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CHINA E-LOBBY UPDATE: FEBRUARY 13, 2002 TOP STORY: CIA DIRECTOR SAYS PRC AIMING TO BE �A GREAT POWER� TENET CITES MILITARY BUILDUP, AMBITION ON TAIWAN AS CAUSES FOR CONCERN COMMUNIST PRESIDENT TELLS AIDES PRC SHOULD LOOK TO �CHECK� AMERICAN POWER CIA Director George Tenet told Congress last week that Communist still has �the ultimate objective of asserting itself as a great power in East Asia.� Tenet said the recent military buildup in the People�s Republic and its continuing obsession with swallowing Taiwan was �aimed not only at Taiwan but also at increasing the risk to the United States itself.� Report: CNN Meanwhile, CNN�s Willy Wo-Lap Lam noted that Communist President Jiang Zemin told aides that while the PRC �can make concessions (to America) for 20 more years� while the Communists develop the economy, it should still try to find ways to �check American preponderance.� Jiang made the statements in anticipation of President Bush�s visit to Beijing next week, and his (Jiang�s) coming semi-retirement. TOP HUMAN RIGHTS STORY: PRC HEIR APPARENT APPROVED TORTURE OF CHRISTIANS COMMUNIST V.P. HU JINTAO SIGNED OFF ON BEATINGS OF NON-COMMUNIST RELIGIONS The Communist police beatings and torture of non-Communists religious followers � from Christians to Tibetan Buddhists to Falun Gong to Muslims to . . . well, we could go on forever � won the personal approval of Communist Vice President and likely future Party Secretary Hu Jintao. The Washington Times cited the Committee for Investigation on Persecution of Religion in China for the story. The Committee released documents showing Hu�s approval of the torture. The Times also noted Hu�s history of brutal repression as Communist Party chief in Tibet from 1988 to1992. He is also believed to be a supporter of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Communist China only allows five state-run religions; the rest in for the heinous treatment approved by Hu. Also reporting: Washington Post TOP WAR STORY: PRC CLAIMS BIN LADEN AIDING UIGHURS, BUT GIVES NO EVIDENCE COMMUNIST AMBASSADOR TO RUSSIA REPEATS BEIJING CHARGE AGAINST MUSLIMS Here we go again. Zhang Deguang, Communist Chinese Ambassador to Russia, charged the Uighurs in East Turkestan (what the Communists call �Xinjiang�) with receiving �substantial sums of money� from Osama bin Laden (BBC). Once again, the Ambassador claimed evidence, but would not reveal it, implicating the independence-seeking Uighurs � the most pro-American Muslims on the planet. This story was all the news regarding East Turkestan (�Xinjiang�) reported this week. OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS NEWS LI GUANGQIANG SET FREE, THANKS PRESIDENT BUSH; FELLOW FOLLOWER SENT TO JAIL The Communists freed Li Guangqiang, the man they nearly executed for importing Bibles, on �medical bail� over the weekend. The BBC reported that Li would still be �under surveillance.� Li thanked President Bush for his intervention, and asked the Communists to release two of his fellow followers who were also arrested for trying to bring Bibles into the PRC (CNN�s Willy Wo-Lap Lam, CNS). Meanwhile, Yu Zhudi, one of the two other followers mentioned above, will appeal his conviction by the Communists. His attorney told the BBC that he �was forced to make a confession of guilt.� The Communist courts, which sent Yu to jail for three years, has yet to decide on his appeal. FROM THE FALUN GONG WAR TWO NORTH AMERICAN PROTESTORS CALL LAST YEAR�S BEIJING SELF-IMMOLATION A HOAX Two protestors in Beijing � one Canadian, one American � protested the Communist persecution of Falun Gong and insisted that last year self-immolation protest (see 1/24/01 update, 1/31/01 update, 2/7/01 update) was a hoax staged by the Communists. Communist police arrested expelled the protestors (BBC). OTHER MAINLAND NEWS COMMUNIST MILITARY SET FOR ANOTHER BUDGET HIKE The Communist military is getting another big boost in their budgets this year, one �at least as big� as last years 17.7% hike, according to CNN�s Willy Wo-Lap Lam. Lam also noted another disturbing move by the Communists: a plan for a navy flotilla to circumnavigate the globe, a first for the PRC navy, and a symbol of its desire to build � or have the Russians build for them � a �blue-water� navy. 700 MILLION IN PRC FORCED TO USE WATER �UNFIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION� The village of Shangba has seen over 200 of its residents die of cancer, thanks to pollution from state-run mines. Despite the fact that the pollution is so bad it is �turning the water a bright orange,� according to the BBC, the PRC �brooks no complaints� about the mines. In Communist China as a whole, �More than half its population - 700 million people - now depend on water that is unfit for human consumption.