| 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. CHINA E-LOBBY UPDATE: APRIL 24, 2002 TOP STORY: JIANG ZEMIN RIPS INTO U.S. TROOP PRESENCE IN TERRORIST WAR PRC PRESIDENT BLASTS U.S. TROOPS IN CENTRAL ASIA WHILE VISITING IRAN Communist Chinese President Jiang Zemin visited Iran over the weekend and told Iranian radio that �Beijing's policy is against strategies of force and the U.S. military presence in Central Asia and the Middle East region� (CNN�s Willy Wo-Lap Lam). It was Jiang�s �first� public opposition to the presence of American troops fighting the terrorist war in Afghanistan. Jiang also signed agreements on �oil, gas, trade, transportation, information technology and educational exchanges� (BBC) while his Vice-Premier, Qian Qichen, publicly �disputed President George W. Bush's characterization of Iran, Iraq and North Korea as the �axis of evil,�� according to Lam. The People�s Republic of China has been a long-time friend of and arms supplier to the Iran. For news of Communist Chinese ally North Korea, check out the North Korea Report. (Sign up) As Communist China�s allies and customers enter the cross-hairs, check out the latest on �Communist China and the Terrorist War,� either directly or via our main page. OTHER AMERICAN-RELATED NEWS JIANG TELLS U.S. COMMERCE SECRETARY THAT �COOPERATION� DEPENDS ON TAIWAN When he returned to the PRC, Communist Chinese President Jiang Zemin hosted U.S. Commerce Secretary Donald Evans, and flatly told him that continuing �economic cooperation� was dependent on the U.S. stick to its version of �one China,� i.e., no freedom for Taiwan (CNN). While the U.S. officially supports �one China,� President Bush pledged to defend the island democracy from Communist invasion. TOP U.S. COMMANDER TALKS MISSILES, MISTAKENLY CALLS ROC PRO-REUNIFICATION Admiral Dennis Blair, Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Pacific command, expressed concern over the long-term effects of Communist China�s missile buildup within range of Taiwan. Blair did say the cross-straits military balance was �stable� for the �foreseeable future� (CNN). More worrisomely, he called reunification with the Communist mainland �the policy of Taiwan,� which is debatable at best. For more on Taiwan, see Republic of China (Taiwan) News There�s still time to contact the President and tell him not to appoint pro-PRC Doug Paal as de facto ambassador to Taiwan. HU JINTAO WHACKS U.S. � HIS FUTURE HOST � WHILE IN MALAYSIA PRC heir apparent Hu Jintao made a thinly veiled slap at the U.S. while in Malaysia, where he said Communist China �opposes the strong lording it over the weak and the big bullying the small and has long pledged not to seek hegemony� (CNN). �Hegemony� is the Communist code word for actions that irk the PRC taken by the U.S., who will host Hu this weekend. Also Reporting: BBC, Los Angeles Times INDIA TO JOIN U.S. IN ALASKA MILITARY EXERCISES India�s military will conduct joint exercises with the U.S. Armed Forces in Alaska some time next year. The exercises �could boost Indian capabilities in the Himalayan glaciers of northern Kashmir where it faces Pakistan and China�(Washington Times). India also signed a deal with the U.S. to buy �eight gun-locating radars valued at $146 million," according to Cybercast News Service. TRIAL DATE SET FOR WOULD BE SPY Brian Regan, charged with �trying to sell secret satellite surveillance reports to Iraq, Libya and China,� will go on trial on June 3, according to the Washington Post. His lawyers will ask for an extension. Regan was caught last August �allegedly carrying the coordinates of two foreign countries' missile sites and the addresses of Iraqi and Chinese embassies in Europe.� Also reporting: Los Angeles Times, Washington Times HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS NEWS FROM THE FALUN GONG WAR: COMMUNISTS FILE CHARGES IN TV TAKEOVER Communist China charged nine members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement with �using an evil cult to damage law enforcement,� i.e. taking over state-run television in Shenyang to broadcast pro-Falun Gong material (BBC). Falun Gong was larger than the Communist Party in the 1990s, which was a major reason for the PRC beginning a brutal crackdown against the spiritual movement in July of 1999. For more on the TV takeover, see the March 13 update. DAQING DEMONSTRATIONS INSPIRE PROTEST IN LANZHOU About 500 unemployed oil workers in Lanzhou, �inspired by large demonstrations more than 600 miles to the northeast in Daqing, home to the country's largest oil fields,� protested their treatment by the Communists. It was, according to Han Dongfang, a human rights activist cited by the Washington Post, �the first time we have seen protests occur in the same industry, over the same issues, in different cities.