Photo with H.H, the Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama mocks China’s interest in naming his successor

http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/dalai-lama-mocks-chinas-interest-in-naming-his-successor/article2416580/?service=mobile

On top of everything else, His Holiness is one the great humourists of our times!!

NYT: Bo Xilai Said to Have Wire Tapped Hu Jintao's Telephone!

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/04/26/world/asia/bo-xilai-said-to-have-spied-on-top-china-officials.xml

My rather optimistic op-ed "Sunk by corruption, even in China" - The Globe and Mail

"Party corruption runs deep; Some suggest scandals will fade and pose no threat to the authoritarian rule of China's Communists. They are wrong."
Sunk by corruption, even in China - The Globe and Mail

There is a Chinese language TV interview with me on the same topic from OMNI TV Mandarin News of April 19 (starts at about 7:50): http://bcove.me/ot94vp3h

《求是》发表温家宝重要文章:让权力在阳光下运行

《求是》发表温家宝重要文章:让权力在阳光下运行

Chinese language report speculating on what Bo Xilai's spouse was really doing

谷开来涉嫌四宗命案 涉重庆受贿10亿 转出海外80亿 - wenxuecity.com

Hard to know how factual this is, but it seems plausible.

Xinhua News Agency reports China suspends Bo from elite ranks, wife suspected of murder | Reuters

China suspends Bo from elite ranks, wife suspected of murder | Reuters

据新华社4月10日报道，据调查，薄谷开来（薄熙来同志妻子）及其子同尼尔•伍德过去关系良好，后因经济利益问题产生矛盾并不断激化。

 

经复查，现有证据证明尼尔•伍德死于他杀，薄谷开来和张晓军（薄家勤务人员）有重大作案嫌疑。薄谷开来、张晓军涉嫌故意杀人犯罪，已经移送司法机关。

 

Bo Xilai 'expelled from China's Communist Party' - Telegraph

Bo Xilai 'expelled from China's Communist Party' - Telegraph

Expulsion from the Party means no prospect of return to public life.  Much more serious than simply being removed from posts.  Bo Xilai's expulsion from Chinese Communist Party means his career is definitely and absolutely over.  Never coming back.

Rights And Democracy: Tories Killing Mulroney-Era Agency

Rights And Democracy: Tories Killing Mulroney-Era Agency

Press release from Minister Baird: http://www.international.gc.ca/media/aff/news-communiques/2012/04/3a.aspx?view=d

Article in National Post: http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/04/03/tories-shutter-troubled-rights-and-democracy-agency/?__lsa=b9697a1f

3 Reasons Why the Next Canadian Ambassador to China Should Be a Political Appointment

1. Sending a strong politically connected ambassador sends a signal to Chinese that we are serious about upgrading the China relationship in Canada’s international priorities.  It is a lot better than sending a bland DFAIT Mandarin.  We need someone senior in this post.

2.  This sort of person will not have one eye on going into business with the Chinese and getting rich after ambassadorship ends.  Better not to have future personal Chinese plans overshadowing his pursuit of Canadian interests while still a humble incomed civil servant.

3. This sort of person is more likely to press on with follow through on the FIPA, etc.

China urged to probe suspicious death of Briton who had links to purged Communist Party anti-corruption crusader | Mail Online

This is worth the read:

China urged to probe suspicious death of Briton who had links to purged Communist Party anti-corruption crusader | Mail Online

Australia has blocked Huawei Technologies of China from bidding on contracts in the $38 billion Australian National Broadband Network

@AsiaPacificFdn: Australia Bars Huawei From Broadband Project via @NYTimes http://ow.ly/9SW9u

Jian Ghomeshi's interview with Ai Weiwei on CBC radio program "Q"

I recommend taking out 26 minutes to listen to Jian Ghomeshi's interview with Ai Weiwei on CBC radio program "Q"

Audio

Interesting report on how Iran busts sanctions through Hong Kong

Uncertain future in HK for Iranian shipping line | Iran Shell Game | Latest Hong Kong, China & World News | SCMP.com

Politburo Claims Control Over Reincarnation in Tibet

@markmackinnon: Global Times-ism of day: "The central government has the complete power to stop the reincarnation of any living Buddha" http://www.globaltimes.cn/NEWS/tabid/99/ID/700829/Dalais-incarnation-critical-for-Tibets-future.aspx

Most spoken Languages of the World - Nations Online Project

Most spoken Languages of the World - Nations Online Project

温家宝总理答中外记者问--中国共产党新闻-人民网

温家宝总理答中外记者问--中国共产党新闻-人民网

DPRK Press Release About Talks with USA

@CanKorTweets: Results of DPRK-USA Talks as Announced by the DPRK Foreign Ministry http://t.co/0bKHoYXV

Vancouver Sun Report on Allegatons of Chinese Cyber-Espionage: "China has not been behaving like a friend"

"An electronic stealth operation allegedly based in China hacks into Nortel Networks Inc., Canada's high-flying telecom superstar, loots its secrets for a decade and, says one cyber-security expert, contributes to the company's fatal implosion.

Queen's University professor David Skillicorn points out that after the hackers penetrated Nortel around 2000, they began stealing technical papers, research and development reports, and strategic business plans.

After that, Nortel couldn't compete for contracts "because the hackers had their technical knowledge, their financials, their bids, before they submitted them," Skillicorn told Postmedia News. "How can you compete in an environment like that? These hackers weren't into Nortel just out of curiosity. They were using the stuff they got.""

=====

"Last year, as Finance Minister Jim Flaherty prepared for a G20 economic summit in Paris, hackers penetrated Canada's Treasury Board and department of finance computer networks. They also infiltrated the House of Commons network. Later analysis identified a particular interest in MPs with large numbers of ethnic Chinese in their constituencies.

Canada's Communications Security Establishment tracked this hacking operation to the Chinese embassy in Ottawa and from there to computer servers in Beijing, reported CTV News."

National Post Report Alleges Suspicions on Huawei: "Nortel hacked to bits"

"Mr. Shields was convinced there were criminals working on behalf of China's Huawei Technologies Co. accessing the CEO's files, but his hunch hadn't been enough for his immediate bosses to grant him direct access to the top man's PC.

"I went on my own then and pulled the Web logs from Mike Z. since I had access to those kinds of logs back then," the 53-year-old Nortel veteran recalls. It was there he finally found the digital smoking gun he had spent years trying to find."


China's embassy in Washington issued a statement to the WSJ specifically denying any involvement in the Nortel hacking, saying "cyber attacks were transnational and anonymous" and shouldn't be assumed to originate in China "without thorough investigation and hard evidence."

Nortel hacked to bits