| Sign the Boycott Petition: In reaction to the decision of the International Olympic Committee awarding Beijing the 2008 Olympic Games, the China e-Lobby has begun a petition for an American boycott of those Games. Those who wish to e-sign the petition can do so at the following page (part of the China e-Lobby web site). CHINA E-LOBBY UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 5, 2001 TOP STORY: BUSH OFFERS MISSILE DEFENSE DATA TO COMMUNIST CHINA REPORT OF ACCEPTANCE OF PRC NUCLEAR BUILDUP SPURS OUTRAGE, DENIAL The Bush Administration announced a stunning pair of decisions over the weekend. The Administration let known their intentions to �share information about the system with China,� as a way of showing the proposed missile defense is only intended to ward off potential attack from rogue states � e.g. Iran, Iraq, North Korea, and Libya. All of them, by the way, are military clients of the People�s Republic of China. Links: BBC, Washington Post As if that wasn�t bad enough, reports in major newspapers had the Administration dropping its opposition to the PRC�s nuclear weapons buildup, modernization, and nuclear testing (see Post link above). That set off alarm bells all over Washington, and the Administration was issuing a flurry of denials about the idea early this week. Links: Fox News, CNN, Washington Post, Washington Times Communist China, meanwhile, still opposes the missile defense idea, with or without the U.S. condoning its planned military buildup. CNN reported the opposition as near absolute, while the Washington Post said the PRC might be open to a �serious dialogue,� and the information transfer. Link: CNN, Washington Post OTHER AMERICAN-RELATED NEWS U.S. MISSILE LAUNCHES IN PRC AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFERS TO SAME BANNED BY BUSH Oddly enough, the egregious ideas in the Top Story cast a shadow on the strongest policy decision of the entire Bush Administration. Reacting to reports of Communist Chinese missile parts sold to Pakistan. The Administration placed sanctions on the firm involved � China Metallurgical Equipment Corporation � and banned American satellite launches and technology transfers in Communist China. Links: CNN, Washington Times, Washington Post U.S. GOVERNMENT MAY USE NEW SOFTWARE TO GET AROUND PRC BLOCKERS The Voice of America, whose broadcasts into Eastern Europe put the lie to Soviet propaganda, is looking at new software dubbed Triangle Boy to get around web blockers put up by the People�s Republic of China. The VOA, set to launch a Chinese site today, is hoping to use the software, which camouflages the source of the site accessed, thus slipping past the Communist net-watcher programs. Link: CNN ARMY WAR COLLEGE SAYS TAIWAN STRAIT WAR COULD BE �SOONER RATHER THAN LATER� In the fall issue of its magazine Parameters, the Army War College examines the situation across the Taiwan Strait, and projects that �War over the Taiwan Strait could some sooner rather than later.� The issue included two other hawkish pieces on Communist China, stunning some in the capital, including the Washington Post, which called the articles �unusually bellicose.� Link: Washington Post The article on Taiwan, written by National Defense University Professor Richard Russell, shifts away from the previous skepticism on the PRC military, examining the likelihood and effectiveness of a surprise attack before American ships and troops would be able to aid the island democracy. This would allow the Communists to, in Russell�s words, �compensate for shortcomings in military capabilities.� CUSTOMS ARRESTS TWO, BLOCK ATTEMPT TO EXPORT ENCRYPTION DEVICES TO PRC The U.S. Customs Service blocked the export of military encryption devices bound for Communist China, and arrested two men with trying to export them. They tried to get the devices � which are �among the most sensitive items on the U.S. munitions list� � to the PRC despite knowing its illegality. Links: Washington Times � Courtesy Ron Vogel, Member since 2000, CNN PRC WANTS FOX PARENT COMPANY, AOL TIME WARNER TO AIR PROPAGANDA IN U.S. Communist China has said it would allow Rupert Murdoch�s New Corporation (owner of Fox) and AOL Time Warner (owner of the �WB�) into the PRC television market, but only in Guangdong province. In exchange, the companies would have to air the state-run China Central Television in the U.S. Neither company has yet agreed to broadcast Communist propaganda, but it doesn�t look like a deal-breaker. Links: CNN, BBC It should be noted that Murdoch has been so desperate to get into this market that his son called Falun Gong a �cult,� and trashed it in terms that stunned the audience to which he spoke (see earlier update.) CIA WARNED FBI OF FLAWS IN WEN HO LEE INVESTIGATION A 1997 CIA document reported on by the Washington Times cast great doubt in the then-�stalled� investigation of Wen Ho Lee. The document is classified, so what criticism the CIA had is unknown. Lee pled guilty to copying classified nuclear codes. Communist China managed to catch up quickly to the U.S. in nuclear weapons technology. Many believe that was due to stolen American nuclear codes. Link: Washington Times HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS NEWS AT LEAST TWO, POSSIBLY FIVE, FALUN GONG PRACTITIONERS DIE IN POLICE CUSTODY Communist officials confirmed reports from