To receive this publication via e-mail, click here.
CHINA E-LOBBY UPDATE: AUGUST 13, 2003
TOP STORY: COMMUNIST CHINA BUILDING MISSILES FASTER THAN EXPECTED
PRC HAS OVER 450 POINTED AT TAIWAN, ADDING 75 A YEAR, AND ALSO BUILDING MISSILES CAPABLE OF HITTING JAPAN AND U.S. FORCES ON OKINAWA
Communist China now has 450 short-range missiles pointed at Taiwan, to which 75 are added each year, according to U.S. intelligence. The short-range missile estimates are increases over previous estimated figures (see 4/3/02 Update). Report: BBC 7/30
The so-called People�s Republic is also building missiles that could hit Japan and the 25,000 American troops stationed on Okinawa. Both sets of missiles are �a growing and significant challenge ... to U.S. forces in the western Pacific, as well as to allies and friends, including Taiwan� (Bill Gertz, Washington Times 7/31).
White House spokesman Scott McClellan, publicly criticized the PRC, charging it with �destabilizing� (Gertz 8/1) East Asia, and re-emphasized the Administration�s commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act, which compels the U.S. to help the island democracy on a number of issues. The Communists, of course, ripped the report (BBC 8/1).
According to Newsmax, the PRC was able to build these missiles �a result of exports from the U.S. during the Clinton years,� in particular Global Positioning System navigation devices by Rockwell Collins Navigation and Communications Equipment Company.
NEWS ON COMMUNIST CHINA, EAST TURKESTAN, AND THE TERRORIST WAR
COMMUNIST CHINA CONDUCTS �ANTI-TERRORIST� MILITARY EXERCISES
Communist China boasted of �recent military exercises� (Willy Wo-Lap Lam, CNN) with Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan that would supposedly �lead to a common approach to fighting terrorism and militant separatism in the region.� The four nations joining the PRC are all members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
The SCO, founded two years ago, was designed to be "Beijing's NATO� (see 5/22/02 Update) designed to both challenge American �hegemony� and �deflect global criticism of the sometimes harsh measures (Russia and Communist China) have taken against separatist groups in Xinjiang and Chechnya.�
Unfortunately for the PRC, SCO member Uzbekistan � more interested in its alliance with the U.S. � skipped the exercises. As for �Xinjiang� (known as East Turkestan to the local persecuted Uighur population), Communist claims of the region as a terrorist hotbed have been repeatedly debunked (see 10/17/01, 12/12/01, and 10/23/02 Updates).
SADDAM�S AMBASSADOR LEAVES COMMUNIST CHINA
Saddam Hussein�s Ambassador to the PRC finally left the Iraqi Embassy in Beijing last week after hiding out � armed to the teeth � for months after Saddam�s fall (see 7/23 Update). Report: PTI via The Hindu
Check out the Communist China and the Terrorist War page.
NORTH KOREA NEWS
NUCLEAR TALKS SET FOR AUGUST 27 IN BEIJING
The six-part talks on North Korea�s nuclear weapons � including the Stalinists, the U.S., Japan, South Korea, Communist China, and Russia, will take place on Wednesday, August 27 in Beijing, according to Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage (CNN).
In a worrisome development, John Bolton, the most hawkish State Department official on the North �will not be taking part in the talks,� a stunning concession to the Stalinist regime, which demanded that he not be there.
U.S. PRAISES TAIWAN SEIZURE OF NORTH KOREAN VESSEL, CHEMICALS
Taiwanese authorities seized a North Korean vessel carrying chemicals that �could be used to make chemical weapons� (Australian Broadcasting Corp). The ship was carrying at the very least phosphorus pentasulfide, �a substance that can be used in making rockets.� High praise for island democracy�s action came from The United States. For more news on Taiwan, see Republic of China (Taiwan) News.
For more on Communist China�s Stalinist ally, sign up for Monday�s North Korea Report.
