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   From: pedro1940@progression.net   
      
   CAN  ANY ONE BELIEVE THIS BULL...?   
      
         "China would attack over one hundred American cities with nuclear   
   weapons if the United States interferes in a war between Communist China and   
   Taiwan". Major-General Zhu Chenghu   
      
         The US House of Representatives has called for the sacking of the   
   Chinese Communist Partyâ?Ts Major-General Zhu Chenghu after his recent   
   statement that China would attack over one hundred American cities with   
   nuclear weapons if the United States interferes in a war between Communist   
   China and Taiwan.   
      
         General Zhu was speaking at a function for foreign journalists   
   organized by the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry on July 14. During the   
   function Zhu said: â?oWe...will prepare ourselves for the destruction of all   
   of the [Chinese] cities east of Xian. Of course, the Americans will also   
   have to expect that hundreds...of cities will be destroyed by the   
   Chinese.â?� Zhu has previously said that China has the capability to attack   
   the USA with long range missiles. The general is a professor and dean in   
   Chinaâ?Ts No. 1 National Defense University Strategic Defense Institute   
   which is under the direct leadership of the CCPâ?Ts Central Military   
   Committee.   
      
         Britainâ?Ts London Telegraph published an editorial titled, â?oThe   
   Bullies in Beijing,â?� in which the editors said that Zhuâ?Ts speech is   
   similar to one made by Mao Zedong in 1957. Mao said that nuclear war would   
   both raze â?oimperialismâ?� to the ground and kill half the worldâ?Ts   
   people. Although General Zhu is not currently a member of Mainlandâ?Ts   
   Chinaâ?Ts policy establishment, his speech was given during the critical   
   period of US-China trade discussions and the Kuomintangâ?Ts presidential   
   election in Taiwan.   
      
         Purposely Arranged by Beijing   
      
         The Chinese Communist Party did not reject Zhuâ?Ts speech and a   
   spokesperson from the Foreign Affairs Ministry said Zhuâ?Ts speech was his   
   own personal opinion. This spokesperson declined to comment on whether or   
   not the speech represented the governmentâ?Ts view.   
      
         Although General Zhu emphasized that what he said was his own opinion,   
   a Pentagon official, speaking to a reporter at the Washington Times, said   
   that Chinese generals normally express only official positions and that   
   Zhuâ?Ts comments represent the views of senior Chinese military officers.   
   â?oThese comments are a signal to all of Asia that China does not fear US   
   forces,â?� this official said. He added that a disclosure such as this of   
   elements in a Chinese war plan may have either been inadvertent, or cleared   
   in advance by senior political leaders.   
      
         Professor Tang Ben of the Claremont Instituteâ?Ts Asian Studies Center   
   published an article in Singaporeâ?Ts Lianhe Zaobao on July 20, in which he   
   asserted that what General Zhu alluded to was actually Beijingâ?Ts strategy   
   to deal with current world circumstances, even though Beijing labeled his   
   remarks as â?opersonal opinion.â?� Professor Tang wrote that people aware of   
   the CCPâ?Ts diplomatic history would know that Zhuâ?Ts speech was purposely   
   arranged by Beijing and not written by himself.   
      
         Tang says that China has always used diplomats to discuss major   
   issues, to prevent its military from commenting on sensitive foreign affairs   
   topics. So in this instance, according to Professor Tang, CCP leaders in   
   Zhongnanhai (the Chinese Kremlin) used a medium ranking official to state   
   what they themselves could not say publicly.   
      
         Andrew Yang, Secretary General of the Taiwan Council of Advanced   
   Policy Studies (CAPS), said that Zhuâ?Ts speech is specifically directed at   
   both the United States and Japan, because they announced for the first time   
   that Taiwanâ?Ts security is of concern to both countries. Beijingâ?Ts   
   communist government is watching how they respond in order to learn what   
   policy will be adopted towards China. Mr. Yang also said that Zhuâ?Ts speech   
   means the decision-makers in Beijing have already had discussions regarding   
   changes in Chinaâ?Ts â?ono nuclear first strike policy.â?�   
      
         Speech Represents Views of Some of the Military   
      
         The editor of Taiwanâ?Ts Top Technology military magazine, Mr. Xie   
   Zhongping, is not surprised that Zhuâ?Ts speech represents the views of some   
   inside the Chinese military. Mr. Xie said that the part of the speech   
   referring to the destruction of hundreds of American cities is the basic   
   estimate of the situation by part of the Chinese military, even the   
   government. His explanation is that the CCPâ?Ts government could tolerate   
   more civilian and military casualties than could the US government or   
   people.   
      
         In an interview with Austriaâ?Ts Die Presse, political science   
   professor Ming Chu-cheng of Taiwan University said he also believes that   
   General Zhuâ?Ts speech represents the view of part of the Chinese military.   
   Professor Ming believes that Beijing uses fanatical nationalism to   
   manipulate Chinaâ?Ts internal affairs, to divert attention from the   
   increasing poverty in the countryside and peopleâ?Ts lack of confidence. All   
   the saber-rattling over Taiwan serves to warn and quell any rebellion inside   
   China.   
      
         US Congress Asks China to Sack its General   
      
         US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack called Zhuâ?Ts remarks   
   â?ohighly irresponsibleâ?� and told reporters that they hoped these were not   
   the views of the Chinese government.   
      
         On July 20, the US House of Representatives passed an amendment   
   drafted by Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) that â?oexpresses the sense of   
   Congress that recent comments made by Chinese Major General Zhu Chenghu   
   which openly advocate the use of nuclear weapons against the United States   
   damage US-China relations and violate Chinaâ?Ts commitment to resolve its   
   differences with Taiwan peacefully. It further expresses that the government   
   of the Peopleâ?Ts Republic of China should renounce the use of force against   
   Taiwan, reject General Zhuâ?Ts statements and remove Zhu from his   
   position.â?�   
      
         Also on July 20, in an amendment to the Appropriation Bill for the   
   Department of State, the House urged the State Department to allow senior   
   Taiwanese officials to visit the United States and communicate with their US   
   counterparts. The House amendment specifically named Taiwanâ?Ts President,   
      
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