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CHINA E-LOBBY UPDATE: DECEMBER 1, 2004
Dragon in the Dark: How and Why Communist China Helps Our Enemies in the War on Terror is now available here (or call 1-888-280-7715).
The next Summer Olympics begin in Beijing at 8AM EST on August 8, 2008 (BBC). Will the U.S. take part in a Communist Chinese version of the Munich Nazi propaganda event of 1936? Sign the petition for an American boycott of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
TOP STORY: DEATH TOLL IN HANYUAN COUNTY �CANNOT BE ESTIMATED�
�STAGGERING� SLAUGHTER BY MILITARY TERRORIZES ANTI-DAM LOCALS INTO SILENCE; CONSTURCTION OF DAM CONTINUES DESPITE PRC PLEDGE TO SUSPEND IT
Voice of America (via Epoch Times) managed to get Luis Ramirez into Hanyuan County, where the military forces of the People�s Republic crushed a massive protest against land seizures by local cadres to build a power dam. One local, who wisely �did not want his name used,� guessed the number of protestors killed by the Communist military to be �more than 10,000�.
While such a number � or any number � was �impossible to independently verify,� other locals gave �accounts of staggering death tolls.� If the number is even remotely accurate, it would be three times the estimated number killed in Tiananmen Square in 1989; as on that fateful June 4, �troops fired on the unarmed demonstrators.�
The dam �will force 100,000 people from their homes.� A roughly equal number of protestors filled the streets of Hanyuan County and tried to shut down dam construction (see 11/10, 11/17, and last Updates). The Communists pledged to halt said construction, but according to this report, �it is apparent that work on the dam has in fact continued.�
It should be noted that the decision to send in the military was made by �both the central government and the Sichuan provincial authorities,� meaning that the Hanyuan November massacre can be laid at the feet of �reformer� Hu Jintao.
NEWS ON THE FALUN GONG WAR
TORTURED PRACTITIONER ESCAPES FROM COMMUNISTS� CLUTCHES . . .
Gao Rongrong, a Falun Gong practitioner who was horrifically tortured while imprisoned by the Communists (see 7/21 Update), escaped her captors �with help from the No. 1 Hospital, affiliated with the China Medical University, on Oct. 5� (Epoch Times). The cadres in Shenyang, where she lived and was imprisoned, ordered �a widespread search� for her.
. . . WHILE ONE FROM HONG KONG DYING IN COMMUNIST PRISON
Sun Zhongwen, a practitioner from Hong Kong, is currently in a Communist prison for �possessing and mailing materials about the treatment of Falun Gong in China� (Epoch Times). Sun�s health �has rapidly deteriorated under grueling prison conditions.�
CADRE FACING LAWSUIT IN ZAMBIA SLIPS OUT OF THE COUNTRY
Gansu Province party boss Su Rong snuck out of Zambia, defying an order by its High Court to appear and answer a lawsuit by Falun Gong practitioners for his role as head of the Jilin Province anti-Falun Gong unit, known as the �6-10 Office.� Su has returned to the PRC, and vowed �never to leave the country again� (Epoch Times). See also 11/17 Update.
OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS NEWS
LONGTIME ACTIVIST RELEASED, BUT OVER TWENTY MORE HELD
Liu Jingsheng, a pro-democracy activist since 1978, was released early from his prison term for �inciting counter-revolutionary subversion� (BBC). However, Liu�s �political rights and freedom of speech would be limited for four years after his release.� Meanwhile, the PRC detained over twenty people �as they tried to attend the trial of activist Ye Guozhu.�
GOOGLE BLOCKED, AGAIN, BY COMMUNIST CHINA
Communist China has resumed �blocking access to Google News� (BBC), according to Reporters Without Borders. The Google block comes despite the firm buckling under to Communist self-censorship demands (see 9/29 and 10/21 Updates).
COMMUNIST-ORDERED MEDIA SILENCE ON RUZHOU MURDERS STOKE FEAR IN HENAN
When eight students in Ruzhou were killed in their sleep by an unnamed knife-wielder, Communist China ordered its media to keep silent. The move �made the anxious citizens of Ruzhou even more panic-stricken� (BBC).