� OVER 130 MILLION UNEMPLOYED IN COMMUNIST CHINA Thanks to the collapse of rickety state-run firms, unemployment in the PRC is far worse than admitted by the Communists, according to the BBC. Officials quoted in the Communist-run China Daily acknowledged that unemployment is about 132 million. CNN�s Willy Wo-Lap Lam put the unemployed number at 150 million. Either is well above stated � and �derided� � figures of three to five million. NEWS ON COMMUNIST CHINA AND THE TERRORIST WAR NORTH KOREA CALLS BUSH �CRAZY,� AS CUBA WANTS CLOSER TIES TO STALINIST REGIME North Korea � the PRC�s oldest ally � branded President Bush �crazy� for his reference to the Stalinist regime as evil (CNN). The next day, it called the U.S. the �empire of the devil� (BBC 1). Yet there is no change in U.S. policy; Secretary of State Colin Powell even stated U.S. support for South Korea�s conciliatory �sunshine� policy (Cybercast News Service 1, Los Angeles Times, BBC 2, Washington Post). Powell also said President Bush would offer �unconditional talks� (BBC 3) to the Stalinist regime. Meanwhile, just in case anyone was confused, Cuban Communist boss Fidel Castro said he �would like to reiterate our strong will to steadily expand and strengthen fraternal ties and cooperation between the peoples, parties and governments� of Cuba and North Korea (CNS 2). BUSH WORDS UPSET SOUTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT, WIN BACKING OF OPPOSITION President Bush�s label of North Korea as an evil state has rankled a few feathers in South Korea (Washington Post), casting �a shadow over South Korean President Kim Dae Jung's �sunshine policy.�� The political opposition in South Korea, however, has another view entirely. Opposition candidate Lee Hoi Chang � the favorite to win this year�s presidential elections � endorsed Bush�s rhetoric. COMMUNISTS TRYING TO COUNTER U.S. INFLUENCE IN AFGHANISTAN Stuck with its history of warming relations with the Taliban just before � and even on � September 11, Communist China is looking to pick up the pieces of its Central Asian policy, according to CNN�s Willy Wo-Lap Lam. Lam reports that the Communists are hoping for �a foothold there (that) will help counter the perceived threat from an enhanced American presence in Central Asia.� OTHER INTERNATIONAL NEWS HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE RIPS NORTH KOREA A conference of defectors from North Korea and human rights activists put the spotlight on the PRC ally�s horrific human rights policies (Los Angeles Times). The conference detailed despicable treatment of prisoners, including beating pregnant women to induce abortions and the �routine� killing of newborns, and the Communist stealing of international food aid for the party and the military (see below). COMMUNIST NORTH KOREA HORDING FOOD AID FOR PARTY OFFICIALS AND MILITARY One harrowing account of North Korea�s actions comes from the BBC: �a former personal bodyguard to the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, said all food aid was snatched by the military and the ruling elite.� Other defectors backed him up, noting that �officials used elaborate tricks, like putting on distribution shows for international monitors. But the aid was routinely confiscated from the poor afterwards.� OTHER AMERICAN-RELATED NEWS COMMUNIST CHINA SAW TIANANMEN PROTESTS AS WESTERN PLOT AGAINST PRC According to Arnold Beichman, in the Washington Times, the Communists are convinced the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests were a Western � read American � plot to topple the PRC. Beichman reveals this in a review of Chen You-Wei�s bristling expose on the PRC�s recent foreign policy history. Chen was a political counselor at the PRC Embassy in Washington during the Tiananmen Square massacre. BUSH PUNTS ON UN POPULATION FUNDING President Bush �decided not to decide� (Cybercast News Service) on whether or not to provide $34 million in funds to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). The UNFPA � under fire for its work with Communist China�s hideous �one child� policy � may still get the money, but not for now. Congress specifically gave Bush the authority to spend or impound the funds. REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN) NEWS ROC WILL �FIGHT FOR WHO ENTRY� ROC Health Minister Lee Ming-liang will make another attempt to have Taiwan join the World Health Organization this year (Washington Times). Previous attempts by the island democracy to join the WHO have failed, due to objections from (surprise!) Communist China. No news was reported from Hong Kong this week. TIBET NEWS PRC-PICKED PANCHEN LAMA HITS AIRWAVES; DALAI LAMA�S CHOICE STILL CAPTIVE Gyancain Norbu, PRC-appointed Panchen Lama of Tibet, made an appearance on state-run TV and thanked the Communist Party for supporting him. The Dalai Lama does not recognize the 11-year old Norbu; he had picked Gedhun Choekyi Nyima to be the Panchen Lama in 1995. The PRC has held the boy � age 6 at the time � in �protective custody� ever since; no one has been allowed to visit him. (CNN) DALAI LAMA TO TAKE THREE MONTHS OFF TO RECOVER FROM ILLNESS The Dalai Lama, Tibet�s spiritual leader, is taking �a complete rest� on his doctors� advice (BBC) and canceling planned trips to Europe, Canada, and the U.S. over the next three months. Also reporting: CNN Feel free to forward this to anyone you think might be interested in receiving it. Anyone who 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. |