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CHINA E-LOBBY UPDATE: JUNE 11, 2003
TOP STORY: HU JINTAO TAKES OVER FOREIGN POLICY GROUP
SHIFT FROM JIANG ZEMIN LIKELY MEANS MORE HOSTILE POLICY TOWARDS U.S.
Communist Chinese President Hu Jintao has taken over the Leading Group on Foreign Affairs from Central Military Commission Chairman Jiang Zemin, a move that will ensure Hu�s �way of thinking and new initiatives would have a big impact on China's relations with the world for a long time to come� (Willy Wo-Lap Lam, CNN). Jiang is still keeping his critical CMC Chair.
What will Hu�s growing foreign policy power mean for the United States? Lam warns against optimism: �It is believed that his policies (in) major areas such as Sino-U.S. relations as well as Taiwan will be tougher than those of former president Jiang, who is often attacked by hardliners in the army for being �pro-U.S.�� In other words, Hu is outflanking Jiang on the anti-American front.
NEWS ON COMMUNIST CHINA, EAST TURKESTAN, AND THE TERRORIST WAR
IRAN BOUGHT URANIUM FROM COMMUNIST CHINA IN 1991
As part of its effort to become a nuclear power, Iran �secretly imported from China� two tons of uranium in 1991, which helped �give Iran additional options in pursuing either nuclear power or nuclear weapons� (Washington Post). It was yet another example of the so-called People�s Republic helping to arm one of the most dangerous and anti-American regimes on the planet (see 12/26/02, 5/21, and 5/28 Updates).
Check out this story and more on the Communist China and the Terrorist War page.
For more on Communist China�s Stalinist ally, sign up for Monday�s North Korea Report.
OTHER AMERICAN-RELATED NEWS
FROM THE FALUN GONG WAR: FRIENDS OF FALUN GONG SUES JIANG
Friends of Falun Gong, an organization dedicated to building and representing support for the spiritual movement in the midst of a brutal Communist crackdown, is suing Central Military Commission Chair Jiang Zemin for authoring the crackdown, which began in 1999 when Jiang was also PRC President and Communist Party boss.
Mark Palmer, a founder of Friends of Falun Gong, ripped Jiang, who as CMC Chair is still in many respects still the most powerful person in Communist China, Zemin for the mass crackdown. (Washington Times, first paragraph). Congressman Tom Lantos (D � California) sent an amicus curiae in support of the lawsuit (Falun Dafa Information Center, courtesy Susan Prager, Member since 2003).
HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS NEWS
GONG SHENGLIANG, ABUSED IN PRISON, NOW SERIOUSLY ILL
South China Church leader Gong Shengliang�s strength of faith was so dangerous to Communist China that it trumped up rape charges against him � to the point of beating women into claiming they were his victims (see 10/16/02 Update) � and sentenced him to life in prison. Gong�s friends have now written an open letter demanding all prison torture against Gong cease. Report: Human Rights in China
The abuse is so extensive that Gong �is passing blood, has lost his hearing and is unable to leave his bed.� The Communists are also conducting �daily brainwashing sessions� on him. As for Gong�s �victims,� four of them �were subsequently sent to reeducation through labor after they publicly charged the authorities with torturing them into signing statements accusing the church leaders of assault.�
THOUSANDS IN HONG KONG REMEMBER TIANANMEN VICTIMS, OPPOSE SUBVERSION LAW
Opposition to the upcoming �anti-subversion� law (see 9/18/02, 10/30/02, 2/19, and 3/5 Updates) combined with the memory of the Tiananmen Square massacre to bring anywhere from 25,000 to 50,000 into the streets of Hong Kong to commemorate the June 4, 1989 outrage. Many of the protestors fear the law will make their lack of freedom �barely distinguishable� (BBC) from that of the mainland.
FROM THE FALUN GONG WAR: PRACTITIONERS ARRESTED FOR SARS �RUMORS�
Communist China, taking full advantage of the SARS epidemic they helped create (see 3/19, 3/26, 4/2, 4/9, 4/16, 4/23, 4/30, 5/7, 5/14, 5/21, 5/28, and last Updates), have arrested 180 Falun Gong members, accusing them of spreading �rumors� (BBC) about the disease. Over 100 Falun Gong members have died in Communist custody - several of them beaten or tortured to death � since the group was banned in 1999.
