| CHINA E-LOBBY UPDATE This update has been compressed to about sixty words per story, in the hope of making it more readable. Please let us know if you prefer this format. TOP STORY: ISRAEL CANCELS PHALCON AIR-RADAR SALE TO COMMUNIST CHINA Israel announced through a spokesman at the Camp David summit with Yasser Arafat that the PHALCON air-radar system sale to Communist China has been cancelled. The spokesman denied it was related to the summit talks. The proposed sale has shaken many Congressmen, long supportive of Israel in the past, and was opposed by the Pentagon and many Israelis, including members of Barak�s One Israel party. For more on the cancellation, see the BBC story. HUMAN RIGHTS NEWS PUBLISHER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR �LEAKING STATE SECRETS� In yet another example of how determined Communist China is to keep a lid on the �wrong� information, a Beijing court sentenced publisher Ju Jiantai to death Thursday for �leaking state secrets� to foreigners. Xinhua, the Communist news agency, gave no details as to what those secrets were. In the People�s Republic of China, �state secrets� effectively means any document the government doesn�t want people to see. MAN FORCED TO CONFESS TO MURDER IS SLATED FOR EXECUTION Communist China is preparing to execute Zhou Xiaojun, a laborer from Fujian province who was tortured to confess to two stabbing murders. Amnesty International slammed the PRC for forcing the confession and relying on a witness who changed his story several times, including the description of the murder weapon. OTHER MAINLAND NEWS FUJIAN PROVINCE TIGHTENS BORDER CONTROLS The southeastern province of Fujian is tightening its borders is in attempt to stop residents from fleeing Communist China according to Xinhua, the Communist-run news agency. Many nations are cracking down on criminals that help emigrants escape Communist China for astronomical fees, usually worked off in slave-like conditions. Unfortunately, most of these nations, including the U.S., also repatriate any escapee found. THREE GORGES DAM WILL WIPE OUT 90,000 JOBS The Three Gorges Dam, the hydroelectric plant that will displace over 1 million people and cause major ecological damage, will wipe out over 90,000 jobs in companies that the government will close, according to PRC-run Xinhua. The dam, despite its major cost and massive ecological problems, is still above criticism. It is the brainchild of Li Peng, the butcher of Tinanamen, and now No. 2 in the Communist Party. COMMUNIST ARMY HEADED FOR MORE INDOCTRINATION The vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, one of the most powerful bodies in Communist China, told the Military Academy of Sciences that the army should undergo more party building and ideological �instruction.� Zhang Wannian, whose comments were reported by state-run Xinhua, echoed PRC President Jiang Zemin, who is attempting what could be called a re-Maoification of the country. PNTR NEWS SENATE DEBATES THOMPSON � TORRICELLI BILL The Senate took up debate on a bill sponsored by Senators Fred Thompson (Republican � Tennessee) and Robert Torricelli (Democrat � New Jersey) to impose sanctions on Communist China, including limitations on access to U.S. capital markets, if it engages in weapons proliferation. Many Communist-owned firms already commit acts that would trigger the sanctions. John McCain (R-Arizona) is one of 15 co-sponsors. SENATE ARGUMENTS OVER THOMPSON BILL AND BUDGET MAY DELAY PNTR VOTE UNTIL FALL Senate aides are now saying, again, that Permanent Normal Trade Relations with Communist China may not be voted on until September. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R � Mississippi) is determined to pass the Thompson-Torricelli bill and move all spending bills through the Senate first. A vote close to Election Day could make many pro-PNTR Senators less sure of themselves, especially on amendments bound to come up. OTHER AMERICAN-RELATED NEWS SECOND RUSSIAN DESTROYER WITH ANTI-SHIP MISSILES ON ITS WAY TO COMMUINIST CHINA Russia has completed building their second Sovremenny-class destroyer for delivery to Communist China. The Washington Times reports the advanced ship is currently undergoing pre-delivery testing. When delivered this fall, it will be armed with SS-N-22 Sunburn nuclear capable anti-ship missiles, which were designed specifically against the U.S. Navy. Russia is Communist China�s leading high-tech naval