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CHINA E-LOBBY UPDATE: DECEMBER 8, 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: EU BAN ON ARMS SALES TO COMMUNIST CHINA HOLDS, FOR NOW
The European Union announced today it was �not ready to lift its 15-year-old arms embargo on China� (BBC). However, the EU �confirmed its political will to continue to work towards lifting the embargo,� which was imposed on the People�s Republic in the wake of the Tiananmen massacre. Naturally, the Communists �welcomed� the latter statement.
The embargo can only be lifted if all EU members agree to do so. In the past, the Netherlands � currently hosting a PRC-EU summit � and Sweden have repeatedly held firm. Newer EU members Poland and the Czech Republic have recently joined them, (see 11/12/03, 12/10/03, 1/28, 2/4, 3/17, 3/24, 3/31, 6/2, and 10/13, and 11/24 Updates).
Sadly, Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot Talked of lifting the ban next year (China Support Network). However, his boss, Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, was not so sure: �there is a possibility but it is not a guarantee� (Financial Times, UK). EU spokeswoman Francoise le Bail hinted that Communist human rights abuses were still a roadblock to any lifting.
GERMAN PARLIAMENT DEFIES CHANCELLOR AND SUPPORTS ARMS BAN
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Gerhardt Schroeder, �in China on Monday . . . to discuss trade and bilateral ties� (BBC) repeated his support of lifting the arms embargo, despite his own Parliament voting in favor of keeping it (Project for the New American Century).
NEWS ON COMMUNIST CHINA, EAST TURKESTAN, AND THE TERRORIST WAR
Check out the latest on the Communist China and the Terrorist War page.
MORE U.S. SANCTIONS HIT COMMUNIST FIRMS FOR SELLING WEAPONS TO IRAN
The U.S. imposed new sanctions on �four Chinese entities and a North Korean company� (Cybercast News) for �selling weapons or weapons-related technology� to Iran. A new firm to make the punished list was the PRC-owned Liaoning Jiayi Metals and Minerals Company. Communist China, naturally, ripped the move.
PRC DEFENDS ANNAN FROM RESIGNATION CALLS OVER OIL-FOR-FOOD SCANDAL
The Communists� China Daily mouthpiece came to the defense of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan as members of Congress called for his resignation over the oil-for-food scandal (Cybercast News). It should be noted that the PRC was a major recipient of oil-for-food � or to be more accurate in this case, oil-for-weapons � vouchers (see 10/13 Update).
NORTHERN KOREA NEWS
Sign up for Monday�s Northern Korea Report.
ROH MOO-HYUN SAYS TALKS SHOULD RESTART
Roh Moo-hyun, dovish President of the Republic of Korea (�South Korea�), �called on all sides to kick-start six-party talks to persuade North Korea to cooperate on its nuclear program� (Washington Post). Three previous rounds of the now-suspended six-party talks have produced little besides U.S. concessions (see 6/30 Updates).
OTHER AMERICAN-RELATED NEWS
COMMUNIST CHINA TESTS ICBM-CAPABLE SUBMARINE . . .
Communist China �has launched the first of a new class of ballistic missile submarines� (Bill Gertz, Washington Times). The new class, 094, is capable of carrying a 7,500-mile JL-2 missile, although the missile itself �failed over the summer� in a test flight. The PRC is still developing the JL-2, which when operation could hit the U.S. from �near [Chinese] waters.�
. . . ALL THE WHILE WITH TAIWAN �IN ITS SIGHTS�
Meanwhile, two American analysts told Serena Parker � Voice of America via Epoch Times � that Communist China�s massive military buildup and modernization is � to quote one of them, former U.S. Defense Department official Daniel Blumenthal � �focused on the short-term goal of coercing Taiwan to come to Beijing's terms.�
BIG BLUE GOES RED: IBM COMPUTER ARM SOLD TO PRC-OWNED FIRM
IBM has sold its personal computer business to Lenovo, an information technology firm founded by the PRC Academy of Sciences, for $1.75 billion. The acquisition makes the Communist-founded firm �the third biggest PC vendor in the world� (BBC). Also reporting: Voice of America via Epoch Times, Newsmax
TEXTILE IMPORTERS SUE TO LET COMMUNIST CHINESE IMPORTS ENTER U.S. UNFETTERED
The U.S. Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel has filed suit �to block a proposed limit on imports from China� (BBC). The move in response to a willingness by the U.S. to examine petitions by textile producers here that the expiration of worldwide textile quotas would lead to a flood of PRC imports that could wash domestic textile production away.
