VK3AUU, Zeng was arrested when the first reports from America re dog-food came in. China launched its own investigation into what happened during his term of office and discovered these other incidents.

There has been nothing secretive or hidden about the whole process of his incarceration, trial or public and Government outrage - details of which have been been readily available. His death sentence was passed down at trial some months ago and was also reported in detail both in local and world press.

Each of the incidents mentioned by this author as though they were all seperate events were reported throughout the trial.

As for the toothpaste with anti freeze: it had a "component" which is also used in anti-freeze and other products and which has been an additive in toothpaste in many countries until its recent banning both overseas and in China.

It appears to me that it is this author's reporting which employs smoke and mirrors - as I have had occasion to point out in another of his highly coloured accounts.

Eg: the "threats" to official boil down to the fact that those who don't do their job properly won't get promoted - a policy in effect in most countries of the world. The slavery incident was reported to the government by both villagers and officials who uncovered the perpetrators and brought them to justice, rehabilitating and counselling the children. And as to the "obedient and terrified" city workers who "weren't taking any chances" (of what? that they'd miss their bus? be late for work?)- emotive twaddle!

Stopping the spitting - common throughout all Asia? Periodically campaigns to eliminate this habit are undertaken. One would imagine that if the inhabitants were so terrified and obedient their saliva glands would have dried up by now.

I'm not Sinophile but I am strongly against the exaggerated, deftly twisted and misleading reports from this racist writer. He takes advantage of the fact that not many Americans (or Australians) have first hand knowledge of modern China and spins tales that skirt the outer edges of the truth.

Thank Christ for our stringer John E. Carey who emails from America to protect us colonials here.

We Australians are but lost with without this American cousin - who hates the Yellow Peril, Muslims and all but busty blue eyed blond Babes (who also vote Republican).

Pete

I was in Beijing in 1999 when they made the city so pretty for their communist celebration.

In the central area they closed everything down for rehersals, soldiers on every street corner and even we tourists were told to STAY inside.
We Australians of course wandered out and were challenged in no time and with all the shops closed and tourist spots closed we spent the rest of the day in our hotel rooms. Quite scarey and spooky to see a dead city center.

So much for it being a 'Peoples Republic'
I want to say to the lovely Chinese citizens..if you all stand up together at the same time you can get rid of the evil CCP.
www.cipfg.org

Romany, my "first hand knowledge of modern China" comes from meeting Chinese people who now live in Australia. They have been granted refugee status because they have the physical scar to prove that they had been severely tortured in their treasured homeland, the Middle Kingdom. Their "crime" is practising a traditional Chinese exercise called Falun Gong, a type of qigong practice (aka Falun Dafa) for their health and mind. Falun Gong also embraces the basic universal principles of "truthfulness, compassion and tolerance". I don't know where your perception of modern China comes from but please try reading www.theepochtimes.com.au.

Monty - are you the author of this piece? If so my point is illustrated when you say your information comes second-hand.

My perception comes from the fact that I live in China and teach at a University therefore dealing with both the current generation - the students - and those who lived in other regimes - parents and educators.

Of course I am aware of the FG movement and the consequences thereof. Implicit in the statement that I was not a Sinophile was the understanding that I do not regard China - or any nation for that matter - as Utopia.

However, dealing only with people who have been affected adversely by a regime can lead to a bias that colours one's outlook. Have you read any of the posts on the current discussion in OLO on Whistleblowers? Anyone from a different regime whose only experience of Australia was the stories of what these people have gone through would probably have an equally biased and coloured view of life in Australia.

Whether one understands the ruling on FG or not the fact is that it is an illegal movement. Those who belong to it therefore are breaking the laws of the land. Once again I state this objectively and am not about to enter into any discussion of whether this law is unreasonable or not. Therefore the people with whom you speak are those who have broken the law. (Please remember this is an OBJECTIVE statement).

Thus to compare their lives to the lives of the majority of people living in China who are not part of an illegal organisation does not give an accurate picture.

My protest concerning this and similar articles is that it gives a wholly inaccurate picture of the life millions of people lead in China which is actually comparative to life in any other country.

Romany, let me therefore make an objective comment.

If you look at the lives of the average person in a country as for example Australia, you will find that the average person lives a very comfortable life with freedoms to do most of the things which they may desire and stay out of trouble with the law.

However, there are also many people who are poor and needy who live lives of which the average person has no knowledge, their housing is poor, they are subject to daily abuse from drunken family members, they are frequently in trouble with police because they are perceived to be trouble makers, the list of their tribulations goes on.

It is quite conceivable that in a country such as China that such a group of underprivileged people also exists. Their tribulations may be different, but they will exist for certain, and the writer of the article has probably summed them up fairly well. I suspect that your associations are with the more privileged group who conform to the laws to stay out of trouble.

David