| CHINA E-LOBBY UPDATE: MAY 9, 2001 TOP STORY: COMMUNIST CHINESE DEATH-ROW ORGAN TRADE EXPOSED DOCTORS COMING FORWARD WITH TALES PRC SELLING PRISONERS� ORGANS A frightening story from the Village Voice details the horrifying practice in Communist China of selling the organs of executed prisoners. According to exiled dissidents Harry Wu, the practice is so widespread that executions are made in manners to keep the desired organs healthy. Fellow exiled dissident Wei Jingsheng said in may cases the act of taking the organs is the method of execution itself. Courtesy Ron Vogel, Member since 2000. Link: Village Voice TOP AMERICAN STORY: LUCENT TECHNOLOGY WORKERS CHARGED WITH PRC ESPIONAGE TELECOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY, SOFTWARE DESIRED BY COMMUNIST MILITARY Two scientists at Lucent Technologies are under arrest for attempting to steal software codes and other communications technology that �the PRC (People�s Republic of China) is seeking to modernize its military,� according to the Washington Times. The two scientists, along with a Chinese-bon U.S. citizen from outside the company, hoped to form a joint venture with Datang Telecom, a firm owned by the PRC. Link: Washington Times Datang provided much of the funding to get the joint venture, known as ComTriad Technologies, for which they received majority ownership. The plan was to mimic Lucent�s PathStar communications server. Rick Fisher, of the Jamestown Foundation, said this appeared to be one of many �PRC attempts to subvert commercial ventures to assist the PRC�s military modernization.� Other Links: Washington Post, BBC HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS NEWS SCHOLARS DEMAND RELEASE OF LI SHAOMIN Over 100 university professors and others in Hong Kong signed a petition calling for the release of Li Shaomin, a naturalized American citizen held without stated cause in Communist China for over two months. The Communists are supposedly investigating Li as a Taiwanese spy. Links: CNN, CNN Interview with Liu Yingli, Li�s wife LATEST �STRIKE HARD� CAMPAIGN NOW GOING AFTER �SPIES� Willy Lam (CNN) reported last week that Communist China�s latest �strike hard� campaign against crime is expanding to include �spies� among the victims. American citizen Li Shaoming and near-citizen Gao Zhan are among �dozens of ethnic Chinese scholars and researchers are believed to have been held under the vague charge of �leaking state secrets.�� A �state secret� is basically anything the PRC doesn�t want made public. Link: CNN: Lam, Washington Times Editorial on Gao Zhan�s captivity OTHER MAINLAND NEWS HARD LINERS WINNING THE UPPER HAND WITHIN CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY CNN�s Willy Wo-Lap Lam, in his most recent column, reported a hard-line comeback less than one year before the Communist Party�s major reshuffle next year. Lam says the �leftists,� the most devoutly Maoist of the CCP, are putting so-called �reformers� such as Prime Minister Zhu Rongji on the defensive. Link: Lam ANTI-TAX REVOLTS INFLAME THE COUNTRYSIDE Rural Communist China is still suffering under onerous local taxes imposed by local Communists. The Washington Post brought together various incidents, including several from previous updates, into a narrative of the farmers� struggles. Link: Washington Post AMERICAN-RELATED NEWS SURVEILLANCE FLIGHTS RESUME; COMMUNISTS ENRAGED The Washington Post reported the first surveillance flight of the coast of Communist China since the EP-3 collision. The flight occurred �along the northern portion of China�s coastline,� not near Hainan Island, and apparently did not engender a PRC response during the flight. After the flight was publicized, however, the PRC demanded that it be the last (BBC). Links: Washington Post, BBC PRESIDENT CONDEMNS COMMUNIST CHINESE ATTACKS ON RELIGION President George Bush on Friday used a speech to the American Jewish Committee to condemn Communist China�s persecution of religious faith, including its nasty crackdown against Falun Gong. The president, citing �great strides toward freedom in recent decades,� which he apparently has seen Beijing make, nonetheless took the PRC to task for �intensifying attacks on religious freedom.� Link: CNN Bush cited several examples of the religious persecution, but singled out Falun Gong practitioners, the razing of Christian churches and Muslim mosques, and �especially harsh and unjust persecution� in Tibet. Bush said the Communist Chinese actions come from �an unreasonable and unworthy suspicion of freedom of conscience,� and called it a sign of �weakness� from the PRC. U.S.PUTS UNDER REVIEW ALL CONTACTS WITH PRC The Bush Administration has placed all contacts with Communist China under review, expanding a process previously believed to be limited only to the Defense Department. The Washington Post reported the review extends to the State Department, and even the U.S. Trade Representative�s office. Link: Washington Post For two days, the Administration had imposed a suspension of all military contact between the Communist Chinese and American militaries. Two hours after it went public, a �clarification� was issued, saying all the Pentagon really wanted was to review the contacts on a case-by-case basis. The