supplier. U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY COHEN IN BEIJING FOR WIDE-RANGING TALKS American Defense Secretary William Cohen flew into Beijing on Monday for talks with Communist Chinese military leaders. The trip comes on the heels of the PRC�s rejection of recent U.S. pleas to stop selling missile parts to Pakistan and technical expertise to Libya. Communist China greeted Cohen by blasting U.S. plans for a missile defense against attacks from �rogue states,� most of which are PRC clients or allies. ESPIONAGE SUSPECT WEN HO LEE HAD CONTACT WITH COMMUNIST CHINESE NUCLEAR LAB Wen Ho Lee, indicted for downloading nuclear secrets from the Los Alamos nuclear laboratory, had contacted the PRC�s Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics. The institute, according to prosecutors, �has been involved in the design and computational simulation of nuclear weapons.� The Washington Times reported Lee, afraid of being laid off at Los Alamos, was job-hunting in 1993. CORRUPTION NEWS ANOTHER FUJIAN PROVINCE POLITICIAN LOSES POSITION OVER CORRUPTION The scandal-plagued Fujian province claimed another victim this week as the Communist Chinese National People�s Congress expelled Xie Yongwu for smuggling. Whether he is involved in the Xiamen scandal � which involved billions in smuggled goods and the wife of a Politburo member, under suspicion � or a separate plot is unclear. The government has blacked out the Xiamen scandal from state-run media. REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN) NEWS BEIJING NIXES NEW PARTY ATTEMPTS TO EASE TENSION . . . Communist China rejected attempts by a visiting delegation from the pro-rapid reunification New Party to ease tensions, saying no talks would occur unless Taiwan recognized it was part of the PRC. The New Party had propose some �mutual-trust mechanisms� to thaw the icy chill in cross-strait relations, but Communist China made clear it has no interest in dealing with Taiwan unless it accepts PRC domination. . . . BUT NEW PARTY LEGISLATOR SAYS COMMUNIST CHINA IS SOFTENING �ONE CHINA� Despite the very public rejection by the PRC, New Party legislator Feng Hu-hsiang, who leads the visiting delegation, said Communist China�s leaders, particularly Vice Premier Qian Qichen, are less stringent regarding what �one China� means. He had no concrete evidence of this to give the press, but said the softening on the interpretation of �one China� could be found if one read �the hidden message in his words.� NEW DE FACTO AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S. APPOINTED, VOWS TO STOP BEIJING TILT Chen Chien-jen, Taiwan�s new de facto ambassador to the U.S., said his goals would be to convince America to �alter its China policy if it is found tilting toward Beijing,� and to �win Washington�s understanding and support.� Many Taiwanese fear the U.S., which switched diplomatic ties from Taiwan to Communist China in 1979, has been moving closer to Beijing in recent years, leading some to fear for the young democracy. COMMUNIST CHINA SLAMS POSSIBLE MISSILE DEFENSE FOR TAIWAN The PRC, through foreign ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi, once again stated their bitter opposition to any theater missile defense being given to Taiwan. The U.S. has refused to rule out including Taiwan in an Asian missile defense �umbrella�. There has also been talk of selling the ROC a missile defense system. INDUSTRIALIZED NATIONS CAVE IN TO PRC, DROP TAIWAN FROM SUMMIT AGENDA The nations� leading economic powers, known as the G-8, have agreed to drop Taiwan from their agenda at their upcoming summit this month to avoid angering the PRC. Despite growing concerns about Communist China�s numerous threats, a weak Japanese government and squeamishness on the part of six other nations led to the issue being dropped. Russia supports the PRC � their chief buyer of navy vessels � on Taiwan. HONG KONG NEWS TUNG CHEE-WHA DENIES HE TOLD HONG KONG PROFESSORS TO STOP POLLING Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa denied asking Professor Robert Chung of Hong Kong University to stop conducting polls of his popularity. Chung had charged Tung had used a back channel to tell him �our polls should stop.