18October2000

CHINA E-LOBBY UPDATE: OCTOBER 18, 2000

TOP STORY: COMMUNST CHINA DEFENSE PAPER THREATENS TAIWAN, DEFENDS BUILDUP
PAPER SAYS ROC MUST DISCUSS REUNIFICATION OR ELSE
A major white paper by Communist Chinaï¿½s defense forces has threatened Taiwan with attack if the democratic regime declares independence or ï¿½refuse indefinitely the peaceful settlement of cross-straits reunification.ï¿½ The report called the situation with Taiwan, ï¿½complicated and grim.ï¿½ The BBC called the report ï¿½the most strongly worded statement since the election of Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian.ï¿½ Link: BBC

CNN reported the white paper also took the time to defend its recent military buildup as ï¿½self-defense.ï¿½ The PRC also claimed defense spending was less than $15 billion, but according to the news network, most analysts say that figure does not include weapons purchases from abroad, such as Russia, and thus should be much higher. Link: CNN

FOLLOW-UP: U.S. GOVERNMENT ACCUSED OF SCUTTLING TIANANMEN LAWSUIT
STATE DEPARTMENT NEVER DELIVERED SUMMONS TO TIANANMN BUTCHER LI PENG
In a stunning development, the U.S. State Department admitted on Friday it never delivered a summons to Li Peng, the butcher of Tiananmen Square, for a lawsuit filed against him while in New York last month. Under American law, anyone sued for human rights violations outside the U.S. must receive the summons. The oversight could kill the entire case against Li, now second in command in the Peopleï¿½s Republic of China.

Jennifer Green counsel for the surviving protestors living in the United States, accused the Administration of trying to bury the case, according to AFP. In her view, the State Departmentï¿½s lack of initiative in sending the summons to Li shows that ï¿½Washington doesnï¿½t want this lawsuit. So theyï¿½ll do anything to avoid it.ï¿½ Link: AFP

TIANANMEN LAWSUIT WINS SUPPORT FROM VICTIMSï¿½ MOTHERS
Meanwhile, in a statement released through Human Rights in China, over 100 mothers of student demonstrators killed in Tiananmen Square in 1989 offered their support for the lawsuit filed against Li. As Prime Minister, Li ordered the troops into the square to kill hundreds to thousands of the pro-democracy protestors. Link: AFP

OTHER AMERICAN-RELATED NEWS
TWO ï¿½EXPERTSï¿½ MANGLE FACTS TO MAKE BUSH SOUND MORE ANTI-PRC, LESS CONCILIATORY
In an article for Beijing Review, Jiang Lingfei and Fu Tao, from the Communistï¿½s National Defense University, charged Texas Governor George W. Bush, Republican nominee for President, with hostility to the PRC. The article sites Bushï¿½s support for a National Missile Defense, possible inclusion of Taiwan in a Theatre Missile Defense, and Bush supposedly calling the Communist China a ï¿½strategic rival.ï¿½

This is the first time Communist China has slammed either of the two major candidates, according to Agence France Presse. There were, however, a few factual errors. The Governor referred to the PRC as a ï¿½strategic competitor,ï¿½ a kinder and gentler term than ï¿½rival.ï¿½ While Bush has said he would help Taiwan defend itself, he has yet to say he would include the island democracy in TMD. Sadly, thereï¿½s less here than meets the eye. Link: AFP

ABORTION PILL RU-486 TO BE IMPORTED FROM COMMUNIST CHINA
The Washington Post reported last week that Communist China is the source of the recently approved RU-486 ï¿½abortion pill.ï¿½ Hua Lian, a state-owned pharmaceutical firm, will produce and export the drug. Communist Chinaï¿½s infamous ï¿½one childï¿½ policy, which has led to forced abortions, forced sterilizations, and the murder of newborns, is the one issue that has united both sides of the American abortion debate in complete disgust. Link: Washington Post

HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS NEWS
CHINESE DISSIDENT IN EXILE WINS NOBEL PRIZE FOR LITERATURE, WILL VISIT HONG KONG
Gao Xingjian, a Chinese dissident who has lived in exile in France for 13 years, won the Nobel Prize for Literature last week. Gaoï¿½s works have been banned in Communist China since 1986. Communist China was livid at the award, charging ï¿½ulterior political motivesï¿½ in the decision, but a Hong Kong official announced that Gao would be invited to Hong Kong ï¿½so that we can benefit from his experience as a writer.ï¿½ Links: BBC, AFP