OTHER MAINLAND NEWS
SUPREME COURT MAY TAKE BACK CONTROL OF DEATH PENALTY CASES
Communist China�s Supreme Court �is close to finalizing (UK sp) a law which would make itself the body of ultimate appeal in capital cases� (BBC). The PRC Supreme Court �used to make the final decision on capital cases, but after Beijing launched a huge anti-crime drive at the outset of economic reform, that authority was delegated to high courts.�
Communist China will still execute offenders of �more than 60 different crimes, not just involving violence, but also, for example, serious charges of embezzlement and corruption.�
Check out the latest on the Communist China and the Terrorist War page.
NORTHERN KOREA NEWS
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COMMUNIST CHINA DENIES REPORTS OF TROOP DEPLOYMENT ON SCNK BORDER
The PRC �dismissed reports in a South Korean newspaper of an impending Chinese troop buildup along the border with North Korea� (Washington Post, last item). The denial comes amid reports of Stalinist-in-chief Kim Jong-il�s portraits coming down (see last Update).
COMMUNIST CHINA, JAPAN, AND ROK WANT SIX-PARTY TALKS TO RESUME
Communist China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (�South Korea�) expressed �hope that new talks on North Korea's nuclear programs can be held by year's end� (Washington Times, third item). The six-party talks on the Stalinist-controlled northern Korea�s nuclear ambitions include the aforementioned three, the U.S., Russia, and the Stalinists themselves.
There have been three previous rounds of the now-suspended six-party talks on ending Stalinist-controlled northern Korea�s nuclear weapons program. Outside of U.S. concessions and Stalinist hyperbole (see 6/30 Updates), the talks have not produced much.
OTHER AMERICAN-RELATED NEWS
HU JINTAO�S CAMPAIGN FOR LATIN AMERICAN ALLIES CONTINUES
The forays into Latin America by PRC President Hu Jintao (see 11/17 and last Update) are about more than business deals and the PRC�s �scramble for oil and other resources� (Willy Lam, China Briefs, via Epoch Times). It is also �a challenge to the 1823 Monroe Doctrine, which implies that Central and Latin America lie within Washington's �sphere of influence.��
In fact, as Lam notes, the Hu gambit is not only building its �global clout,� but �is also set to yield a Taiwan-related bonus . . . Already, the 13 Central and Latin American countries that still recognize Taipei are facing intense pressure from their businessmen, who are barred from the lucrative China market because of the Taiwan factor.�
PRC PREMIER RIPS U.S. ON DOLLAR; THROWS COLD WATER ON REVALUATION . . .
Communist Premier Wen Jiabao �criticized the United States for not doing its part to keep the dollar from weakening� (Voice of America via Epoch Times), while at the same time �rejected pressure for exchange rate reforms.� The Communists currency has been pegged at a below-market value of just over 12 cents for a decade.
Analysts expect that a �floating� Communist currency would rise to roughly 16 cents, which would. The deliberate devaluation damages both American manufacturing and exporters among U.S. allies. Wen�s insistence that the U.S. should do more to prop up the dollar internationally � whatever its merit � ignores these concerns. Also reporting: CBS
. . . AS COMMUNIST CHINA DROPS U.S. BONDS
Meanwhile, Yu Yongding, a cadre who sits on Communist China�s central bank, mentioned that the PRC �had cut its holdings of US government debt� (Financial Times, UK). This sent the dollar plunging, but the Communist peg is still in place. While the PRC can�t unload U.S. bonds forever without revaluation, it could do serious damage to the dollar in the meantime.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
PRC-OWNED OIL FIRM LOOKING AT CANADIAN HUSKY ENERGY
The PRC-owned oil firm Sinopec �is in talks with Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. and its controlling shareholder Li Ka-shing to buy all or part of their controlling stake in Canada's Husky Energy Inc� (Dow Jones via Yahoo). Hutchison Whampoa and Li�s family each own more than a third of Husky. Li himself is a well-known pro-Communist Hong Kong �tycoon.�
JAPAN�S PRIME MINISTER SAYS AID TO COMMUNIST CHINA MAY BE PHASED OUT
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told the Association of South East Nations (ASEAN) summit that due to the white-hot PRC economy, Japan may soon end economic development aid to Communist China (Epoch Times). Koizumi�s statement comes on the heels of after a Communist submarine penetration of Japanese waters (see 11/17 Update).