FALLOUT FROM SUN ZHIGANG KILLING: DEATH SENTENCE, PRISON TERMS
Communist China moved quickly into damage control after word leaked out of Sun Zhigang�s brutal beating death � he did not have the right documents to prove he lived in Guangdong province, and he never survived subsequent imprisonment (see 5/28 Update). Sun was apparently transferred to a medical clinic before he was beaten to death. A staff member of that clinic received a death sentence (BBC).
That isn�t all: �Li Haiying, one of the patients who carried out the beating, received a death sentence with a two year reprieve. Several other people were sentenced to jail terms in connection with the incident, and more then 20 senior officials have been sacked or censured.�
OTHER MAINLAND NEWS
PRC CUTTING THE MILITARY � TO MODERNIZE IT
Communist China is culling about a 20% of the so-called People�s Liberation Army in order to make it �a streamlined, modern organization� (Washington Post), not because of any less hostile policies. The move was approved �during the 16th Congress of the Communist Party in November and at a subsequent meeting of the Central Military Commission,� meaning it was Jiang Zemin�s � not Hu Jintao�s � plan.
ARRESTED TYCOON HAD TIES TO TOP JIANG ZEMIN PROT�G�
Zhou Zhengyi, the �private� businessman now under arrest for �stock manipulation and tax and accounting fraud, and of illegally using loans from the Bank of China� (BBC) appears to have a powerful patron; ex-Shanghai mayor and current Vice Premier Haung Ju. Haung, who also serves on the powerful Politburo Standing Committee, is a key figure on Jiang Zemin�s �Shanghai� faction.
Jiang is still Chairman of the Central Military Commission � the only body equal in power to the PSC. Thus Zhou�s case reveals not only how dependent on the state �private� businessman really are, but also how �anti-corruption� targets depend more on who one knows than what one did (see also last Update), aspects that Willy Wo-Lap Lam, CNN, reports would have major implications, none of them good.
TRIAL OF YANG BIN BEGINS
Meanwhile, Yang Bin, the �private� businessman who was supposed to run North Korea�s �free trade� zone, faced several charges of corruption in a Communist Chinese court last week. The PRC arrested Yang mere days after its ally appointed him (see 10/9/02 and 11/27/02 Updates). Report: BBC
PROTESTORS ANGRY AT COMMUNIST MEDIA PUSHING BURIAL SCAM
A pyramid-like scheme involving a phantom mausoleum project brought hundreds into the streets of Beijing to protest. The demonstrators accused �officials and state-run newspapers� (BBC) of pushing the scam on the people. The supposed projected ended when the firm that started it �closed its offices and disappeared with their savings in 2000.�
COMING SOON: A LOT OF COMMUNIST EX-OFFICIALS
Facing a severe budgetary crunch and an impoverished, seething rural population, Communist Chinese Party chief Hu Jintao has �has begun aggressive measures to cut down on bureaucratic fat and administrative expenses in China� (Willy Wo-Lap Lam, CNN). Included among the plans are the elimination of government posts and the end of a few perks, but no let up on repression and torture.
MASSIVE BRIDGE PLANNED FOR SHANGHAI AREA
Of course, the Communists appear top be already spending their newfound savings. They�re starting a massive bridge in the Shanghai area. The bridge, just over half-funded by �private� firms, would span over 20 miles. Whether or not it will suffer the same fate as the corruption-riddled, ecology-crushing Three Gorges Dam (see last Update), remains to be seen. Report: BBC
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
U.S. WANTS PRC�S HELP ON BURMA
The United States is actually hoping Communist China will �pressure Burma's military rulers to release opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi� (Washington Post). Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League of Democracy � which won an annulled 1990 election � is now in prison. Burma�s military junta has few allies; one of them is the PRC (see last Update). Why should anyone expect help from the Communists?
REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN) NEWS
SARS REARS ITS UGLY HEAD IN TAIWAN AGAIN
The second wave of SARS, which hit Canada last month, has also hit Taiwan, with new cases on the rise again (CNN). The only place that appears not to have a second wave is Communist China, but given the fact that the Communists hid the disease for months, appear is the operative word (Washington Post).
No news from Hong Kong or Tibet this week, but Hong Kong�s �anti-subversion� law is highlighted in Friday�s Week�s Links.
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