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China Billionaire Arrested for Child Molestation

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China’s official Communist Party newspaper has revealed that one of two previously unidentified suspects allegedly involved in a molestation case is billionaire Wang Zhenhua.

Wang recently stepped down as chairman of Seazen Holdings, one of China’s foremost real estate developers, “for personal reasons.” This announcement immediately followed news that Wang and another suspect identified only as “Zhou” had been arrested for their alleged involvement in the molestation of an underage girl in a Shanghai hotel.

The victims’s mother claims that Zhou transported her daughter on June 30 from Jiangsu province to Shanghai, where she was sexually assaulted. Zhou surrendered to the police on July 2, a day after the Wang investigation was announced. . .

Child molestation in China carries a maximum penalty of only five years, though the sentence can be extended with further charges. A statement by China police asserted that they “adopt a ‘zero tolerance’ attitude toward crimes against minors and will severely crack down on such crimes in accordance with law.” (Read more from “China Billionaire Arrested for Child Molestation” HERE)

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You Can’t Look at Trump’s North Korea Moves Without Looking at China

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President Trump set foot several feet into North Korea. Is that a big deal? No other president has done it. Was it a symbolic gesture? Yes. Did it provide a great photo op for the North Korean leader? Absolutely. Was it seen as a stunt by the mainstream media in the U.S.? Of course. Does anyone think credit would be given to President Trump for any action he takes? We are talking about a huge segment of the U.S. media that would cheer for the enemy during a fight if it meant they could blame the president.

I’ve spent years watching and analyzing the events in North Korea and spent some of my military years preparing for a conflict with that nation. I’ve looked at issues ranging from potential individual actions all the way up to nation-state conflict. Here’s the reality: Kim Jong Un is not the leader of a sovereign nation. He is, as his father was, the person who inherited the job of overseer of China’s primary proxy fighter.

To put it more bluntly, Kim Jong Un runs the rabid dog Beijing keeps on a short leash. To believe that at any level of government, North Korea is an independent nation that can be approached by any other nation without approval or oversight from China is simply naive. North Korea is and has been for decades a threat to world peace – a threat that was proven indelibly in one horrific war already. North Korea is and has been a tool for China to leverage against the United States. Push China too far, and out comes the rabid dog.

So, is it possible for Mr. Kim to commit to any agreement without first receiving guidance from his puppet masters in Beijing? Is it possible to pry North Korea away from the orbit of China?

The answer to both questions is a resounding no.

Would China go to war before it would accept North Korea ending up in a Western-dominated environment?

You can bet your bottom dollar on it.

Since North Korea is not a sovereign nation, the next logical question is: Why is the U.S. seemingly wasting its time talking to a puppet?

Perhaps the U.S. is using Kim as a leverage point on a much larger issue. Perhaps this is all about countering the long-term Chinese vision for the region.

When you’re involved in preparing for war, you understand the true purpose of North Korea. So once you know your enemies’ tactics, you must set a plan to counter them. Can the U.S. and others show the people of North Korea there is a better way of life out there? In the end, is the issue of North Korea about North Korean nuclear weapons – weapons China would never allow North Korea to use without approval – or is it about containing the Chinese dragon?

Is it better to threaten Kim Jong Un and win a few votes back home come election time, or is it far more effective to play nice with him despite anything he might say or do? How does Beijing argue with President Trump agreeing to take a few steps into North Korea? How would the Chinese government paint that in a bad light? Seen from my foxhole, that move was pure genius.

If Team Trump has figured out how to play to the weaknesses of the primary Chinese proxy tool in a way not based on threats of total destruction, then I suggest his team has found a path that might just work. Does it give the appearance of going soft, as in the Clinton, Bush, and Obama years? No. Those administrations had a sadly simplistic approach to North Korea: avoidance. Team Trump seems to be on a mission to create pressure between the puppet proxy kingdom and its overlords in Beijing.