RUSSIA HELPING BUILD NUCLEAR PLANTS IN COMMUNIST CHINA
A CIA report noted that �Russia is playing a key role in building nuclear power reactors in Iran, China and India� (Bill Gertz, Washington Times). Russia is already Communist China�s largest weapons supplier (see 6/26/02 and 7/17/02 Updates).
EUROPEAN UNION NOTES MARKET THREATS FROM COMMUNIST CHINA
A report by Guenther Verheugen, European Union Enterprise and Industry Commissioner, detailed �China's lightning advance into the production of cars, computers and high-tech industry� (London Telegraph), which is now �a serious threat to Europe's economic base.�
COMMUNIST CHINA SIGNS SORT-OF-FREE-TRADE PACT WITH ASEAN
The PRC signed an agreement for a free-trade zone with the ten members of the Association of South East Nations (ASEAN) � Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. However, �sensitive goods,� i.e., sugar, iron, steel, and cars, are exempt from the deal. Reports: BBC, Cybercast News, Newsmax
SHANGHAI AUTO LOOKING FOR MORE
Fresh off the news that it is effectively taking over MG Rover (see last Update), PRC-owned Shanghai Automotive announced plans for �a new holding company -Shanghai Automotive Group -to house all its car manufacturing interests� (BBC). This would joint ventures with Volkswagen, General Motors, and the Republic of Korea�s Ssangyong Motor Corporation.�
COMMUNIST CHINA PELEDGES TO BE ANTI-PIRACY �MODEL�
Communist China is now claiming it wants to be �an Asia-Pacific model in the fight against theft of intellectual property rights� (VOA via Epoch Times). They have a long way to go: Jeff Hardee, Asia-Pacific director of the Business Software Alliance noted, that �nine out of 10 software programs in China last year were pirated.�
COMMUNIST CHINA TO ALLOW A VOTE � ON MISS WORLD
Communist China is hosting this year�s Miss World pageant, which is �is the first where the winner will be chosen by the public and not judges� (BBC). Naturally, the Communists ensured an event tied to a free vote would be banished to the geographical fringes of the PRC � in this case Hainan Island.
OTHER REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN) NEWS
COMMUNIST CHINA HINTS AGAIN AT POSSIBLE ATTACK BY 2008
Once again, the PRC issued a threat of �a conflict� (Washington Times) in Taiwan �between 2006 and 2008� if the island democracy formally declares independence. It should be noted that Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian has never even hinted at such a thing.
U.S. SAYS INDEPENDENCE MOVE NO; NEW CONSTITUTION MAYBE
Communist China�s latest threat came in response to Chen�s call for a new constitution for the island democracy, to replace the antiquated 1947 document. The United States repeated earlier objections to �a referendum to change the Taiwan-China status quo� (Cybercast News), but refused to oppose a referendum on a new constitution per se.
ANTI-COMMUNIST DISSIDENTS ASK FOR TAIWAN TO RELEASE TWO OF THEIR OWN
A group dissidents from the mainland and in exile have asked the ROC to free two activists who �escaped to Taiwan after being released from prison in the mainland, only to find themselves being held at a detention centre� (BBC), largely due to the fact Taiwan �does not have an asylum law.� Hopefully that will change after this month�s legislative elections.
NEWS ON THE VELVET CRACKDOWN (HONG KONG)
PRO-COMMUNIST LEGCO MEMBERS SHOOT DOWN REFERENDUM ON DEMOCRACY
A proposed referendum in Hong Kong on direct elections for the Chief Executive and all members of the Legislative Council was defeated by the Council itself, 31-20 (Kerala News, India). Half of the LegCo members, and the Chief Executive were appointed by largely pro-PRC panels. The elected half reflects the popular pro-democracy majority.
TIBET NEWS
DALAI LAMA BEGINS FIRST VISIT TO RUSSIA IN OVER A DECADE
For the first time in over ten years, Russia has allowed the Dalai Lama to enter the country, due to �the desires of more than a million Buddhists in our country, who have repeatedly called for a Dalai Lama visit� (BBC 11/29). Communist China was livid about the move (BBC 11/30). Also reporting: Cybercast News
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