CORRUPTION NEWS
COMMUNIST PARTY BOSS GETS 10 YEARS FOR KICKBACKS, ANOTHER UNDER INVESTIGATION
Xu Yunhong, secretary of the Communist Party for Ningbo, was sentenced to 10 years in prison today to taking kickbacks for making it easier for friends of his family to get business loans, and pocketing $100,000 in the process. Meanwhile, Wu Weyning, once a top female Party member, is now under investigation for helping a company list on a stock market in exchange for her son buying 100,000 shares. Link: BBC

DETAILS EMERGE ON ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES OF MILITARY TECHNOLOGY VICE-MINISTER
After the last update was sent out reporting on the corruption of Xu Penghang, vice minister of the powerful Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, more information regarding his activities emerged, courtesy of AFP. Xu effectively engineered an initial public offering of a company where he and his family were the only buyers, making over $1 million in the scam. He was kicked out of his post. Link: AFP

OTHER MAINLAND NEWS
COMMUNIST PRESIDENT JIANG VIEWS MAJOR HIGH-TECH EXERCISES
Communist President Jiang Zemin visited the largest ever high-tech military exercises in Communist China last week.. According to AFP, over 10,000 soldier in the Communist Peopleï¿½s Liberation Army took part in the exercises. The two-day drills included attacks on stealth jets, cruise missiles and helicopter gunships. The drills also focused on defending against precision strikes, electronic jamming and detecting surveillance. Link: AFP

COMMUNIST OVERDEVELOPMENT MAY DRY UP YELLOW RIVER
AFP reported that the Communists planning, which is much heavier on development than a free market would even consider, has so dramatically altered the Yellow River that it might dry up completely. The agency reported the Communists are so worried about it that they are considering diverting water from the Yangtse to keep the Yellow flowing. Link: AFP

COMMUNISTS USE GOVERNMENT SPENDING TO PUSH ECONOMY AS CONSUMERS HOLD BACK
BBC reported the PRC claimed economic growth had beaten expectations so far this year. However, most of the new growth ï¿½was driven by sharply rising government spending.ï¿½ Ye Zhen, spokesman for the State Statistical Bureau, admitted that the Communistsï¿½ efforts to spur consumer spending had fallen short. Link: BBC

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
COMMUNIST CHINAï¿½S REPEATED CROSSINGS INTO INDIA ANGER INDIANS, DENIED BY PRC
Mukut Mithi, Chief Minister of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, said Communist China has repeatedly crossed the disputed Sino-Indian border, known as the Line of Actual Control, into his state, harassing its residents. The PRC and India fought a border war in 1962, during which Communist China seized roughly 16,000 square miles of Indiaï¿½s territory. The Communists denied the charges, calling them ï¿½baseless.ï¿½ Links: AFP - Mithi statement, AFP -Communist Chinese response

COMMUNIST PRIME MINISTER ZHU RONGJI VISITS JAPAN, STUMBLES IN APOLOGY FLAP
Zhu Rongji, Prime Minister of Communist China, visited Japan this week for talks on smoothing relations. Many Japanese are upset over spying by PRC ships and persistent anti-Japan harangues despite a large aid package from Tokyo. The subject of a World War II apology also arose. The Communists have repeatedly asked for one, while the Japanese insist theyï¿½ve already given one. The flap put a sour note to the trip. Link: AFP

WHILE IN JAPAN, ZHU SLAMS EX-ROC PRESIDENT LEE TENG-HUI
Zhu also took the time to whack plans by former ROC President Lee Teng-hui to visit Japan. Zhu insisted Japan not grant Lee a visa to visit his alma mater Kyoto University. The Communists are still bitter about a trip Lee took as President of Taiwan to Syracuse University, where he also studied. During the trip he criticized the PRCï¿½s efforts to ostracize Taiwan. See ROC News Section for more news on Taiwan. Link: AFP

AFRICANS BACK COMMUNIST CHINAï¿½S ATTACK ON HUMAN RIGHTS DIPLOMACY
As the first ever China-Africa forum came to an end, the Communist won support from the African attendees for their opposition to linking improved political and economic ties to human rights. While AFP, which reported the story, did not list the 44 African nations who signed, odds are good at least a few of them do not have stellar human rights records either. Link: AFP

REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN) NEWS
TAIWAN PREMIER CALLS FOR RECONCILIATION WITH COMMUNIST CHINA
Saying, ï¿½the moment for reconciliation has come,ï¿½ ROC Premier Chang Chun-hsiung, in his first address to the Taiwanese Legislature, called on both sides to ï¿½replace criticism and invective with rational dialogue.ï¿½ Like President Chen, Chang used the current thaw between North and South Korea as a model. Communist China has repeatedly rejected such a model, and has also rejected every effort by Taiwan to ease tensions. Link: BBC

TAIWAN MILITARY SAYS NOT TO WORRY ABOUT COMMUNIST CHINAï¿½S HIGH-TECH DRILLS
The ROC military downplayed the massive high-tech exercises by the Communist PLA (see above). A spokesman for the military said it was ï¿½monitoring closely all military movement on the mainland and prepared to make proper reaction to ensure national security.ï¿½ One high-ranking general surmised the drills were ï¿½to evaluate any problems regarding joint combat functioning of their forces,ï¿½ not to rattle Taiwan. Link: AFP

KINMEN ISLAND TO GET ELECTRONIC SECURITY AS PRE-CURSOR TO OPENING UP TRADE
Kinmen Island, the closest ROC territory to Communist China, will have electronic security equipment installed to aid in the lifting of trade, mail, and transportation bans with Communist China. All outlying islands will have the ban removed as an experimental policy. The ban will still be in place on main Taiwanese island of Formosa. Link: AFP

REPORTS FROM THE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BATTLE
The ongoing contest between Communist China and Taiwan for diplomatic recognition took some interesting turns this week. AFP, citing the Communist run Xinhua News Agency, quoted an official from Malawi who hinted his nation is considering switching recognition to Beijing. However, there were also reports that Bolivia and Ecuador are considering a switch to Taiwan, which the Communists vehemently denied. Link: AFP

TOP DIPLOMAT TO U.S. SAYS CHEN WILLING TO DISCUSS ï¿½ONE CHINAï¿½
Chien Chien-jen, head of Taiwanï¿½s de facto embassy in Washington, told the Washington Times Friday that President Chen Shui-bian is still willing to discuss ï¿½one Chinaï¿½ with the PRC, but not accept it as a precondition for talks. Chen has held that position since his election in March. Chien also said that Taiwan enjoys ï¿½qualitative arms superiorityï¿½ over Communist China, but the PRC holds ï¿½quantitative superiority.ï¿½ Link: Washington Times

HONG KONG NEWS
HONG KONG AND COMMUNIST GOVERNMENTS AGREE ON PRISONER INFORMATION SWAP
The governments of Hong Kong and Communist China have agreed to exchange prisoner information. According to AFP, the agreement was to prevent occurrences where Hong Kong residents are imprisoned in mainland China without anyone in Hong Kong knowing about it. That occurred over 150 times last year. Link: AFP

TIBET NEWS
COMMUNIST APPOINT ETHNIC CHINESE LEADER FOR TIBET, AGAIN
The International Campaign for Tibet reported today that Communist China has appointed Guo Jinlong as the new Party secretary for Tibet. Not only have the Communists never picked a Tibetan to lead the region, the ICT noted Tibet is one of the few areas where the extremists from the Cultural Revolution have not been eased out. Link: AFP

DALAI LAMA, IN EUROPE, REPEATS CALL FOR TIBETAN AUTONOMY, STRESSES HUMAN VALUES
The Dalai Lama, Tibetï¿½s spiritual leader, began a four-day visit to Hungary this week repeating his call for Tibetan autonomy. While in Hungary, he will meet with several Buddhist leaders and members of the Hungarian Parliament. He also visited the Czech Republic, where he stressed the importance of ï¿½human valuesï¿½ over material goods. Link: AFP, BBC citing CTK

DALAI LAMA SAYS TIBETANS WILL NOT RECOGNIZE COMMUNIST-APPOINTED SUCCESSOR
The Dalai Lama told Asiaweek that he expects the Tibetans will not support a ï¿½successorï¿½ appointed by Communist China. The Dalai Lama repeated his assertion that ï¿½the reincarnation will occur outside Tibet, in a free country.ï¿½ Under Tibetan Buddhism, the after the Lama dies, he is reincarnated in the future. Link: AFP

No News from Xinjiang/East Turkestan this week.

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