If it is indeed true that Team Trump is approaching this with a “peace through strength” strategy to counter China – the real player in the theater – and not from one of weakness that so defined his predecessors, then how will we know if the plan is working?

Well, that answer was on display just last week when Xi Jinping, the leader of China, visited his puppet kingdom. CNN reports that it was the first time a Chinese head of state has visited North Korea in 14 years. It demonstrates that China needed to show not just Mr. Kim, but his military commanders, who really calls the shots for North Korea. Jinping knew President Trump might take advantage of the G-20 summit trip. How could he not show up to make sure key people know where they stand? Let the trade talks continue to go badly for China, and they are, and you will see the puppet leader do something newsworthy.

Can Xi Jinping order North Korea to completely walk away from President Trump’s efforts? Yes. Another ballistic missile test or the cancellation of talks with South Korea would be disastrous for the 2020 election bid. The reality is, the puppet nation is still a tool at the disposal of the number one thereat to the U.S. President Trump is taking a calculated gamble.

In the end, it’s not only about the nukes, folks. Divide and conquer: It’s a timeless game the U.S. better remember how to play. (For more from the author of “You Can’t Look at Trump’s North Korea Moves Without Looking at China” please click HERE)

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China Targeted in State Department Annual Report on Religious Freedom

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A Congress-mandated report on the state of religious freedom around the world released by the State Department had some good news and some bad news.

The really bad news concerns the ability of the Chinese people to worship how they choose.

Multiple media and NGOs estimated that since April 2017, the government detained at least 800,000 and up to possibly more than 2 million Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and members of other Muslim groups, mostly Chinese citizens, in specially built or converted detention facilities in Xinjiang and subjected them to forced disappearance, torture, physical abuse, and prolonged detention without trial because of their religion and ethnicity. There were reports of deaths among detainees. Authorities maintained extensive and invasive security and surveillance, particularly in Xinjiang, in part to gain information regarding individuals’ religious adherence and practices. The government continued to cite concerns over the “three evils” of “ethnic separatism, religious extremism, and violent terrorism” as grounds to enact and enforce restrictions on religious practices of Muslims in Xinjiang. Authorities in Xinjiang punished schoolchildren, university students, and their family members for praying. They barred youths from participating in religious activities, including fasting during Ramadan. The government sought the forcible repatriation of Uighur Muslims from foreign countries and detained some of those who returned.

It gets worse — much worse:

The government began enforcing revised regulations in February that govern the activities of religious groups and their members. Religious leaders and groups stated these regulations increased restrictions on their ability to practice their religions, including a new requirement for religious group members to seek approval to travel abroad and a prohibition on “accepting domination by external forces.” Christian church leaders stated the government increased monitoring even before the new regulations came into effect, causing many churches to cease their normal activities. Authorities continued to arrest Christians and enforce more limitations on their activities, including requiring Christian churches to install surveillance cameras to enable daily police monitoring, and compelling members of house churches and other Christians to sign documents renouncing their Christian faith and church membership. An ongoing campaign of church closings continued during the year, and authorities removed crosses and other Christian symbols from churches, with Henan Province a particular focus area of such activity. In September the Holy See reached a provisional agreement with the government that reportedly would resolve a decades-long dispute concerning the authority to appoint bishops.

(Read more from “China Targeted in State Department Annual Report on Religious Freedom” HERE)

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China Hosts Taliban Delegation to Enlarge Role in Afghanistan

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A Taliban delegation recently traveled to Beijing to discuss U.S.-backed peace efforts as well as “mutual” counterterrorism concerns in Afghanistan, the Chinese foreign ministry confirmed on Thursday.

Indian media reported that New Delhi’s rival Beijing hosted the delegation — led by the Taliban’s political deputy chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar — in a bid to expand its role in Afghanistan, which is expected to house projects from Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Asked about the Taliban’s visit on Thursday, Lu Kang, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters that the two sides exchanged views “on Afghanistan’s peace and reconciliation process, counter-terrorism and other issues of mutual interest.” . . .

