| Sign the Boycott Petition: In reaction to the decision of the International Olympic Committee awarding Beijing the 2008 Olympic Games, the China e-Lobby has begun a petition for an American boycott of those Games. Those who wish to e-sign the petition can do so at the following page (part of the China e-Lobby web site). CHINA E-LOBBY UPDATE: AUGUST 15, 2001 TOP STORY: PENTAGON AGREES TO PAY COMMUNIST CHINA $34,567 FOR DOWNED EP-3 PAYMENT WOULD DEFRAY COST OF �TAKING CARE OF THE AIRCREW� Your Tax Dollars at Work: The Pentagon has agreed to pay the People�s Republic of China $34,567 for �reasonable and appropriate� costs incurred during the incident. BBC reports that the cost is for � how insulting is this? � �services rendered and assistance in taking care of the aircrew, and some of the materials and contracts to remove the EP-3 itself.� Taking care of the aircrew?! Links: BBC � courtesy of Ron Vogel, member since 2000, Washington Times To David Shambaugh, a China specialist at George Washington University and the Brookings Institution, that was too much. In fact, he said, �Even one cent is too much.� It�s too bad the Administration didn�t listen to him. Communist China was also angry about the figure; they had asked for $1 million. Link: Washington Post There�s still time to make your voice heard in Congress to stop the payment. The China e-Lobby has the addresses of � of the U.S. Congress, and a sample letter to send them. Requests for both can be sent to [email protected]. HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS NEWS COMMUNISTS IMPOSE RESTRICTIONS ON MEDIA, INCLUDING HARD-LINE LEFTIST CRITICS The Communist crackdown against free speech continued apace as it imposed new rules on newspapers and magazines. The publications can no longer print anything �against the work of the government or Communist Party,� damaging to �national security� or revealing of �state secrets.� Dissidents have found that the Communists routinely use the latter two terms against anyone who embarrasses them. Link: BBC In one of the more ironic twists in the Communist battle for succession, and Jiang�s quest for a legacy on par with Mao Zedong, the crackdown on the media has now expanded to include hard-line Maoists. In response to their criticisms of his plans to let businessmen into the Communist Party, Jiang has banned them from party-run publications, and even suspended a leading hard-line magazine, Seeking Truth. Link: BBC Seeking Truth (or Search for Truth as translated by CNN�s Willy Wo-Lap Lam) had whacked Jiang�s �red capitalist� idea as one that was certain to lead to further corruption in the party. Jiang also placed restrictions on another leftist publication, Mainstream. Jiang�s legacy quest has turned those hard-line leftists into the latest examples � and surprise victims � of Jiang�s contempt for freedom of speech. Link: CNN � Lam Still, a meeting of anti-Jiang hard-liners in Qinhuangdo � remarkable in its own right � is laying out plans to fight the PRC President�s proposal, and to back more Maoist officials in next year�s major reshuffle. Links: CNN � Lam TRIAL OF HUANG QI RESUMES The trail of Huang Qi, the first web site operator to be tried in the Communist crackdown, resumed this week after five months. The trial was stopped in February when Huang fainted. Huang ran a web site to help families of missing Tiananmen Square protestor find their loved ones. It evolved into a pro-democracy, anti-Communist site that led to his arrest on June 3 of last year. Link: CNN Huang�s last, heart-rendering post before the police caught him was as follows: �We have a long way before us, I appreciate all of you, all those who help China's democratic progress. The police have come, goodbye! 5:20 pm June-03, 2000.� COMMUNIST CHINESE COMPANY GETTING SUPER-SPY TECHNOLOGY Remember the face-recognition technology that enabled Tampa to scan every single face at Super Bowl XXXV? Well, that technology, which is already worrying everyone from conservative House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas) and the ACLU, is coming to Communist China. Visionics Corp., the company that spawned the technology, is doing business in �50 to 60 nations, including China.� Link: Washington Times OTHER MAINLAND NEWS COMMUNIST CHINA RUNS BIGGEST EVER MILITARY EXERCISE JUST OFF TAIWAN The military of the People�s Republic of China conducted its largest-ever exercise just off Fujian province last week. �Tens of thousands� of soldiers from the People�s Liberation Army took part in the exercise, which included missiles, warplanes, and high-tech weaponry. Fujian province is directly opposite the Republic of China (Taiwan); the island democracy was only 110 miles from the exercise. Link: CNN COMMUNISTS FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGE AIDS EPIDEMIC IN HENAN PROVINCE After years of cruel and heartless denial, Communist China is finally acknowledging an AIDS epidemic in its heartland. The state-run People�s Daily reported plans for a 24-hour clinic in Wenlou, the worst hit village in the province where nearly 2/3 of the population is infected with HIV. Previously, Communists declared Wenlou off-limits to reporters and anyone who tried to help the afflicted. Link: CNN The reason for the cover up was simple, if horrifying. Most villagers say they became infected during a Communist sponsored blood drive in the 1980s. Donors� blood was �pooled in one container, where the blood plasma was removed,� and then �pumped back into the donors� bloodstreams.� Add �the re-use of needles and unsterilised equipment,� and one can see why the PRC would want to cover this up. Link: BBC COMMUNIST CLAIMS OF REDUCED GREENHOUSE EMMISSIONS SHOWN TO BE LIES A Japanese scientist has cast serious doubt on Communist Chinese claims that so-called �greenhouse gas� emissions, and the use of the fossil fuels that produce them, are falling dramatically. Nobuhiro Horii, from the Institute of Developing Economies, says the fuel-use data was based on lies from local Communists regarding the closing of coal mines and the transition to natural gas in major cities. Link: Washington Post AMERICAN-RELATED NEWS GAO ZHAN�S SHOW-TRIAL CONVICTION MAY BLOCK HER U.S. CITIZENSHIP Your Tax Dollars at Work II: After completing all the citizenship requirements, Gao Zhan, the U.S. academic held for five months on �espionage� charges in Communist China, is now in danger of having her citizenship application denied for that very show-trial. Michael Maggio, an immigration lawyer, said the issue comes down to �whether her conviction in China is going to be given full force and credit.