America's Future Update on China

Update on Poisons Sold by the Chinese

Communist China confirmed that toy beads known as Aqua Dots, which have been recalled in the U.S. and Australia after sickening children, contain a substance that can turn into the "date-rape" drug after children swallow them. The toys were coated with the industrial chemical 1,4-butanediol. When ingested, the chemical metabolizes into the "date-rape" drug gamma hydroxy butyrate, also known as GHB, which can cause breathing problems, loss of consciousness, seizures, drowsiness, coma, and death. Millions of units of the toy, which was advertised by Wal-Mart as the top toy of the year, were recalled after children began falling sick from swallowing the toy's bead-like parts. Children who swallowed the Aqua Dots were in Texas, Delaware, New Hampshire, Illinois and Utah.

Aqua Dots were supposed to have been coated with nontoxic 1,5-pentanediol, a chemical commonly used in computer printer ink. But that chemical costs three or four times the price of the poisonous compound, so the manufacturer couldn't resist using the cheaper product. Associated Press, 11-11-07

Update on Communist Chinese Censorship

Starting in September 2007, all visitors to Sina.com, China's largest Internet portal, have been greeted by two cute cartoon police figures, one male and one female, who pop up on their screens every 30 minutes. These images provide links to the Internet police section of the Public Security website, where readers can report any illegal information they see. With the five-yearly Party Congress about to start and the 2008 Olympic games coming soon, censorship of Chinese media and Internet has reached new heights.

This intimidation by virtual cyber-cops is part of sophisticated government censorship, which includes regulations, surveillance, imprisonment, propaganda, and the blocking of hundreds of thousands of international websites at the national gateway level, known as the Great Firewall. The government uses a multi-layered strategy to control Internet content and to monitor online activities at every level of Internet service. Censorship is carried out under the official slogan of "constructing a harmonious society." Censoring Internet content is called "being harmonized." SFGate, 9-23-07

Update on Dangers of Trade with China

A Chinese company with ties to Beijing's military and past links to Saddam Hussein's army in Iraq and the Taliban will gain access to U.S. defense-network technology if a proposed $2.2 billion merger goes through. A deal is in the works for Huawei Technologies to merge with a Massachusetts-based 3Com network-equipment manufacturer. Huawei has been linked to the U.S. oil-for-food scandal, which involved millions of dollars in payoffs to Saddam's regime during a time of United Nations sanctions. According to a U.S. defense official, "Huawei is up to its eyeballs with the Chinese military."

In July 2007, Chinese military hackers were detected breaking into Pentagon computers, including an email system close to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates. A U.S. defense official expressed concern that "now we are proposing to sell the People's Liberation Army a key to our front door. This is a very dangerous trend." Washington Times, 10-8-07