Hu Jintao Wheels and Deals Enroute to Washington:

On April 20, China’s Strongman Hu Jintao begins his first visit to Washington -- after being wined and dined in Seattle by US corporations such as Boeing and Microsoft.  In the weeks before Hu’s visit, China’s Trade Minister laid the political/business groundwork with $16 billion of new business deals with large American corporations.  At the same time, however, the Chinese government issued a series of new regulations to censor and control websites and others electronic media. In addition, new official restrictions were placed on Chinese broadcasters to ban the use of foreign news footage, as well as Western publications.  Hu and Microsoft mogul Bill Gates celebrated massive new Chinese contracts and Hu’s promises of anti-piracy on Microsoft’s intellectual property which took precedent over the persecution of journalists and web surfers using Microsoft systems.  More significantly, the new trade deals with a handful of doting American moguls, barely scratches the surface of the annual $200 billion trade advantage Beijing holds over the US, which has been synchronized with China’s massive military buildup.

Bush Admin’s Illusory Alliance with Beijing:

During the past year, senior Bush Administration officials have sent dangerous mixed-signals to Chinese leaders.  On one hand, the Administration has expressed concern about China’s growing military buildup and growing competition over scarce natural resources, such as oil and China’s role in support of radical regimes, such as Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela.  On the other hand, Condoleeza Rice and Robert Zoellick at State Department and some officials at the Defense Department have called Beijing’s despotic communist leaders “shareholders” in creating a new international order.  The facts, embodied by the Hu regime’s repression internally, the military buildup aimed at international expansion against US interests and their support of brutal and genocidal regimes around the world, show a dramatic contrast.

Internal Repression:

In addition to growing restrictions of freedom of expression and internet communication, the regime has played a feigned openness game with religious believers such Christians and Tibetan Buddhists while continuing strict control.  Worse, Hu’s fascistic police have acted with unprecedented brutality to indigenous spiritual movements such as the Falun Gong, which has an estimated 100 million practitioners inside of China.

Sujiatun Death Camp:

 The most recent shocking revelation has been the death camps for Falun Gong prisoners at places such as Sujiatun, which has been reported in the March 30, 2006 US National Review Online , the April 16 Toronto Sun, the March 24 Washington Times and throughout March and April in the international Chinese human rights publication Epoch Times.com.  Witnesses include relatives of victims and medical personnel who have worked at the Sujiatun reputed death camp, located in northeast China. They tell of hundreds of Falun Gong prisoners who had their internal organs surgically removed – including hearts, kidneys, lungs, corneas, retinas and human skin - while they were still alive and sold to foreign recipients.  The wife of a Chinese medical doctor involved in the grisly process told the Epoch Times:  “Many Falun Gong prisoners were still alive when their organs were taken.  After their organs were taken out, some – including those still alive - were thrown directly into the crematorium to be burnt, leaving no evidence.”

Jay Nordlinger, writing for the National Review Online, warns:  “Robert Conquest, the renowned analyst of totalitarianism stated, ‘The world has seldom wanted to believe witnesses or survivors of mass murder.  Ten or twenty years later [after any effective action could be taken to save victims], but rarely sooner…  Testimony out of the early Soviet Union were scoffed at [by Western elite] as ‘tales from Riga.’  Tales of the Holocaust were initially called  ‘Jewish whining.’  When escapees from Mao Tse Tung spilled into Hong Kong [telling of the murder of millions by the Chinese communists] they were called “embittered warlords.’” 

Beijing’s Support of Genocide in Sudan:

Sudan is the scene of the most vicious mass murder and largest refugee population in the world today.  The Number One supporter of the brutal Sudan regime is Beijing, which has substantial oil holdings in the area where the genocide is occurring.  Beijing continues to militarily support and politically defend the Khartoum butchers against sanctions, while they continue their violent depopulation of the oil fields area.  About 70 percent of Sudan’s oil exports go to China, and thousands of “guest workers” supplied by Beijing work on the oil pipelines. On March 27, 2006, syndicated columnist Bill Hawkins cites:  “Around 80 percent of Sudan’s oil [profits go to buy weapons, primarily from China] while the general population remains one of the poorest in the world.”

China’s Military and Political Support of Iran:

On April 18, 2006 an article in the Asia Times reported an immense strategic shift in the balance of power throughout the Middle East and South Asia --  China and Russia invited Iran to become of member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, an increasingly powerful multilateral security alliance created a counter-force to US influence in the region.  As with Sudan, China and Russia have consistently opposed sanctions on Iran for its nuclear weapons program.  The April 13, 2006 official Chinese People’s Daily stated:  “The real intention behind the US fueling the Iran issue is to prompt the UN to impose sanctions, and to pave the way for a regime change… it is at the root of the nuclear issue.” 

In addition, in March 2006, China bought the rights to a large tract of land with potential oil fields in Iran along the Iraq border.  This should be seen as a counterweight against a US military invasion of Iran. An April 17, 2006 publication by Charles Smith on Softwar.net, listed new generations of Chinese missile technology to counter US weapons systems being provided to Iran.  These include the C-701 Kosar guided missile system and the C-802 Noor anti-ship missile which can sea-skim at supersonic speeds for up to 100 miles.  In addition, the Shahab-3 ballistic missile has stealth capability and multiple-warheads, with dummy warheads to trick US Patriot anti-missile systems. 

Conclusion:

History should be our greatest teacher.  A great lesson in recent history is that of British and American business and political elite, including family-scions Prescott Bush and Joseph Kennedy, who believed that business with Hitler’s Germany would prevent attacks against their personal interests.  More tragically, the life and death issues of the vile persecution of ethnic and religious minorities as well as, democratic activists, were not seen as the true nature of the fascist regime.  Within a short time after Britain’s Neville Chamberlain declared “Peace is at hand,” after his summit meeting with Hitler, London itself was bombed mercilessly. 

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