� Link: Fox News JIANG SIDESTEPS MISSILE DEFENSE ISSUE IN MEETING WITH BIDEN President Jiang, in talks with Senator Joseph Biden (D-Delaware), the Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, refused to say how Beijing would react to U.S. missile defense plans if an agreement with Russia on the subject was struck. The PRC had always railed against the plans � designed to protect the U.S. against a number of nations who buy weapons from Communist China � at every opportunity. Link: Washington Post BIDEN SAYS RULE OF LAW IN PRC ESSENTIAL TO GOOD TIES Biden also told the press, and Jiang, that without �a true system of rule of law,� Communist China �knock off our mutual interest.� Jiang apparently said the PRC would make improvements on law and human rights, and Biden seemed to buy it. He, Biden, also noted the �common interest� (CNN�s words) between the U.S. and PRC, which always seems to trump any other issue when the chips are down. Link: CNN U.S. TO LIFT SANCTIONS ON INDIA FOR 1998 NUCLEAR TEST In another sign of warming between the U.S. and India, the Bush Administration is moving to lift the 1998 sanctions imposed on the Asian democracy for nuclear tests conducted that year. The warming ties could prove a powerful counterweight to Communist China, already dubbed by India to be the country�s number one security threat � as opposed to Pakistan, the usual suspect and long-time PRC ally. Link: Washington Post FBI SAYS WEN HO LEE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SINGLED OUT, TRULOCK SAYS HE WASN�T The FBI report on the probe of the PRC�s acquiring of American nuclear secrets says that Wen Ho Lee and his wife �should never have been the sole suspects� in the investigation. The report blames the Energy Department for that, but Notra Trulock III, the ex-Energy Department official who launched the probe said the FBI was given �a list� of suspects: �at least six Caucasians and three Asian Americans.� Link: Washington Post INTERNATIONAL NEWS COMMUNISTS ASK RUSSIANS TO BAN FALUN GONG PRESS CONFERENCE IN MOSCOW Remember how the Communists always complain about outside interference in their �internal� affairs. Well, one can assume that does not apply to them interfering with other nations. Communist China has asked Russia to ban a press conference by Falun Gong in Moscow. Link: BBC AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNS REPATRIATION OF NORTH KOREAN REFUGEES Amnesty International publicly called on Communist China to end its sickening policy of deporting North Korean refugees back to its five-decade Communist ally. North Korea�s spectacular economic mismanagement has caused a nationwide famine, leading many to head to the PRC � of all places � to survive. Link: CNN, BBC REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN) NEWS TAIWAN SOLIDARITY UNION LAUNCHED, EX-PRESIDENT LEE TENG-HUI IN ATTENDANCE Former ROC President Lee Teng-Hui � known as �Mr. Democracy� for opening up the island�s politics � gave his blessing to the Taiwan Solidarity Union, a split-off from the former ruling Nationalist Party. The TSU is more Taiwan-centered than the Nationalists, and hopes to do well with Nationalist voters displeased with the softer line the Nationalists have taken on Communist China over the last year. Link: BBC The party�s objective is to win enough seats and take enough votes from the Nationalists to form a coalition majority in Parliament with President Chen Shui-bian�s Democratic Progressive Party in elections this winter. The PRC, meanwhile, has decided to �render all the help they could give to pro-unification parties such as the Kuomintang (Nationalists), the People's First Party and the New Party.� Link: CNN: Willy Wo-Lap Lam CHEN BACKS LIFTING RESTRICTIONS ON MAINLAND INVESTMENT President Chen lent his support to a proposal to repeal limits on Taiwanese investment in the PRC. The move comes as the ROC economy suffers its worst slowdown in decades. Although, the limits have been widely flouted via investment through Hong Kong, Vice President Annette Lu, the most outspoken Taiwan-promoter in the government, warned of economic and security dangers due to �mainland fever.� Link: BBC TAIWAN TO TAKE ANOTHER STAB AT UNITED NATIONS MEMBERSHIP The ROC Foreign Ministry announced that of 10 nations would ask the United Nations to let Taiwan into the world body. The island democracy, kicked out of the UN in 1971 in favor of Communist China, is the only piece of real estate on the planet that is not represented in the UN. The PRC has blocked all previous attempts, with little effort from the U.S. to help Taiwan during any of the annual battles. Links: BBC Story 1, BBC Story 2 NUCLEAR POWER PLANT REFERENDUM DROPPED Citing the need to avoid political and economic uncertainty, the ROC government scrapped plans for a referendum on an unfinished nuclear power plant. President Chen had promised the referendum after opposition parties nearly brought the government to a halt until he dropped plans to kill the plant earlier in the year. Link: BBC Hong Kong was quiet this week. TIBET NEWS COMMUNIST CHINA SAYS IT WILL PICK SUCCESSOR TO DALAI LAMA In another attempt to crush the spirit of the Tibetan people, Communist China claimed that it would have to approve the next Dalai Lama. The current Dalai Lama, Tibet�s spiritual leader, has said his successor would come from a free country outside the Communists� grip. Tashi Phuntsok, spokesperson for the Dalai Lama, said the Tibetan people �will never recognize� a Communist-appointed successor. Links: CNN, BBC This is only the latest in the battle over Tibetan Buddhism between its followers and the Communists. The Dalai Lama�s choice for the next Panchen Lama � who the faithful believe is actually reincarnated � was rejected by the PRC in 1995, and almost immediately afterwards disappeared. 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