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CHINA E-LOBBY UPDATE: JULY 9, 2003
RALLY FOR FALUN GONG: For those of you in the Washington, D.C. area, or anyone else who�d like to make the trip, Friends of Falun Gong is holding a rally in support of the spiritual movement on Tuesday, July 22 on the Lower West Terrace Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. More detailed information on the day�s events can be found here.
TOP STORY: HONG KONG �ANTI-SUBVERSION� BILL POSTPONED
�SHOCK� MOVE COMES AFTER LIBERAL PARTY SWITCHES TO OPPOSITION; PRO-DEMOCRACY FORCES PUSHING TO HAVE ALL CITY OFFICIALS ELECTED BY BALLOTS
Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa � �cornered by HK people power� as Willy Wo-Lap Lam, CNN 7/8, put it � was forced to delay a vote on the much reviled �anti-subversion� bill that was supposed to become law today. Tung�s decision came after the Liberal Party, previously supportive of Tung, came out against the bill (CNN, Cybercast News, BBC 7/7).
The move by the Liberals, which included the cabinet resignation of party leader James Tien, gave the pro-democracy forces in the Legislative Council a majority against the bill � a stunning development given the fact that the Communists appointed the majority of the council. Tung also made some changes to the bill itself. Also reporting: Washington Post
Over 350,000 � the latest estimates put the crowd at half a million � marched through the streets of Hong Kong to oppose the bill, which banned, among other things, �theft of state secrets� � the great Communist catch-all for anything that embarrasses the so-called People�s Republic (see last Update).
Pro-democracy forces are now pushing to have the people elect the entire LegCo and the Chief Executive � Tung was appointed by a Communist-picked panel in 1997 and last year. Meanwhile, most are expecting the Communists, desperate to avoid the spread of �people power� to the mainland, will have a much deeper hand in running the city (Lam 7/7).
Already, some are calling the events of the past week the �Hong Kong democracy disease.� More protestors came to the streets today, to call for the bill to be scrapped entirely (BBC 7/9). For more on Hong Kong, see Hong Kong News.
NEWS ON COMMUNIST CHINA, EAST TURKESTAN, AND THE TERRORIST WAR
SIX PRC FIRMS, INCLUDING NORINCO, HIT WITH SANCTIONS FOR AIDING IRAN
The Bush Administration hit six Communist Chinese firms with sanctions �for selling weapons technology to Iran� (BBC). This is not the first time for several of the affected firms, including the PRC-run Norinco (see 5/28 Update). One North Korean firm was also cited for arms sales to the Islamic regime.
Check out the Communist China and the Terrorist War page.
NORTH KOREA NEWS
ROH MOO-HYUN IN BEIJING, TALKS CENTER ON NORTH KOREAN NUKES
South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun is in Beijing for a three-day trip, a visit �dominated by the confrontation over North Korea's nuclear weapons programme� (BBC). Roh met with PRC President Hu Jintao, who repeated the never-ending Communist call for the U.S. to �earnestly consider the security concerns of North Korea� (CNN).
For more on Communist China�s Stalinist ally, sign up for Monday�s North Korea Report.
OTHER AMERICAN-RELATED NEWS
PATRICIA LEUNG OUT ON BAIL
Ugh! A federal court allowed �Parlor Maid� Katrina Leung � the FBI agent who doubled as a Communist spy (see 4/16 and 4/23 Updates) � to post $2 million bail. Leung is now free, albeit on electronic monitor and without her passport. Report: Washington Post
HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS NEWS
FOUR PRIESTS AND ONE DEACON ARRESTED
Communist China arrested one deacon and four priests from the Roman Catholic Church after they attempt to meet a fellow priest who had just been released from a labor camp. Over 10 million Catholics reject the Communist-run Catholic Church and remain loyal to the Church under Pope John Paul II. Report: Zenit.org via Newsmax
OTHER MAINLAND NEWS
INTERNET BUBBLE PUTS COMMUNIST INTERNET FIRMS IN THE MONEY
The three major Communist Chinese internet firms are �awash with cash� (BBC) after a sea change in their outlooks from a year ago. However, some feel this is nothing more than a speculative bubble that, like many sectors in the PRC, is bound to burst.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
AOL GIVING UP ON COMMUNIST CHINA TV
America Online, which owns Turner Broadcasting, is unloading a majority stake in a television channel it hoped would do well in Communist China. The sale was part of large-scale withdrawal from the PRC by AOL. The buyer is a firm owned by Hong Kong tycoon and Communist sympathizer Li Ka-shing. Report: BBC
FROM THE FALUN GONG WAR: EXPAT MEDIA BEATS UP ON MOVEMENT IN QUEBEC
A Chinese newspaper in Quebec is under contempt charges in Quebec for inciting hatred of Falun Gong through advertisements �taken from quasi official statements made by the Chinese government� to smear Falun Gong practitioners in Canada. Report: Falun Dafa Information Center, courtesy David Jerke, Member since 2003
It was yet another example of the Communists extending their dictatorship into Chinese communities worldwide. In New York, it led to an assault of at least one practitioner (see last Update).
REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN) NEWS
TAIWAN LOOKING TO HONG KONG SITUATION, AND REUNIFICATION LOOKS REALLY BAD
The continuing saga of Hong Kong�s �anti-subversion� bill �are being closely watched in Taiwan� (Cybercast News). The situation has many in the island democracy moving away from any reunification with the Communist mainland, as Hong Kong�s �one country, two systems� dies a slow and painful death.
U.S. CELEBRATES FOURTH OF JULY IN TAIWAN, ENDING PREVIOUS SILENCE ON DAY
The United States ended years of quiet on July 4 in Taiwan � a silence that made Beijing very happy � and publicly celebrated Independence Day. Report: Washington Times
HONG KONG NEWS
BUDGET PROBLEMS COMPOUNDED BY POLITICAL CRISIS
Hong Kong�s political situation on the �anti-subversion� bill (see Top Story) has already had a damaging effect on Hong Kong�s economy, with the Communist-appointed regime of Tung Chee-hwa �powerless� to solve its budget crisis (BBC). The city government is now deep in the red after massive spending during Tung�s regime, without the revenue to back it up.
No news was reported from Tibet this week.
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