Week of October 19, 2001

Chang’s father, Manchurian military strongman Chang Tso-lin, was assassinated by Japanese forces because he refused to collaborate with them. Chang was only 27 when he inherited Manchuria, parts of northern China and his father’s 200,000-man army; he became known as “Young Marshal.?Chang was placed under house arrest after Chiang was freed and was taken to Taiwan in the late 1940’s a short time before the Nationalists fled there after being defeated by the Communists. He lived under house arrest for several decades but was allowed to leave Taiwan in 1991 after it had democratized. He moved to Hawaii in 1994. Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian cabled condolences to Chang’s family, the Taiwanese government reported.

With Chang’s death, the sole remaining eminent figure from the China of the 1930’s and 1940’s is Madame Chiang Kai-shek, who is 104 and lives in New York.
 
 

There are many facets to China’s security measures. In recent days Chinese airliners have stopped issuing tickets to most travelers from 19 countries, including many Middle Eastern nations. The Foreign Ministry claimed October 14 that airlines had misunderstood its instructions, but the next day various ticket agents said the policy was still in place. China has also stopped giving out visas to people from the 19 countries, and many visas of people in China who are from those countries have not been extended, forcing them to depart.

Eight SU-27 fighter jets will patrol over Shanghai, state media has reported, and Navy gunboats will patrol the Huangpu River, which goes through the city. Fighter jets will escort the planes of heads of state when they enter Chinese airspace. Trucks have been banned from the city for most of the week leading up to the conference. Shanghai residents were given a holiday from October 17th to the 21st; large parts of the city have been cordoned off and vacated except for people with special passes. A 100,000-member security force will be used to protect the visiting dignitaries.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, where Bush will stay, has spent $200,000 on extra surveillance and security. “There was always a heightened awareness of security concerns in preparation for the visit,?said the general manager, Mark DeCocinis. “The terrorist attacks made it escalate even more.?
 
 

The 24 Sikorsky S-70C Black Hawk helicopters, bought in 1984, are designed for general use and search-and-rescue missions in high altitudes such as exist in much of China and on the Chinese-Afghan border. The helicopters?engines make them good for mountainous regions. At least a couple of the helicopters have crashed, and the fleet is thought by China experts not to be currently operating.

In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States which killed thousands of Americans along with some foreign nationals, America has asked China for help in its war on international terrorism. China has said that “the Chinese people stand with the American people and the international community in the fight against terrorism.?#060;/font>

However, Fleischer maintained that “there is no quid pro quo on assistance that China may be giving in our counterterrorism efforts, intelligence or otherwise.?#060;/font>

The sanctions, imposed after the Tiananmen massacre in June 1989, have forbidden spare parts, maintenance and field support for the helicopters. While helicopter parts won’t be sold, sources report that the administration is still considering issuing a waiver to sell other military equipment with uses such as aiding public security or countering chemical or other terrorist attacks.

Before Fleischer dismissed the idea that President Bush would waive sanctions for the helicopter parts, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Guangya said China is opposed to sanctions and that China and the United States should resolve disagreements through dialogue. “If the U.S. is going to lift sanctions, it is a welcome move,?he said.