| CHINA E-LOBBY UPDATE: NOVEMBER 8, 2000 COMMENTARY ON U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION As most of you know by now, the presidential election this year is the closest in decades. The two major party nominees are �going into extra innings� with the recount in Florida. Yet one issue was sorely lacking from the campaign: how to deal with Communist China. Both men support engagement with the People�s Republic of China, PNTR, and �One China,� the notion that the only legitimate government is in Beijing, and no legitimacy can be granted to Taipei. One can only wonder what the results would have been if one of these two candidates had taken a stand for freedom against Communist China during the campaign. In every election since World War II where Communism was an issue, either the USSR or the PRC, the more anti-Communist candidate has won. The only exception � 1964 � saw the �less� anti-Communist candidate actually fighting a war with the Communists (Vietnam) on Election Day. Even in 1992, then-Governor Bill Clinton slammed President Bush on �coddling dictators in Beijing.� With the Soviet Union gone, this ironically established him as the most anti-Communist candidate in that race. Of course, much has changed since then. Could an anti-Communist China policy have changed the outcome? Well, with a few more votes from Tennessee, Arkansas, and West Virginia, Gore doesn�t need Florida. A few more votes from Wisconsin, New Mexico, and Iowa gives Bush the same security. All are states in �fly-over country.� Sophisticated thinking like �engagement� is not in fashion there. Standing up for American values against the largest, cruelest, most corrupt, and most dangerous totalitarian state on the face of the earth is. The only candidates willing to at least stand against PNTR were Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanan, and Howard Phillips. Nader and Buchanan will each have a vote total in Florida larger than the margin of victory. Isn�t that all we need to know? Donald E. �D.J.� McGuire, Co-Chair and President, China e-Lobby Now for the News: TOP STORY: POLITICAL CRISIS IN TAIWAN PRESIDENT CHEN APOLOGIZES FOR HANDLING OF NUCLEAR PLANT CANCELLATION President Chen Shui-bian, faced with an opposition ready to force a recall on him, apologized for his handling of the cancellation of a nuclear power plant, according to the Washington Post. He apologized personally to Lien Chan, whose Nationalist Party controls the legislature, for the "inappropriate" timing. The decision was announced just after a meeting with Lien on the issue, a heavy embarrassment for him. Link: Washington Post Chen did not reverse himself on the plant, and the opposition said the recall motion, which needs a two-thirds vote in the legislature, will go forward. Chen's Democratic Progressive Party suggested they might try to force legislative elections as well, which could hurt the Nationalists. BBC reported this week that the Nationalists, supported by other opposition parties on this issue, did not give a date for a vote on the recall motion. Link: BBC The Washington Post reported today the remarks of a senior Nationalist in Taiwan who demanded Chen give up control of foreign policy to get the Nationalists to drop a recall motion. The paper also noted that most Taiwanese oppose a recall. Link: Washington Post For two perspectives on the political crisis in Taiwan, the Washington Post looks at the curious story of Lo Fu Chu, a man widely believed to be a mob boos but who now, as an independent in the ROC Legislature, could hold the key to President Chen�s fate. Asiaweek�s Allen Cheng presents his opinion, namely that President Chen, if he can compromise, will survive. For more news on Taiwan, see Republic of China (Taiwan) News. Links: Washington Post, Asiaweek XIAMEN SCANDAL: 14 OFFICIALS SENTENCED TO DEATH The multi-billion dollar smuggling scandal based in Xiamen claimed its first victims today. BBC reports 14 officials, including the former deputy mayor, were given death sentences by Communist judges. Twelve more were given life in prison, 58 received shorter prison terms. More verdicts may come down after this update is sent. Link: BBC OTHER CORRUPTION NEWS TWO GIVEN DEATH, TWO MORE LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR CORRUPTION AFP reports this week that Communist China has given the death penalty to Ouyang Song