odd turnabout is part of the continuing multiple-policy-disorder that the Administration suffers in regards to Beijing. Special BBC Link COMMUNIST CHINA WHACKS BUSH OVER FOREIGN POLICY Clearly the Communists aren�t happy with the White House. The party-run People�s Daily lambasted the new President as �arrogant�, �emotional,� �egotistic,� and �capricious� in his foreign policy, according to CNN. Link: CNN U.S. BOUNCED FROM UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION In a stunning development, the United States was voted off the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights. It was the first time since the Commission�s founding that the U.S. will not be on it. Nations that will be on the committee include such human rights paragons as Sudan, Syria, Pakistan, Libya, and Vietnam. The PRC was thrilled. Links: CNN, Washington Post U.S. EXPERTS SAY EP-3 COULD FLY, COMMUNISTS SAY IT WON�T Five technicians from Lockheed Martin told the Pentagon that the downed EP-3 surveillance plane on Hainan Island could be repaired and flown home. Within days, the Communists insisted repairing the plane was �impossible,� despite the fact that � get this, folks � the U.S. has agreed to �pay the costs� of getting the aircraft out. Links: CNN - Lockheed Martin, CNN - PRC reaction JIANG MEETS EX-PRESIDENT CLINTON While in Hong Kong for the Fortune Global Forum (see Hong Kong News), Communist President Jiang Zemin met U.S. President Bill Clinton, and, according to CNN�s Willy Wo-Lap Lam, �sought Clinton's views on Beijing's recent difficulties with Washington.� An Asian diplomat said that Jiang �wants his meeting with Clinton to reflect his dissatisfaction with Bush's China policy.� Link: CNN: Lam INTERNATIONAL NEWS NEW JAPANESE PM PLEDGES TO MEND PRC TIES, STAND BY U.S. In his first foreign policy address, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi called relations with Communist China �among the most important bilateral relations for our country,� and pledged to �continue to strengthen ties with them.� He also called the 50-year U.S.-Japan alliance �a basis� for his international policy. Link: CNN ASIAN ALLIES SKITTISH ON MISSILE DEFENSE The Washington Post reported concern from Japan and South Korea over American plans for national and regional missile defense. While Japan likes the latter, South Korea is against both. One analyst said of the idea, �This will begin a new cold war in northeast Asia.� It should be noted that a growing number of Japanese, including Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, believe that Cold War II has already begun. Link: Washington Post REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN) NEWS PRESIDENT CHEN TO VISIT NEW YORK, HOUSTON IN TRANSIT FOR LATIN AMAERICAN TRIP CNN reported that ROC President Chen Shui-bian would visit New York on his way to Latin America to visit diplomatic allies. Chen will also stop in Houston on the way home. He will be the first ROC President to visit the Big Apple. Link: CNN ROC INFORMATION MINISTER PRAISES BUSH COMMENTS ON DEFENDING TAIWAN President Bush�s statement that the U.S. would do �whatever it takes� to help Taiwan thwart a PRC invasion or attack was welcome news to ROC Information Minister Su Tzen-ping. Su, in Washington last week, told the editors of the Washington Times that Bush�s comment made the U.S. commitment to a peaceful cross-straits resolution �more convincing.� Link: Washington Times EX-PREMIER SIEW IN PRC TO PUSH COMMON MARKET AS SOME QUESTION THE IDEA Former Premier Vincent Siew, now a high-ranking official in the opposition Nationalist Party, is in Beijing to push his idea for a common market with Communist China. The plan appears to have the support of the Chen Administration, which is considering naming Siew the new cross-straits negotiator for the ROC. The China Times is not so pleased, editorializing that Siew and Chen were �too wishful and optimistic.� Link: CNN HONG KONG NEWS JIANG VISITS HONG KONG AS TWO GROUPS PROTEST HIM Communist President Jiang Zemin made his first official trip to Hong Kong since the 1997 handover yesterday. Giving a speech to the Fortune Global Forum, Jiang hyped his regime as �the best value for money,� according to CNN�s Willy Wo-Lap Lam. CNN also reported anti-Jiang protests by the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China and the April Fifth Movement. Links: CNN - Jiang�s speech, CNN - protests OVER 100 FALUN GONG PRACTITIONERS KEPT OUT OF CITY DURING JIANG VISIT Before President Jiang�s trip began, Hong Kong deported from or barred out of the city up to 100 followers of Falun Gong for �security reasons.� Jiang is notoriously thin-skinned about protests, but the mass deportation has further weakened the already shaky autonomy of HK, known as �one country, two systems.� Link: CNN TIBET AND XINJIANG/EAST TURKESTAN NEWS JIANG TELLS INVESTORS IN HONG KONG TO �GO WEST� In yet another attempt to win over desperately needed capital, and cover for the Communists� brutal repression of Tibetans and Uighur Muslims, Communist President Jiang pushed the two regions as investment opportunities. Sadly, CNN focused only on the economic issues of the regions. Link: CNN 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]. |