The Trump administration has intensified peace-seeking efforts over the last year, making the political reconciliation between Afghanistan and Kabul the primary goal of its strategy to end the nearly 18-year-old war. Nevertheless, the Taliban’s refusal to allow Kabul to participate in the ongoing negotiations has surfaced as the primary hurdle to the talks.

Taliban narco-jihadis, who are fighting to establish a sharia-compliant Islamic emirate in Afghanistan, consider themselves the only legitimate government of Afghanistan, dismissing Kabul as an American “puppet.” (Read more from “China Hosts Taliban Delegation to Enlarge Role in Afghanistan” HERE)

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China Accuses Pompeo of Violating International Law

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On the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo slammed China in a statement honoring the “heroic protest movement of the Chinese people.”

“The hundreds of thousands of protesters who gathered in Beijing and in other cities around China suffered grievously in pursuit of a better future for their country,” Pompeo wrote. “The number of dead is still unknown. We express our deep sorrow to the families still grieving their lost loved ones, including the courageous Tiananmen Mothers, who have never stopped seeking accountability, despite great personal risk. The events of thirty years ago still stir our conscience, and the conscience of freedom-loving people around the world.” . . .

The secretary’s statement also called upon the Chinese government “to make a full, public accounting of those killed or missing” during the Tiananmen Square protests “to give comfort to the many victims of this dark chapter of history.” . . .

In response, the Chinese embassy in Washington claimed the statement violated international law and was made out of “prejudice and arrogance.”

“Under the pretext of human rights, the statement grossly intervenes in China’s internal affairs, attacks its system, and smears its domestic and foreign policies,” the Chinese embassy said in its own statement. “This is an affront to the Chinese people and a serious violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations. The Chinese side expresses its strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to it.”​ (Read more from “China Accuses Pompeo of Violating International Law” HERE)

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This Ad Shows Just How Much Chinese Consumers Trust Facial Recognition Technology

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In a scene reminiscent of a Hollywood blockbuster’s trailer, a Chinese policeman dons a pair of futuristic facial recognition–equipped sunglasses. He scans each member of the crowd at Shanghai’s People’s Square subway station. Before long, he pinpoints a crook—whose disguise may have fooled humans, but not technology—and starts chasing him down.

The video is an advertisement for state-owned telecom giant China Mobile’s new 5G network. The voiceover in Mandarin at the end of the clip doesn’t endorse facial recognition outright, but it does boast that 5G is speedy enough to make “smart cities possible.”

People around the world are grappling with facial recognition. Earlier this month, it was officially banned in San Francisco. Congress recently held a hearing about the pitfalls of the technology. Meanwhile, a backlash broke out in the U.K. last week after a Welsh man complained that the authorities breached his privacy with facial recognition, prompting police to defend what they call a valuable crime-prevention tool.

All that pales in comparison with China’s usage of the technology. Critics have accused the Chinese government of using such technology in its suppression of the Uighur minority, with experts digging up copious amounts of evidence to back up those claims. There are also concerns that facial recognition will be abused nationwide. Cameras equipped with the technology have sprung up alongside most major Chinese city streets, and even in some public bathrooms.

Alarming as such widespread state surveillance might seem to many Westerners, much of the Chinese population has welcomed its increasing ubiquity. As author Jianan Qian wrote in a New York Times op-ed, “Many people in China seem to be happy about the physical security promised by the surveillance network. Our mind-set, long ago, was wired to see safety and freedom as an either-or choice.” (Read more from “This Ad Shows Just How Much Chinese Consumers Trust Facial Recognition Technology” HERE)

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Chinese State Media: Crackdown on Smuggling Is ‘First Step in China-US Rare-Earth War’

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By Breitbart. The trade war is quickly becoming a rare earth war–at least in the rhetoric of Chinese state media.

The often belligerently nationalist Global Times, controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, called on China to cut-back on rare-earth licenses and “tighten management’ of foreign-invested companies as first steps to “weapons the minerals.” . . .