Falun Gong that two practitioners died in while in police custody. The Communists said Wu Liangjie fell out a window, and that Chen Qiulan suffered a heart attack. The spiritual movement claims Chan was beaten to death, while Wu�s body was thrown out the window after he died. No Communist official commented on three other deaths claimed by the group. Links: CNN, BBC OTHER MAINLAND NEWS AIDS COULD BECOME EPIDEMIC WITHOUT QUICK ACTION Dr. Helene Gayle said Communist China has �a few years� to stop the spread of AIDS from hitting epidemic proportions. The PRC has finally begun admitting to a heavy AIDS-infected population � they say 600,000; outside observers say it�s much higher. Gayle, the AIDS director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Beijing�s window of opportunity is less than a decade. Link: Washington Times A large part of the massive spread is due to a blood donor scheme in the 1980s, in which needles were re-used, and state doctors mixed donors� blood before re-injecting it into the donors. Villages that took place in the program have infection rates approaching two-thirds (see previous updates). LIST OF NEW UNDERGRADUATES, AND HIGH-RANKING SPONSORS, CAUSES ANGER Jiaotong University released a list of its new undergraduate students, and the �names of senior officials who were either related to the student or supported their application.� The list stunned many in Communist China, where favoritism and corruption run rampant in nearly every sector, including education. Link: BBC THANKS TO OVERDEVELOPMENT AND WATER DIVERSION, YELLOW RIVER IS DYING The Yellow River, a waterway twice the size of the Mississippi, is dying. Due to several dams, and a host of over water �diversion� projects, areas of the river �lay dry for more than 200 days� in 1997. Tributaries are also drying up. The Washington Times�s Erling Hoh reports that �rulers (in the PRC) have been judged by their ability to manage the Yellow River,� which could soon become �a vast ditch.� Link: Washington Times INTERNATIONAL NEWS JIANG VISITS NORTH KOREA Communist President Jiang Zemin visited North Korea this week. Jiang reportedly told North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il to �open up more to the rest of the world.� Kim�s Communist regime did call for new talks with South Korea, which is coming under increasing fire from its own people for softness towards the North. Jiang also discussed �countering� the missile defense system proposed by President Bush. Links: CNN � Jiang in N. Korea, CNN � S. Korean cabinet quits REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN) NEWS PRC GIVE FAINT PRAISE TO �THREE LINKS,� DEMANDS �ONE CHINA� AGAIN Communist China hinted that direct trade and transport links to Taiwan would be up in the air until ROC President Chen Shui-bian accept the �One China� principle. Chen ahs never accepted the PRC version of �one China,� which for the Communists means the only real China is the PRC. Beijing has been mum on the idea, part of the �three links� along with investment, ever since ROC officials floated it last year. Link: CNN CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON BANNED FROM PRC BUSINESS DEALS DUE TO TAIWAN TIES As if to reiterate the point of politics over economics, Communist officials have blocked Credit Suisse First Boston, an investment bank, from business in the PRC. CSFB hosted ROC Finance Minister Yen Ching-chang, at a Hong Kong investment conference last spring, and has been a promoter of Taiwan technology firms. Beijing called that �political misconduct�(!) and banned the bank from the PRC. Link: CNN - 8/31, CNN - 9/4 Within days, the Communist action against CSFB was having an effect. Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs pulled out of organizing conferences to highlight business opportunities in the island democracy �over fears of upsetting China's government.� The ROC government, however, will persevere. Finance Minister Yen Ching-Chang said if need be, Taiwan could organize the conferences itself. Link: BBC ROC-BASED CHINA AIRLINES BUYS 25% OF MAINLAND-BASED CHINA CARGO China Airlines, the main airline of Taiwan, has agreed to buy 25% of China Cargo owned by PRC-based China Eastern. Beijing and Taipei must still approve the deal. Link: BBC, CNN TIBET NEWS RUSSIA BLOCKS DALAI LAMA VISA, FORCES POSTPONEMENT OF TRIP TO MONGOLIA The Dalai Lama, Tibet�s spiritual leader, has been forced to delay a trip to Mongolia after Russia turned down his request for a visa. Russia denied even knowing of the visa request. Links: CNN, BBC NEWLY ELECTED PRIME MINISTER OF EXILED GOVERNMENT WANTS TALKS WITH PRC Samdhong Rinpoche, the newly elected Prime Minister of Tibet, asked for �international help� with his efforts to have bilateral talks with the PRC. The new PM, the first to be elected by the exiled population in India, reaffirmed the policy of the Dalai Lama, Tibet�s spiritual leader, of seeking autonomy with Communist China. Beijing has often accused him of desiring Tibetan independence. Link: Agence France Presse in the Washington Times No news from Hong Kong or Xinjiang/East Turkestan reached the press this week. Feel free to forward this to anyone you think might be interested in receiving this. Anyone who wishes to join can send his/her name and e-mail address to [email protected]. Please visit our web site. |