for taking over $100,000 in bribes. His former deputy, Liao Zizhong, received a suspended death sentence. Meanwhile, two ex-officials in Guanxi province, She Guoxin, a former assistant to the Guanxi governor, and Yu Fanglin, formerly regional secretary for the Communist Party, were sentenced to life in prison last week for corruption. Links: AFP - death sentences, AFP - life sentences FOUR IN GUANGXI PROVINCE JAILED FOR BRIBERY Communist China sentenced three government officials and one hotel manager for their roles in taking and receiving bribes. The charges involve the circle of corruption surrounding Cheng Keije, a former Communist Party central committee member who was the highest ranking official to be executed for corruption earlier this year. Link: AFP COMMUNISTS STILL BATTLING "SECOND WIFE" PHENOMENON Yangcheng Evening News has called upon the Communists to do more to fight adultery in government and party leaders. As Communists run the paper, one can't be surprised to hear the subject was recently up for discussion in the Communist legislature. Mistresses usually link up with high-ranking officials "to escape poverty," according to AFP. Corruption usually follows, which is what has the Communists so worried. Link: AFP HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS NEWS YET ANOTHER FALUN GONG DEATH AT THE HANDS OF COMMUNIST POLICE Zou Songtao, biology professor at Qingdao Maritime University in eastern Shandong province, died Saturday in the Number Three Shandong Reform Through Education Camp in Zibo city. Zou became the latest of over 50 Falun Gong members to die in police custody or hours after their release. The Information Center on Human Rights and Democracy reported his death. AFP couldn�t get the camp to respond to their inquiries. Link: AFP COMMUNIST CHINA TAKES BATTLE AGAINST FREE SPEECH TO WEB CHAT ROOMS BBC reports this week that Communist China, desperate to control the content of speech on the internet, has issued new regulations that hold web sites responsible for any content in chat rooms they host that may be �illegal.� This, of course, means just about whatever the Communists want it to mean, effectively turning the web site owners into outsourced agents of the police state�s battle against the Communists� �enemies.� Link: BBC TWO FALUN GONG FOLLOWERS ARRESTED IN LIAONING FOR HANDING OUT LEAFLETS AFP reports two Falun Gong practitioners in Liaoning province were arrested by police for printing and distributing leaflets in and around their homes. Despite a Communist ban now in its eighteenth month, Falun Gong continues to give Communist China fits, as seen in a major two-day protest held in Tiananmen Square last week, as reported in the last update. Link: AFP COMMUNIST CHINA LOOKING FOR ESCAPED ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST The Information Center on Human Rights and Democracy in China reported this week that the Communists have sent agents into Southeast Asia to find and recapture Peng Ming, a leading ecological activist in the PRC. Peng, previously held in a labor camp for 18 months, escaped from PRC last month, as reported in previous updates. Police ransacked his home in response, which put his mother to the hospital for shock. Link: AFP AMERICAN-RELATED NEWS U.S. MILITARY CHIEF MEETS WITH COMMUNIST CHINESE COUNTERPART General Hugh Shelton, head of the U.S. military Joint Chiefs of Staff, met last week with General Fu Quanyou. The two discussed several issues, including the American plans for missile defenses, which are based on fears of weapons of mass destruction from many countries to whom the PRC sells military technology and hardware, and U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan. Communist China hotly opposes both. Link: AFP CLINTON, JIANG TO MEET IN BRUNEI DURING APEC SUMMIT AFP reports that President Bill Clinton will meet with his Communist Chinese counterpart next week in Brunei for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. The two have usually held summits �on the sidelines� during the annual meeting. Link: AFP INTERNATIONAL NEWS RUSSIA, COMMUNIST CHINA IN TALKS FOR ADVANCE AIR RADAR SYSTEM AFP reported that talks have begun for the sale of the Russian A-50 Beriev advanced radar system. It was this system that the U.S. was so worried about in the now cancelled Israeli plane sale to the PRC. Russia has been a major military supplier