From the Global Times:

The crackdown on rare-earth smuggling makes it possible for China to weaponize the minerals in an escalation of the trade war. Now China needs to tighten management of rare-earth enterprises, especially foreign-invested companies, to make smuggling absolutely impossible.

Rare-earth minerals are important strategic resources but China had never thought of using the minerals as leverage to hit the US. The trade war is prompting China to rethink its rare-earth strategy and make quick adjustments. Once merely an economic sector, rare earths have become a counter weapon for China to hit back at the US. There is a lot of work to be done, and cracking down on smuggling is only the first step in weaponizing the sector.

(Read more from “Chinese State Media: Crackdown on Smuggling Is ‘First Step in China-US Rare-Earth War'” HERE)

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‘Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You’: A Phrase from China Signals the Trade War Could Get Even Worse

By CNBC. The biggest Chinese newspaper explicitly warned the U.S. on Wednesday that China would cut off rare earth minerals as a countermeasure in the escalated trade battle, using a history-laden expression the publication has used ahead of full-on wars.

“We advise the U.S. side not to underestimate the Chinese side’s ability to safeguard its development rights and interests. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!” the People’s Daily said in a commentary titled “United States, don’t underestimate China’s ability to strike back.” The publication is the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China.

The phrase “Don’t say we didn’t warn you” has been used before by the People’s Daily in 1962 before China’s border war with India and ahead of the 1979 China-Vietnam War. (Read more from “‘Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You’: A Phrase from China Signals the Trade War Could Get Even Worse” HERE)

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Is This Why Justin Amash Is Pushing for Trump’s Impeachment?

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By Townhall. . . .Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) had a tantrum because former White House Counsel Don McGahn decided to wipe his rear end with the subpoena that was issued to him. It’s part of the Trump White House’s legal strategy of slapping away these worthless subpoenas because we all know these aren’t oversight investigations. They’re impeachment hearings. They’re aimed at trying to get the president over anything, something.

Storm noted that there’s been a liberal shift in the programming at Fox New on the weekends, which could be a sign that we’re in the post-Roger Ailes era. Rupert Murdoch’s sons are running the show—and they’re not conservatives. He’ll walk you through it folks, but let’s just say that Chris Wallace should find guests who aren’t liberals or former Obama officials. This is Fox News after all. . .

And alas, we come to Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI), one of the few libertarians in Congress, who recently declared that Trump could be impeached, which is rich given that police state tactics were used against the president and some of his staff during the 2016 election. Also, there could be a China connection. Yep, trade is causing tension between the U.S. and China and it would seem that the Michigan congressman has some investments that could get squeezed. Sofia Carbone at Human Events has the story:

In 2010 the Michigan Live website detailed how Amash and his family were ostensibly profiting from the creation of tools in China which were then sold by the Amash family business in Michigan.

The impeachment impresario’s 2017 Financial Disclosure Report details the congressman reported between $100,001 and $1,000,000 in income from a company called Michigan Industrial Tools, which in turn is owned by Dynamic Source International, based in China. Dynamic Source International manufactures products overseas and sells them in the United States via Michigan Industrial Tools (MIT).

(Read more from “Is This Why Justin Amash Is Pushing for Trump’s Impeachment?” HERE)

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Trump Impeachment Call from Rep. Amash ‘Very Disturbing,’ Kevin McCarthy Says

By Fox News. House GOP Chairman Kevin McCarthy is disputing five-term Congressman Justin Amash’s call for President Trump’s impeachment.

Joining a growing chorus of Republicans, McCarthy said Tuesday that Rep. Amash, D-Mich., was out of step with others in the Republican Party and with the American people.

On “Sunday Morning Futures” this past weekend he told Maria Bartiromo, “What he wants is attention in this process. He’s not a criminal attorney. He’s never met Mueller. He’s never met Barr. And now he’s coming forward with this?”

