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CHINA E-LOBBY UPDATE: APRIL 30, 2003
Note: The next Week�s Links will be sent tomorrow, one day ahead of schedule.
Tell Gay Hartwell Sills of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. to kill the Global Crossing sale to Hutchison Whampoa (see American-Related News and the 3/19 and 3/26 Updates for more on this).
TOP STORY: SARS STILL RAMPANT IN PRC; COVERUP CONTINUES IN SHANGHAI
BEIJING HOSPITALS SEALED OFF; THOUSANDS UNDER QUARANTINE; NIGHT LIFE CLOSED
PRC STILL HOLDING BACK INFORMATION ON DISEASE; POLITICAL EFFECTS UNCLEAR
The so-called People�s Republic of China closed twenty-five hospitals and quarantined over 7,500 people (Washington Post 4/28) in Beijing over the weekend in reaction to SARS. The Communists were slow, to put it mildly, in admitting the extent of SARS in the PRC � Communist secrecy since November allowed the disease to spread around the world from Guangdong (see 3/19, 3/26, 4/2, 4/9, 4/16, and last Updates).
Meanwhile, the Communists �ordered the closure of cinemas, theatres, karaoke bars and internet cafes� (BBC 4/27) as part of their efforts to stop SARS. Despite all of this, however, the situation in Communist China, including in Beijing, is still �severe� (Willy Wo-Lap Lam, CNN 4/29), as the new Mayor of the capital admitted that Beijing hospitals �don't have enough beds for all suspected cases.�
The World Heath Organization said SARS is on the decline everywhere except the PRC. One of the reasons why: the Communists are still not providing �details about SARS, including detailed identification of outbreaks and the location of patients� (Washington Post 4/29). As the WHO official put it, �it is now high time that this information becomes available.� Also reporting: Fox News, BBC 4/28
There is already talk of the political effects of the disease, although is not yet clear just what they are. The Communists� attempt to bury the disease for months �could carry a huge price in the long run, both economically and politically� (BBC 4/30). Some think PRC President Hu Jintao could �use SARS as a proverbial tupokou ("breakthrough point") for reforming the cadre and political system� (Lam 4/28).
However, former PRC President and current Central Military Commission Chair Jiang Zemin (who as Lam noted heads the group most secretive by far about SARS � the PRC military) may also use the disease to make Hu �the scapegoat in a power struggle, with Mr. Zeng taking real power.� �Mr. Zeng� is Jiang�s top prot�g�, Zeng Qinghong. Jiang�s CMC Chair makes him � at least � an equal in power to Hu.
Meanwhile, the supposed new openness of the PRC on SARS is not extending to its most prized commercial symbol. A WHO doctor in the city projected �tens� (BBC 4/24) of SARS cases there, �rather than the two cases officially reported.� The cover-up continues. Time Asia reported that, according to Communist Party officials in the city, �Shanghai's SARS caseload was still a state secret.� Sigh.
The news on SARS is so extensive it has led us to inaugurate a new Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News section.
NORTH KOREA NEWS
U.S. IS HOPING PRC WILL PUSH NORTH KOREA TO BEHAVE
Did that headline make you squirm, too? I only wish it were wrong. The U.S. is still hoping �that their long struggle to draw the Chinese into a campaign against North Korea might suddenly bear fruit� (Washington Post 4/26). While the PRC might be a little miffed at the North�s brazenness, the Post also noted that it would never �press so hard that the North Korean government collapses.�
Given that the Communists had the gall to say that the U.S.-NK-PRC talks which ended in a debacle last week were �a good start� (BBC), the Administration officials hoping for Communist help are likely in for continuing disappointment.
The PRC itself gave credence to that skepticism by touting the North�s �offer� to drop its nuclear and missile programs, if we give the Stalinists �everything they have ever asked for� (Washington Post 4/29), including the �condition that Washington guarantees the Pyongyang regime� (CNN). The U.S. rejected the �offer,� which one Administration official described as a �list of demands� (Washington Times).
RUMSFELD PUSHES NORTH KOREA REGIME CHANGE, BUT WANTS PRC COOPERATION
Meanwhile, Agence France Presse, citing the Australian, reported a plan put forth by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for �the collapse of Kim Jong-il's regime.� However, Rumsfeld�s plan seems to include recruiting Communist China, and how the PRC would be convinced to help destroy its long-time ally � especially after the �offer� during last week�s �good start� (see above) � is anyone�s guess.