� For more on the Daqing protests, see updates from March 13, March 20, and March 27. LIAOYANG POLICE BLOCK PROTEST IN SUPPORT OF JAILED LABOR LEADERS Communist police in Liaoyang �turned down a formal application to stage a demonstration� in support of �four labour leaders, who were arrested last month after mass protests over back pay and welfare benefits� (BBC). The leaders inspired thousands to protest in the city last month (see updates from March 20, March 27, and April 3). A fifth person, Wang Dawai � who �had wanted to travel to Beijing to file complaints against police and official corruption� � has disappeared, and many believe �he may have been detained by the local authorities. China Labour Watch, cited in the BBC report, said Wang has been missing for over a week. CORRUPTION NEWS LAWYER SUES TO STOP ILLEGAL BRIDGE TOLLS An attorney in the Panyu district, just outside Guangzhou, is suing to end tolls for the Luoxi Bridge, saying they�re illegal because the bridge recouped its cost with a donation from Henry Fok, a Hong Kong real estate mogul. Fok used the �donation� as an entr�e �into numerous mainland business ventures� (Los Angeles Times) while the authorities collected tolls for the bridge � 14 years after it was paid off. OTHER MAINLAND NEWS POLICE FOIL HIJACKER TRYING TO GET TO SOUTH KOREA CNN and BBC report that Communist police removed a would-be hijacker from a plane in Shenyang. According to CNN, the hijacker, who brought a child and a knife with him, was an ethnic Korean demanding to go to South Korea. INTERNATIONAL NEWS INDIA SLIPS AHEAD OF COMMUNIST CHINA AS PLACE TO DO BUSINESS IN EIU REPORT In the latest report on business in Asia, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) rated India ahead of PRC (BBC). The EIU also put Singapore ahead of Hong Kong in its rankings (see also Hong Kong News). REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN) NEWS KMT LEADER SAYS MAINLAND MUST BE �FREE AND DEMOCRATIC� BEFORE REUNIFICATION Lien Chan, leader of the Kuomintang (Nationalist) Party, also known by the acronym KMT, said Communist China must be �free and democratic� before reunification can occur, according to the Washington Times. Lien also whacked President Chen Shui-bian for his �departure� from Nationalist policies, which he said was leading to a �certain degree of tension� with Communist China. Talk of a �departure� in policy may come as a surprise to Chen�s immediate predecessor as President, Lee Teng-Hui. Lee, who brought democracy to Taiwan and was reviled by the PRC for his anti-Communist policies and rhetoric, bolted from KMT and founded a new party, allied with Chen. CHEN CHOSEN AS LEADER OF DEMOCRATIC PROGRESSIVE PARTY The Democratic Progressive Party approved new internal party rules that automatically appoints as leader of the party any member who is President of the ROC. The move means that President Chen is now the DPP leader. Report: Los Angeles Times HONG KONG NEWS DISABLED MAN SENT BACK TO MAINLAND WITH NO ONE TO CARE FOR HIM The Communist-appointed government�s deportation of children of HK residents � who had won the right to stay in the last 1990s in court only to have the decision overruled by Beijing � claimed another helpless victim. Cheung Hoi-Sang, who according to the BBC is 25 but �has a mental age of 13,� was sent back to the mainland � even though there is no one there to take care of him. The deportations, 80 so far, continue to set off storms of protest � hundreds staged a hunger strike at the prison from which Cheung was taken back to the mainland, while one woman tried to commit suicide to stop the government from sending her back. UNEMPLOYMENT HITS 20-YEAR HIGH Hong Kong�s unemployment reached 7% for the first quarter of 2002. According to the BBC, the figure �is the highest since the current system of measuring joblessness was introduced in 1981.� Also reporting: CNN HONG KONG NO LONGER THE NUMBER ONE PLACE FOR BUSINESS IN ASIA, SAYS EIU The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) released its list of best places to do business in Asia, and Hong Kong lost its �long held position as the best place to do business� (BBC) to Singapore. The EIU cited, in part, �concerns over Hong Kong's political environment.� Wonder what concerns those would be, hmm? No news was reported from Tibet or East Turkestan this week. 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. |