| Sign the Boycott Petition: In reaction to the 2008 Olympic Games being awarded to Beijing, the China e-Lobby has begun a petition for an American boycott of those games. Check out the latest on Communist China and the Terrorist War. Miss an Update, Weekly Links, or a North Korea Report? Find it on our web site. CHINA E-LOBBY UPDATE: AUGUST 14, 2002 TOP STORY: AFGHAN INTELLIGENCE SAYS AL QAEDA GETTING HELP FROM PRC COMMUNISTS MAY SELL SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILE TO TERRORIST GROUP CURRENTLY REGROUPING IN PAKISTAN AREA "BASICALLY UNDER THE GOVERNMENT OF CHINA� Communist China is openly allowing al Qaeda to regroup and rebuild in parts of Pakistan deemed under Communist control by Afghan intelligence, and may even sell Osama bin Laden's group surface-to-air missiles (Washington Times). Afghan Brigadier Rawand told the paper that al Qaeda is building up strength in an area that �even though it is in Pakistan, is basically under the government of China.� He also said the so-called People's Republic of China �may give al Qaeda the (surface to air) missiles.� These missiles could greatly neutralize the current air advantage enjoyed by the U.S. Communist Chinese versions of the Russian SA-7 surface-to-air missiles have already been found in al Qaeda stashes by U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan (see June 4 update). Additionally, the PRC paid up to $10 million to bin Laden for unexploded U.S. cruise missiles from 1998 (see October 24, 2001 update). Prior to 9/11 the Communists saw al Qaeda and the Taliban as �some kind of check on U.S. power� (see September 19, 2001 update). Perhaps they still do. Either way, the PRC clearly is less than an ally in the terrorist war. This new information clearly reveals that. OTHER AMERICAN-RELATED NEWS GLOBAL CROSSING BOUGHT OUT BY PARTNERSHIP LED BY LI KA-SHING Global Crossing, the bankrupt firm that built a global fiber-optic network, is now under majority control of a partnership led by Hutchison Whampoa � the firm possibly owned in part by the PRC and definitely controlled by Communist sympathizer Li Ka-shing. HW, a conglomerate that also controls two container ports in the Panama Canal, joined Singapore Technologies Telemedia in buying out GC. Report: CNN For more on Li Ka-shing, and his expanding Communist-commercial reach, take a look at Frank Gaffney�s column in the Washington Times. HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS NEWS TWO NORTH KOREAN REFUGEES ENTER ALBANIAN EMBASSY IN BEIJING Two refugees from North Korea have entered the Albanian Embassy in Beijing (BBC). The refugees are hoping to follow in the footsteps of dozens who have fled from North to South Korea through Communist China and embassies of democratic nations there. Communist China sends back to its Stalinist ally any NK refugee it finds. Hundreds of thousands fleeing the famine-riddled North are hiding in the PRC. The North Korea Report has the latest on the Stalinist ally of Communist China. Sign up now to receive it every Monday. CHINESE DISSIDENTS MAKE UP FIFTEEN PERCENT OF MENTAL PATIENTS IN PRC Human Rights Watch and the Geneva Institute of Psychiatry, in a report cited by the Times of London, said that 15 percent of patients in PRC mental hospitals � over 1 in 7 � are actually political dissidents. This continues a long-standing Communist policy of calling political dissidents mentally unbalanced. Examples include labor activist Cao Maobing two years ago (see December 20, 2000 update). Link courtesy John Derbyshire, National Review Online Contributing Editor, and Member since 2002 FROM THE FALUN GONG WAR: HONG KONG TRIAL VERDICT OF PROTESTORS COMING Sixteen Falun Gong practitioners, arrested while peacefully protesting in Hong Kong, will learn their fate in a verdict due later this week. This is the first trial against members of the spiritual group in Hong Kong � long under Communist pressure to crack down on them. The PRC-appointed HK regime tipped its hand on the matter when it charged the protestors with �assaulting a policeman� (Washington Times). OTHER MAINLAND NEWS COMMUNIST CHINA LETS OUTSIDERS HAVE A LARGER MINORITY STAKE IN AVIATION Communist China announced it would allow foreign firms to increase their stakes in PRC aviation firms from 35 to 49 percent, according to CNN. �Domestic shareholders� � i.e., the Communists � �will still have a controlling stake,� no real surprise there. Thus the PRC maintains control over its aviation, allows for more capital to come in, and looks like it�s enacting a �reform� all at once. INTERNATIONAL NEWS PRC, INDIA WILL BE FASTEST GROWING ASIAN ECONOMIES BIS Shrapnel, in its latest long-term assessment of Asia�s economies predicted the Communist China would be the fastest growing economy, followed closely by its regional rival � democratic India (CNN). Of course, that projection is based on past PRC data, the validity of which has been questioned by many economists outside the PRC. AUSTRALIA WINS GAS DEAL IN COMMUNIST CHINA Communist China handed a multi-billion dollar liquefied