“It’s very disturbing,” McCarthy remarked. “This is exactly what you would expect from Justin. He never supported the president. And I think he’s just looking for attention.” (Read more from “Trump Impeachment Call from Rep. Amash ‘Very Disturbing,’ Kevin McCarthy Says” HERE)

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This Is What China Tariffs Could Do for American Jobs

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A 25 percent tariff on all imported goods from China would create more than 720,000 American jobs by 2024, a new study finds.

The United States would undergo a nationwide reshoring-jobs effort if it imposed a tariff on all Chinese imports, the latest study from Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) researchers Jeff Ferry and Steven Byers finds.

Ferry and Byers’ study reveals that an across-the-board 25 percent tariff on every good imported to the U.S. from China would “deliver a significant, sustained boost to the US economy” by creating 721,000 American jobs and adding $125 billion to the nation’s GDP by 2024.

“Our model demonstrates that across-the-board US tariffs on Chinese imports stimulate the US economy, increase US production and jobs, and lead to a reduction in US import costs over time,” Ferry said.

“This result is consistent with US experience in 2018 and early 2019 when tariffs on steel, aluminum, and other industries led to job creation in those sectors,” Ferry said. “The modeling results provide additional evidence that decoupling the US economy from China and its predatory trade and subsidy practices will make the US economy stronger, with more production, investment, and jobs.” (Read more from “This Is What China Tariffs Could Do for American Jobs” HERE)

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With Farmers Hit Hard by Chinese Tariffs, the Trump Admin Devises $15 Billion Agriculture Aid Plan

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As America’s trade fight with China escalates, the Trump administration is planning to provide even more assistance to farmers whose bottom lines have been affected by the increases in foreign tariffs.

Last year the federal government ended up paying farmers $12 billion to cover the loss of foreign sales to tariff increases, and this year it’s looking like the number is going to be $15 billion.

“We’re gonna take the highest year, the biggest purchase that China has ever made with our farmers, which is about $15 billion,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday, “and do something reciprocal to our farmers so our farmers can do well, they’ll be planting, they’ll be able to sell for less and make the same kind of money until such a time as it’s all straightened out.”

The move comes after Trump faced considerable pushback from Senate Republicans whose state agricultural economies were hit by slumping foreign sales, the Washington Post reports.

In a Monday press release, Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee Chairman John Hoeven, R-S.D., praised the President’s idea and noted that the assistance would take the form of “Market Facilitation Program” payments and other agricultural assistance.

“We appreciate the Administration’s recognition of the challenges in farm country and their commitment to provide agriculture assistance. As chairman of the Agriculture Appropriations Committee, I’ve been making the case to the Administration, both at USDA and the White House, that our producers need another round of MFP as well as other ag assistance,” the statement says. “At the same time, supporting our agriculture industry will send a clear message to China that the U.S. is going to do what it takes to get better trade deals.”

While agricultural commodities across the board have been hit hard by the standoff between Washington and Beijing, one of the hardest-hit crops is soybeans, which fell to record low prices on Monday amid a massive supply glut and stalled Asian purchases.

And that supply glut is hitting the president right in his geographic base of support, as several of the states with the highest soybean acreages are states that voted for him in 2016, as shown by the map below.

“We’ve been understanding during this negotiation process, but we cannot withstand another year in which our most important foreign market continues to slip away and soybean prices are 20 to 25 percent, or even more, below pre-tariff levels,” said John Heisdorffer, American Soybean Association Chairman and Iowa soy farmer, on Monday. “Our patience is waning, our finances are suffering, and the stress from months of living with the consequences of these tariffs is mounting.”

Early on Tuesday morning, the president tweeted that “Our great Patriot Farmers will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of what is happening now,” and that the funding for the new subsidies would be paid for by the “massive Tariffs” currently leveled against China and others. “The Farmers have been ‘forgotten’ for many years. Their time is now!”

(For more from the author of “With Farmers Hit Hard by Chinese Tariffs, the Trump Admin Devises $15 Billion Agriculture Aid Plan” please click HERE)

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