for Communist China. Meanwhile, PRC Prime Minister Zhu Rongji said ties with Russia are in �the best period ever,� before meeting with his Russian counterpart, Mikhail Kasyanov. Link: AFP CODE OF CONDUCT ON SPRATLYS UNLIKELY THIS YEAR An officials at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) told reporters prospects were dim for an agreement on a �code of conduct� for the hotly contested Spratly Islands. Communist China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Brunei have claimed all or part of the strategic archipelago. Vietnam and the PRC exchanged gunfire over them in 1988. Link: AFP REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN) NEWS COMMUNIST CHINA CALLS ON NEXT PRESIDENT TO RESPECT �COMMITMENTS� ON ROC Communist China, through Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao, called on the next American President to �observe the commitments of the United States in the three Sino-U.S. joint communiqu�s ... and properly handle the Taiwan question,� according to AFP. While the Communists publicly prefer Vice President Gore, many analyst feel their comfort level with Governor Bush is just as high. Both back PNTR and �one China.� Link: AFP NEW PRC MISSILE COULD THREATEN TAIWAN Richard Fisher, a military expert at the Jamestown Foundation, told AFP that Communist China's newest missile, which it has not named yet, could be a grave threat to Taiwan. He said the new missile, which is super-sonic and designed to take out radar systems, is a "big problem" for the ROC. CNN has a piece on Taiwan's military situation in general. Links: AFP, CNN VANUATU'S PRIME MINISTER DASHES HOPES OF SWITCHING RECOGNITION TO TAIPEI Barak Tame Sope, Prime Minister of Vanuatu, told Communist Chinese PM Zhu Rongji the South Pacific nation supported the PRC view on "one China." Reports from Taiwan had suggested Sope might switch Vanuatu's recognition to the ROC, but Sope gave no indication of that in his talks with Zhu, according to Communist state television. Link: AFP INVESTIGATORS SAY PILOT IN AIRPLANE CRASH USED WRONG RUNWAY According to CNN, the Taiwan Aviation Safety Council has found pilot error to blame for the crash of SQ006, which killed 81 people as of Friday. Kay Yong, the Council�s managing director, says the pilot had taken the wrong runway from which to take off. The pilot and several passengers have said the plane �hit something before take off.� Link: CNN HONG KONG NEWS CHINA CRITIC DEMOTED BY NEWSPAPER, LOSS OF PRESS FREEDOM FEARED One week after PRC President Jiang Zemin�s tirade, the South China Morning Post has demoted its China editor, Willy Lam. Lam said the demotion was due to his reports angering leaders in Beijing and Hong Kong. According to the BBC, another paper, which was not named, reported Lam was demoted for exposing links between the Communists and several of Hong Kong�s wealthiest tycoons. Lam said he would resign. Link: BBC COMMUNIST OFFICIAL EXHORTS TUNG CHEE-HWA TO GOVERN "BETTER THAN THE BRITISH" Li Ruihuan, a leading Communist official visiting Hong Kong spoke to officials in the city's government this week, and spurred them to govern �better than the British,� according to AFP. Li noted that �the world is still watching over you to see if you can run Hong Kong well.� Later, Li called on Hong Kong�s elite to support Tung, who's popularity is at an all time low. Link: AFP TIBET NEWS UK PUSHING COMMUNIST CHINA TO OPEN UP ACCESS TO YOUNG PANCHEN LAMA BBC reported the United Kingdom is leaning on Communist China to allow public access to the 11-year-old Panchen Lama, who has been in Communist custody ever since the Dalai Lama chose him. The Communist tried to appoint a rival Panchen Lama, but few Tibetans will follow him. The boy chosen by the Dalai Lama hasn�t been seen in years. Link: BBC DALAI LAMA ISSUES STATEMENT ON SOUTH KOREA BLOCKING HIS VISIT TO SEOUL In a statement released by the Tibetan government-in-exile, the Dalai Lama expressed �regret� at South Korea�s decision to block his visit to the capital city. Zatul Rimpoche, head of the exiled government�s Tokyo office, also expressed his disappointment, noting the invitation to Seoul was from a civilian group inviting the Dalai Lama not as a political figure, but a religious one. Source: Yonhap News Agency (BBC Monitoring). Link: AFP No Xinjiang/East Turkestan News 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]. |