natural gas deal to Australia�s LNG Limited. The Australian government has pushed very hard for the deal, to the point of shifting its foreign policy to be more accommodating and snubbing the Dalai Lama during his visit to the country. Report: CNN REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN) NEWS PRESIDENT CHEN WINS SUPPORT FROM TAIWANESE PEOPLE, EX-PREZ LEE TENG-HUI ROC President Chen Shui-bian, coming under heavy criticism for comments made last in support of a referendum law and calling Taiwan �sovereign and independent� (see last week�s update), won a boost over the weekend, courtesy of his predecessor (BBC). Chen told a political rally of former President Lee Teng-hui�s Taiwan Solidarity Union that the island democracy �will not be intimidated.� Lee � known as �Mr. Democracy� for bringing free election to the ROC � has always supported a higher international profile for Taiwan. The last president from the Nationalist Party, Lee bolted the long-ruling party after Chen�s election in reaction to at the Nationalists� departure from his tough anti-Communist policies. Lee formed the TSU, and has been a strong Chen supporter since the transition. Lee personally emphasized that support by speaking on Chen�s behalf, Saying, �Taiwan is not a part of China� (Cybercast News, August 12). Despite continuing Communist railing against him (Washington Times), the Taiwanese people appear to be behind Chen. A poll taken by Chen�s Democratic Progressive party found 64% support for Chen�s comments from last week (Cybercast News August 8). TAIWAN TO PUSH FOR UN RECOGNITION, COMMUNIST CHINA ENRAGED The ROC is sounding out its diplomatic allies in the United Nations to find one willing to support its efforts to return to that body after being kicked out in 1971 (CNN). Due to Communist pressure, the island democracy is now the only piece of real estate on the planet without any UN representation. TAIWAN SAYS NO PLANS FOR REFERENDUM Meanwhile, Taiwan said it has �no plans for a referendum� on formal independence (BBC). The ROC Mainland Affairs Office said President Chen�s comments last week (see above) on a referendum law was only to have a independence vote ready �if China resorted to force to reunify the two sides under the �one country, two systems� formula� (CNN August 8). The U.S. repeated its support of the diplomatic fallacy of �one China� (CNN August 7). If the Bush Administration thought that would make the Communists happy, it has a long way to go. Willy Wo-Lap Lam (CNN) reports that the PRC is looking to use Chen�s comments to push the U.S. to �to limit the sale of weapons to Taiwan,� something the Communists have wanted for years. VICE PRESIDENT LU BLOCKED FROM ENTERING INDONESIA ROC Vice President Annette Lu, a fiery advocate of a greater international profile for Taiwan, was held at the Jakarta airport by Indonesian authorities. Lu �may have to cancel a planned two-day stay in Jakarta� where �she was expected to hold talks on environmental and economic issues with officials� (BBC). Indonesia has diplomatic ties with Communist China, not the island democracy. There�s still time to contact the President and tell him not to appoint PRC sympathizer Doug Paal as de facto ambassador to Taiwan. HONG KONG NEWS HONG KONG BUREAU OF VOICE OF AMERICA MAY BE ON CHOPPING BLOCK According to the Washington Times, the Voice of America plans to shut down five of its worldwide offices � four in democratic nations, and one in Hong Kong. The move comes as VOA looks to move into Iran to aid dissidents there, but may have more to do with a VOA airing of an interview with the Taliban�s Mullah Omar. Whatever the reason, an anonymous VOA staff member noted that shutting down the Hong Kong office �would constrain efforts to obtain news from Chinese-speaking sources, which are already constrained to begin with . . . Hong Kong was a window into Chinese news.� TIBET NEWS DALAI LAMA SNUBBED BY CAMBODIA Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen �ruled out inviting the Dalai Lama to the World Buddhist Summit to be held here in early December, saying only monks recognized by China would be welcomed at the event.� How nice. Report: Washington Times TIBET ORGANIZES BEAUTY PAGEANT AMID LOCAL CRITICISM In one of the more unconventional methods tried to increase its profile, Tibet is organizing its first beauty pageant. The contest, not without its critics who fear a disconnect from traditional Buddhist culture, will select a winner based on �Tibetan history, culture and current affairs,� (BBC) in addition to the usual. The winner will �represent Tibet in the Miss World competition.� No PRC threats were reported � yet. DALAI LAMA�S BROTHER MEETS COMMUNIST OFFICIALS IN TIBET Gyalo Thundup, the brother of the Dalai Lama, visited Tibet last year and met with local Communist officials, according to the Washington Times (fourth paragraph). Whether he was carrying a message for his brother � Tibet�s spiritual leader � was not known. No news from East Turkestan this week 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. |