� While, Chung stood by his charge, he was glad to hear Tung swear off interference. Tung, appointed by Communist China, has seen his standing slump in the polls, as the last update reported. HONG KONG �ELECTS� COMMITTEE TO CHOOSE NEXT CHIEF EXECUTIVE Hong Kong�s 800-member selection committee, which will choose the Chief Executive after Tung�s term runs out in 2002, was chosen on Monday. Only 170,000 in the city of 6.8 million were deemed �eligible� to vote. Emily Lau, head of the Frontier party, condemned the limited election as �a farce.� For more on Lau�s views on Hong Kong, see the CNN story. COMMITTEE MEMBERS TOLD BY BEIJING TO SUPPORT TUNG, OR ELSE Asiaweek.com reports that Communist China�s leadership in Beijing has sent the word out to those serving on the next appointed Election Committee: when Tung�s term is up in 2002, re-�elect� him. As one businessman said prior to Monday�s �vote,� �We were told (to vote for Tung). We were not asked.� (CNN story) HONG KONG DEMOCRAT VOWS TO �FIGHT ON� AND RUN FOR RE-ELECTION TO LEGISLATURE Martin Lee, head of the Hong Kong Democratic Party, told Time Asia he will run for re-election to the Hong Kong Legislature. The most outspoken and well-known pro-democracy politician in the city vowed, �I will fight on.� His interview with David Liebhold, which outlines rather well the issues in Hong Kong, is at CNN. FALUN GONG MEMBER HOLDS HUNGER STRIKE FOR HONG KONG DENYING HER ENTRY A practitioner of Falun Gong held a two-day hunger strike this week after Hong Kong officials denied her entry into the city despite a valid passport. Wendy Fang, from San Fransisco, began her strike on Wednesday and ended it on Friday. Two other followers, including one from Macau, were also denied entry. Although Falun Gong is still legal in Hong Kong, the case has some wondering about �one country, two systems.� IMMIGRATION OFFICER CONVICTED OF TAKING BRIBES TO HELP FIVE ESCAPE TO HONG KONG A Hong Kong immigration official was convicted of taking over $3,500 in bribes to help five mainlanders enter Hong Kong. One of the five was leader of an organized triad, or what we call a crime family. Hong Kong is a popular intermediate point for residents of Communist China hoping to escape. HONG KONG COURT SIDES WITH COMMUNIST CHINA, AGAINST MAINLANDERS HOPING TO STAY A high-profile Hong Kong court case became a further encroachment of �one country, two systems� on Tuesday. The court rejected over 100 Hong-Kong born mainlanders� �right to abode� in the city. The mainlanders claimed that they that right by birth, per the city�s Basic Law. Communist China �reinterpreted� the law, granting the right only to those born of permanent Hong Kong residents. TIBET NEWS WORLD BANK DROPS INFAMOUS TIBETAN LOAN On Friday, the World Bank cancelled a $40 million dollar loan to Communist China that would have used to forcibly resettle over 50,000 non-Tibetans into Tibet. A Bank-appointed panel said the loan as a violating Bank protocols, in particular on the cultural and ecological damage of the caused to Tibet by the project. The PRC slammed the U.S., Japan, and human rights activists for their determination to stop the loan. COMMUNSIT CHINESE DAM BURST IN TIBET, FLOODS NORTHEAST INDIA Indian intelligence has discovered that massive floods in the northeast of the country were caused by a dam break in Tibet. An intelligence official told Agence France Presse that the dam break may have been caused by �water mismanagement.� The floods have killed 30; over 100 are missing, and 50,000 are homeless. XINJIANG/EAST TURKESTAN NEWS UIGHUR ACTIVIST JAILED FOR DISTRIBUTUNG �SECRET� NEWSPAPER ARTICLES Amnesty International has publicly called for the release of Rebiya Kadeer, arrested by Communist China last year for �leaking state secrets.� The PRC has never revealed what �secrets� were leaked, and Amnesty charged Kadeer was merely carrying newspaper articles. She was on her way to meet a Congressional research delegation with articles from four newspapers when Communist authorities arrested her. SIX MORE UIGHURS EXECUTED FOR �TRYING TO SPLIT THE COUNTRY� Communist China executed six Uighurs this week, according to Xinjiang Daily. The paper reported one of the six was caught with bomb-making chemicals. Communist rule is so oppressive that over half a million Uighurs have fled. It has also fueled a decades-long independence movement for what would be called East Turkestan. CORRECTION In previous updates, the desired Uighur independent nation that would be formed has been labeled East Turkmenistan. As seen above, the proper name is East Turkestan, apologies for any inconvenience caused. 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]. |