again as John Bolton rips it: The $25 million in frozen Stalinist funds that was never supposed to be part of the February 13 nuclear agreement has in fact frozen the deal itself (BBC). Meanwhile, former UN Ambassador John Bolton gave the deal a much-deserved rhetorical double-barrel: "The February 13 agreement let North Korea out of the corner it had put itself in . . . Time works in North Korea's favor and against our interest" (Worldwide Standard). Sadly, dovish South Korea missed the memo (BBC and Agence France-Press via Washington Times).