LEBRON JAMES BANNED IN COMMUNIST CHINA
Communist China has banned an advertisement of Cleveland Cavalier LeBron James �battling the martial arts expert and a pair of dragons, in a video game-style setting� (BBC). The PRC called the ad �blasphemous� because it showed LeBron scoring on the martial artists. Nike, still pining for those �1.3 billion customers,� weakly backed down.
CLINTON HAILS LAUNCH INTERNET SEARCH ENGINE BACKED BY PRC
Former President Bill Clinton offered good luck to the founders of Accoon Corporation, a new search engine who main claim to fame will be �data on some 5 million Chinese companies� (Newsmax), courtesy of �The Chinese government, one of (its) several large backers.�
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
COMMUNIST CHINA HID TRUTH ABOUT LOSSES AT PRC-OWNED FIRM BEFORE STOCK SALE
Chen Jiulin, CEO of China Aviation Oil, told a Singapore court that the firm�s PRC-owned holding company kept secret massive losses at CAO before unloading 15% of the stock on unsuspecting investors, many of whom, in the words of one Singapore investigator �lost it all� (VOA via Epoch Times). Chen is currently under arrest in Singapore (BBC).
FOREIGN FIRMS STILL NOT DOING WELL IN COMMUNIST CHINA
Profits for foreign firms in the PRC remained at �tepid� (Financial Times, UK) levels, according to China Economic Quarterly, which called the news �counter to the received wisdom about the abundant and lucrative opportunities.� CEQ Editor Joe Studwell further noted that �many foreign businesses in China are still struggling to make money at all.�
AIR CHINA TO BE LISTED IN HONG KONG AND LONDON
PRC airline Air China �is to make its overseas stock market debut with a dual listing in London and Hong Kong� (BBC). The firm �plans to raise $1bn (�514m) from the flotation.�
VIRGIN TO SET UP JOINT VENTURE ON CELL PHONES
Richard Branson, head of the Virgin conglomerate �said the group is in talks with a Chinese company over setting up a mobile phone service in mainland China� (BBC). Branson would not say which PRC-owned firm (all phone companies in the PRC are Communist-owned) was involved in the potential deal, which would be a �50-50� joint venture.
NEWS ON THE FALUN GONG WAR
PRACTITIONERS SUE COMMUNISTS IN DUTCH COURT
Falun Gong practitioners in the Netherlands �filed a legal complaint for genocide and torture� (Epoch Times) against former Central Military Commission Chair Jiang Zemin (the author of the crackdown), Li Lanqing (head of the �610 Office,� i.e., crackdown central) and PRC Commerce Minister Bo Xilai (former governor of Liaoning province).
EMBASSIES PULLING ANTI-FALUN GONG PROPAGANDA FROM WEBSITES
Meanwhile, in what may be simply a public relations move, the PRC has pulled articles defaming Falun Gong from its websites, and recent cadres visiting Thailand �surprised everyone by ceasing to defame Falun Gong to the Thai government� (Epoch Times).
OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS NEWS
DR. JIANG YANYONG STILL UNDER SURVEILLANCE
Dr. Jiang Yanyong, the retired military physician who blew the whistle on SARS in Beijing and later called for the Communists to admit the Tiananmen massacre was a mistake, �has since been strictly monitored by Chinese authorities� (Radio Free Asia via Epoch Times) and is �forbidden to participate in most social activities.�
Before keeping him under de facto house arrest, the Communists had imprisoned and tried to brainwash the good doctor. Their attempts to get him to recant were unsuccessful (see 4/9/03, 3/10, 3/24, 4/7, 6/10, 6/23, 7/7, and 7/21 Updates).
