This article from the Moonie Times is by Bill Gertz, so be forewarned — it will be totally biased. Apparently the paper interviewed Chen Yonglin this weekend, as Gertz continues his crusade to terrify Americans about the China threat.
(Sidenote: I think this is the first time I’ve seen Taiwan referred to as the “Republic of China” in a news article in more than 20 years.)
“The United States is considered by the Chinese Communist Party as the largest enemy, the major strategic rival,” Mr. Chen told The Washington Times in a telephone interview from Australia, where he is in hiding after breaking with Beijing in May.
All Chinese government officials are ordered to gather information about the United States, “no matter how trivial,” he said. “The United States occupies a unique place in China’s diplomacy,” Mr. Chen said.
….
China’s government has targeted Australia as part of its “money diplomacy” and is working hard to persuade Australia not to send troops to help the United States in any conflict over the Republic of China (Taiwan), Mr. Chen said.
China has sought to influence Australia’s government through high-level political visits and favorable trade and by offering contracts on energy-related products. The goal is to force Australia to become part of a China-dominated “grand neighboring region” in Asia and to “force a wedge between the U.S. and Australia,” he said.
The U.S. government has a close intelligence relationship with Australia and has been working to build stronger military ties, as the Pentagon shifts its global strategy toward Asia with the planned deployment of more arms in the western Pacific region to counter a Chinese military buildup.”
The article is another Gertz propaganda masterpiece, laced with powerful but unsubstantiated images of a militaristic China ready to strike at any moment.
For more on Gertz, this is essential reading.
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By Mike
I bet our foreign minister is wishing he’d granted this man asylum – on the condition that he shut up. They turned him down for fear of offending China, and now Chen Yonglin is causing far more trouble as a rejected asylum seeker than he would have if he’d been quietly accepted.
June 27, 2005 @ 11:15 pm | Comment
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By David F.
No doubt “Republic of China” is the politically correct term in Gertz’s slice of the American right wing. I wonder if he still calls the mainland “Red China”.
June 28, 2005 @ 6:40 am | Comment
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By Matt
Gertz often gets out information that is intended to be kept secret, so while you might not like his opinion, he usually puts out interesting stories, like the one last year about China secretly (trying to anyway) buying Russian fighters. As much as I don’t think China is gunning for a war with the US, the fact is that they are secretive. Both the US and Japan think they are hiding their military budget the same way the Soviets did. So in the end, the blame is on China. If they were open about their intentions, Americans wouldn’t have to speculate.
That said, I’m sure they are preparing for a war with the US because they will go to war if Taiwan declares independence, and they know that the US will intervene. So on some level Gertz is right- but his opinion is that China is going to initiate the conflict, which as I said none of us can really know.
China has openly stated that it is trying to drive a wedge between the US and Australia though.
>>>
Chinese officials have recently demanded that the Australian government “review” its 50-year-old treaty with the United States. Australia “needs to be careful,” Beijing Foreign Ministry official He Yafei reportedly warned, lest it wind up in a confrontation with China as part of its treaty obligations to the United States.< http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22110-2005Mar9.html
June 28, 2005 @ 9:18 am | Comment
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By richard
A good take on Gertz and his MO can be found here.
June 28, 2005 @ 10:17 am | Comment
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By Joyce France
Bill Gertz is right about China. As I know Chen is a traitor of the CCP, but not of his country. Good luck to Chen.//
September 24, 2005 @ 6:44 am | Comment