OTHER AMERICAN-RELATED NEWS
CHINESE STUDENTS IN U.S. COMMIT ESPIONAGE
Two students from Communist China � one at Iowa State and another at Penn State �gave the Communists enough information to develop a Terfenol-D, a chemical used by the Navy in its advanced sonar systems. Two other students from the PRC sent �submarine-related technology to China to a relative working for the Chinese military� (Washington Times).
U.S. APPROVES ISRAEL PHALCON SALE TO INDIA
The United States repeated its approval of Israel�s planned sale of the PHALCON air radar system to India (Jerusalem Post), three years after it pressured Israel to cancel the sale of the system to Communist China (see 7/12/00 and 6/4 Updates). The move is boosts the sale; Israel and longtime PRC rival India have been growing much closer in recent years.
RARE EARTH FACTORY�S MOVE TO PRC ANGERING INDIANA CONGRESSMAN, SENATOR
The closing of the Magnequench factory in Valparaiso, Indiana (see 3/12 Update) and the shipping of the factory to Communist China has angered to Indiana Democrats who are demanding an investigation. The factory produces �80 percent of the rare-earth permanent magnets used in the guidance systems of U.S. �smart bombs�� (World Net Daily).
Senator Evan Bayh and Congressman Pete Visclosky have received almost no response from the Administration and the closing or the 2000 sale of the plant to Magnequench, itself a subsidiary of a firm partially owned by the PRC and controlled by the husband of the Communist vice minister of state on science and technology.
U.S. ASKS COMMUNIST CHINA TO DEVALUE YUAN � PRC SAYS NO
Communist China told the U.S. and Japan that it has no intention of agreeing to their demand for a higher-valued yuan. The current low exchange rate gives the PRC a major advantage in international trade, and members of Congress are also getting upset at the PRC�s currency games. Reports: UPI via Washington Times, Washington Times
GEPHARDT BLASTS PNTR FOR COMMUNIST CHINA
Richard Gephardt, former House Minority Leader and current Democratic Presidential candidate, ripped into his Democratic opponents for supporting Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with Communist China in 2000. Gephardt did not say he would try to repeal PNTR, however. Report: Raleigh News Observer
HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS NEWS
YANG JIANLI PUT ON TRIAL
Communist China tried dissident Yang Jianli this week for �spying for Taiwan� (BBC). The Communists arrested Yang after he returned from exile to the PRC to help anti-Communist labor protests last year (see 5/1/02 and last Updates). No verdict has been reported yet. Also reporting: Washington Post
ZHAO CHANGQING SENT TO JAIL, YAN JUN BEATEN INSIDE IT
A Communist court gave sentenced dissident Zhao Changqing to five years in jail for calling for the release of political prisoners and the return of those forced into exile (Washington Times, see also 1/8/03 Update). Meanwhile, Yan Jun, a biology teacher arrested on subversion charges, has been beaten by fellow inmates (Washington Times, second item).
OTHER MAINLAND NEWS
COMMUNIST MILITARY EFFICIENCY SUFFERS DUE TO POLITICAL ROLE
One of the biggest handicaps for the so-called People�s Liberation Army continues to be its �highly politicized nature� (Willy Wo-Lap Lam, CNN), in particular the army�s role as �the minion of the party's largest faction� led by Central Military Commission Chair Jiang Zemin.
Even PRC President Hu Jintao � looking for a more efficient PLA to challenge the U.S. � is holding off on major reform because he �is anxious to replace Jiang as CMC supremo in a year or so,� and as such �does not want to alienate the generals� by firing too may of them.
As CMC Chairman, Jiang holds the post Deng Xiaoping used to overrule the Party leadership in 1989, order the Tiananmen Square Massacre, and arrest Party boss Zhao Ziyang. Hu desperately needs the CMC Chair (he is presently First Vice-Chairman) to consolidate power.
WETLAND RESTORATION MAY DRIVE A MILLION FROM THEIR HOMES
After forcing people out of their homes to despoil the ecology for projects that no free market would ever allow, the Communists are now driving people off to save it. The PRC could force �up to a million people� (BBC) out of their homes in order to restore wetlands that the Communists themselves destroyed.