ANTI-DEATH PENALTY GROUP FINGERS PRC WITH 5,000 EXECUTIONS
According to Hands Off Cain, a group opposed to capital punishment, Communist China �carried out nearly 90 per cent of the world�s executions last year, putting at least 5,000 people to death� (The Scotsman, UK). The PRC habitually executes political prisoners and others for transgressions no one outside Communist China considers capital offenses.
Hands Off Cain�s figure might actually be an underestimation � one cadre whose tongue was a little too loose put the figure at 10,000 (see 3/17 Update) per year.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL EXPOSES MORE COMMUNIST TORTURE
A report by Amnesty International detailed �Torture and ill-treatment� (BBC) of human and labor rights activists by the Communist regime. The AI report �was timed to coincide with a summit of Chinese and European Union leaders� currently taking place in the Netherlands, where an EU arms embargo against the PRC may be lifted (see International News).
GOOGLE ENGLISH DISAPPEARS IN PRC
Communist China�s �massive firewall blockade� (Epoch Times) of Google (see 9/29, 10/21, and last Update) is in fact just aimed at Google�s English language version, in order �to force Internet users to use the Chinese version of the site, which has been purged of the most critical news reports,� purged by Google itself at the request of the Communists.
OTHER MAINLAND NEWS
COMMUNIST CHINA PLANNING FOR BIG PROPAGANDA PUSH NEXT MONTH
Communist China �has decided to launch an 18-month campaign� (Washington Post) of propaganda. The campaign will push the espoused theories of Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin, but most importantly, the Communists hope it will �strengthen the party's leading role in society,� i.e., help gin up popular support for the Communist dictatorship.
PRC SENDING MORE MONEY TO BAIL OUT BANKS
Communist China �looks set for a fresh bail-out of state banks� (BBC). In this case the banks set for an infusion of cash are the Agricultural Bank and the Industrial and Commercial Bank. The Bank of China and the China Construction Bank got $45 billion in bailout money earlier this year (see 1/7 Update).
�TIGHT� CREDIT RULES TO STAY IN PLACE UNTIL NEXT YEAR
Communist China will �continue into 2005� (BBC) stricter regulations against bank lending to business. However, �corporate investment is growing at more than 25% a year,� in large part because cadres re-label industrial enterprises as agricultural, and thus get around the rules, while �private� businesses are being suffocated (see 6/2, 7/21, and 8/12 Updates).
COMMUNIST CHINA HOLDS ELECTION � FOR BEAUTY PAGEANT
The Miss World Pageant (see last Update) wrapped up in Communist China with Miss Peru voted the winner by �audiences . . . voting by phone, SMS messaging, interactive TV and online� (BBC). Of course, an election is an election, and just to be safe, the Communists put the contest off the mainland, on the extremely southern Hainan Island.
REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN) NEWS
CAMPAIGN RALLIES HELD OVER NAMES
Two major rallies took place in Taipei, ostensibly over the name of the island democracy. The TSU �gathered an estimated 15,000 people to urge the government to change the island's name to �Republic of Taiwan�� (Washington Times, last item). The TSU and President Chen�s Democratic Progressive Party make up the anti-Communist �pan-green� coalition.
The �pan-blue� Nationalist and People First Parties brought out 60,000 �in support of Taiwan's official name, the Republic of China.� The pan-blues have tried cozying up to Communist China ever since Chen dethroned the Nationalists in the 2000 elections. Elections for Taiwan�s Parliament � the real reason the rallies were held � is Saturday.
Hong Kong was unusually quite this week.
TIBET NEWS
TIBETAN MONK FRAMED FOR BOMBING STILL LIKELY TO BE EXECUTED
Communist China �is suggesting it will go ahead with plans to execute Tibetan monk
Tensin Deleg Rinpoche� (VOA via Epoch Times), convicted by the Communists of a 2002 bombing in Sichuan province. The conviction against Tensin Deleg and Lobsang Dhondup, executed last year, earned criticism throughout the world (see 1/30/03 Update).
The Dalai Lama personally appealed to the Communists to spare the monk�s life; the Communists responded by calling him a �terrorist� (BBC).
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