Furthermore, replacing Kim Jong-il with a more malleable Stalinist may be good for Communist China, but no one has even discussed the North to stop selling arms to terrorists, or starving its own people, or testing long-range missiles. A non-nuclear North Korea � and that�s based on the dubious assumption it will stay that way � is still a very dangerous regime.
For more on Communist China�s Stalinist ally, sign up for Monday�s North Korea Report.
OTHER AMERICAN-RELATED NEWS
SENATORS WANTS INVESTIGATION INTO LEUNG, PRC, AND CAMPAIGN FINANCE
Senator Joseph Lieberman (Connecticut), a Democratic candidate for President, has called for a probe of donations by �Parlor Maid� PRC spy Katrina Leung (see 4/16 and last Updates) to GOP candidates to see if any of that money came from Communist China itself. Lieberman was the one of the few Democrats to back a similar probe by Congress into Democratic fundraising in 1996. Report: Washington Post
According to Newsmax, Leung was possibly �the Republican opposite number to (Johnny) Chung,� the chief conduit of PRC funds to the Democratic Party. Meanwhile, Iowa Republican Charles Grassley and Vermont Democrat Patrick Leahy asked fellow Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee) to launch a probe of the Leung case.
SENATE MAJORITY LEADER FINDS HU JINTAO �REASSURING� ON SARS
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist visited Beijing and met with PRC President Hu Jintao last week. During the meeting, the Tennessee Republican and surgeon told the press he found Hu�s supposed candor on SARS �very reassuring� (Washington Post). Perhaps Frist should have gone to Shanghai.
SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME (SARS) NEWS
COMMUNIST PM ADMITS TO ERRORS, BUT NOT FALSEHOODS
At a meeting of Asian leaders dealing with SARS, PRC Premier Wen Jiabao admitted to �inadequate� (Washington Times) action by the Communist regime against SARS. However, he did not admit to the slew of lies the Communists told about the disease for months. Also reporting: Washington Post
BEIJING DESERTED BY THOUSANDS
Another consequence of the cover-up is that the truth looks a lot worse in comparison to the old lies. Such is now the case in Beijing, where the Communists had to multiply the acknowledged number of cases by a factor of ten. One expected result: �Thousands of people mobbed Beijing's West railroad terminal today in desperate attempts to flee� (Washington Post).
PRC ECONOMY �AT A STANDSTILL� DUE TO SARS; STOCK EXCHANGES SHUT DOWN
SARS has already hit Communist China�s economy, badly. Economist Andy Xie told Newsmax that the PRC economy �has been at a standstill� because of the disease, and it could get much worse. Meanwhile, the Communists ordered stock exchanges in their major cities shut down �as part of attempts to control the spread of the deadly Sars flu� (BBC). See Hong Kong News for more on SARS.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
FRANCE INVITES COMMUNIST CHINA TO G7 MEETING
French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin visited Beijing, and invited Communist China to join the next summit of the Group of Seven industrial nations, to take place in Evian, France next month. Report: BBC
AIRBUS TO BUILD 30 PLANES IN COMMUNIST CHINA
While Raffarin was in Beijing, Airbus inked a deal with Communist China to build 30 planes for six PRC-run airlines under a contract signed on Friday. Report: BBC
REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN) NEWS
TAIWAN TO QUARANTINE ALL MAINLAND VISITORS, SUSPENDS VISAS
The Taiwanese government suspended issuing any visas to Communist China � including Hong Kong �and ordered all from there who will be using visas to visit the ROC to be quarantined for 10 days. The measures are to prevent the continuing spread of SARS, which claimed its first Taiwanese life last week. Reports: CNN, Newsmax
HONG KONG NEWS
LEGISLATOR CALLS FOR TUNG CHEE-HWA�S RESIGNATION, DUE TO SARS
Albert Chan, a member of Hong Kong�s Legislative Council (LegCo) called for Communist-appointed Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa to resign, due to the local government�s early mishandling of SARS. As Time Asia noted, �his administration's credibility has already become a victim of SARS.�
No news was reported from Tibet this week.
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