MIGRANTS FROM RURAL INTERIOR GET NICE WORDS FROM CADRE
Vice Minister of Police Bai Jingfu had some kind words for migrant workers in Communist cities escaping the deprivation of the rural interior. Bai also called some past punishments for illegal migrants � those without papers allowing them to live in a city � �wrong� (BBC).
The Communists� public soft touch on migrants is still largely damage control deriving from the death of Sun Zhigang, a migrant worker beaten to death by police for forgetting his papers (see 5/28, 6/11, and 6/25 Updates).
COMMUNIST CHINA CLAIMS MAJOR FACTORY GROWTH
Communist China is at it again, now claiming that industrial capacity rose 16.5% over last year. The Communists have a history of fudging economic statistics, admitting to tens of thousands of errors over a mere six-month period (see 10/30/02 Updates). Report: BBC
MILLIONS OF ILLEGAL COPIES DESTROYED BY COMMUNISTS
Communist China has made a very big deal of �record 42 million smuggled and pirated DVDs and video and audio CDs� (CNN) that they have destroyed. Despite this public boast, the PRC remains �a hotbed of intellectual-property theft.�
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
COMMUNISTS UNVEIL LOGO FOR 2008 OLYMPICS
Communist China now has a logo for its Olympic Games in 2008. Jacques Rogue, the top lackey on the International Olympic Committee, has already predicted it to be �one of the country's most valuable assets� (BBC). Also reporting: CNN
Sign the petition for an American boycott of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN) NEWS
TAIWAN STILL HASN�T SET ASIDE MONEY FOR SUBMARINES
Two years after the U.S. approved the sale of eight Kidd-class submarines to Taiwan, the island democracy still hasn�t appropriated the funds for it. Of course, no one is building the submarines for them, so that may have something to do with the ROC�s unwillingness to put the money on the table. Report: Washington Times
THREE UNDER ARREST FOR PASSING MILITARY INFO TO COMMUNISTS
Taiwan arrested three men for passing secrets to Communist China. The secret ranged from �information on a theater missile defense system under development� (Washington Post, fifth item) to �Taiwan-U.S. military cooperation and . . . Taiwan's purchase of night equipment for F-16 fighter jets from the United States.�
TAIWAN AND JAPAN SIGN FISHING DEAL
Taiwan and Japan agreed to end a territorial dispute regarding the Tiaoyutai Islands, an area visited often by fishermen. Report: UPI via Washington Times
TAIWANESE VP CANCELS TRIP TO NEW YORK
Annette Lu, Taiwan�s fiery Vice President, has canceled a trip to New York that was to be a �stopover� on her trip to Central America later this month. Trips to Honolulu, Seattle, and Los Angeles are still on. Report: Washington Times
COMMUNIST CHINA RIPS TAIWAN�S BID FOR UN ENTRY, AGAIN
Communist China once again blasted Taiwan�s efforts to join the United Nations (Washington Times, second item), maintaining its ridiculous position that the island democracy is �a breakaway province that must be reunited with the mainland� (BBC). Taiwan is the only piece of real estate on earth not represented in the UN.
HONG KONG NEWS
NEW FINANCE AND SECURITY CHIEFS APPOINTED � AFTER GETTING THE COMMUNIST OK
Hong Kong appointed a new Security Minister and Finance Minister last week. However, in yet another sign of who really runs the city, the Communist-appointed Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa needed Beijing�s approval for the appointments. Reports: BBC, Washington Post
COMMUNIST TELLS HONG KONG NOT TO BECOME �CITY OF TURMOIL�
Zou Zhekai, a Communist cadre watching over Hong Kong, demanded that the city not become a �city of turmoil.� Zou, like every other Communist, was miffed about the people taking to the streets against the Communist-appointed local regime�s �anti-subversion� law, and Tung himself (see 7/2, 7/9, and 7/16 Updates). Report: Washington Times, last item
No news from Tibet was reported this week.
Miss an Update, Weekly Links, or a North Korea Report? Find it on our web site.
Feel free to forward this to anyone you think might be interested in receiving it Anyonewho wishes to join can send his/her name and e-mail address to [email protected]. Please feel free to send any news on Communist China you happen to find to the same address.