Not sure how much stock you can put into these stories, but it seems interesting.

[url]http://www.newsmax.com/showinsidecover.shtml?a=2001/4/4/234202[/url]

With Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff
For the story behind the story...  

Thursday, April 5, 2001 12:44 a.m. EDT

Bush Kin Predicts China Will Overtake U.S.

President Bush's uncle, Prescott S. Bush Jr., predicts that Communist China will supplant the United States as the world's No. 1 economic power within the next half-century.

Prescott currently serves as chairman of the U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce. In a letter to prospective members, he wrote:

"China has a special place in my heart. I have been personally involved in China for over 15 years. My brother, George [the former president] has been instrumental in the development of U.S. and China relations since 1974.

"I, like many others, strongly believe that China will be the world's largest economy in the next 50 years, and along with America, will play a significant role in shaping the world's peace and economy."

The undated Bush letter was first uncovered by the Web site FreeRepublic.com and is currently available on the U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce Web site (www.usccc.org/chair.htm).

Prescott, named after President Bush's grandfather, has reportedly been in Beijing since last weekend, when two Chinese warplanes forced a U.S. reconaissance plane to land on the country's Hainan Island.


[url]http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2001/4/3/211851.shtml[/url]

Former Joint Chiefs Chairman Demands China Free U.S. Prisoners
Wes Vernon
Wednesday, April 4, 2001
WASHINGTON – The former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired admiral Thomas H. Moorer, says the Communist Chinese are preparing for ultimate war with the United States, and President Bush needs to show strength in dealing with them in the crisis over the crippled U.S. Navy EP-3 plane.
"They should release the prisoners," said Moorer, who was once the nation's highest-ranking military official, in referring to the 24 U.S. airmen and women being detained after the emergency landing.

"The onus is on the Chinese," added the admiral, who also serves on the board of directors of NewsMax.com. "They are taxing the rule of international waters."

President Bush has handled the situation well so far, the retired military officer believes.

"But as time goes on," the president will have "no other course of action" but to "gradually tighten the grip" and "take a hard position."

Several options are available for the president to consider, Moorer argues. And he thinks any, all, or any combination of them should be considered.


Remove the "most favored nation" trading status (now named Permanent Normal Trade Relations) with the Chinese.

Bolster military assistance to Taiwan.

"Get them [the Chinese] out of Panama" and restore the U.S. Army position that was there for years.

Rally U.S. allies to support any of the above actions deemed appropriate.
"A hard position is necessary," Moorer reiterated. "The Chinese have no respect for international law."

In answer to a question, the retired admiral said China has been preparing for ultimate war with the United States.

"They’ve stated flatly the U.S. is their No. 1 enemy," he declared.

To those who say provoking the Chinese will result only in their carrying out missile threats against the United States, Moorer said, "I’ve heard that for so many years,"

                                  NEW YORK -- The name Harry Wu needs no
                                  introduction to freedom-loving Americans.
                                  Having survived the laogai or slave-labor
                                  gulags of communist China, Wu came to
                                  America and testified before Congress about
                                  the horrors of China's slave-labor system.
                                  Wu was born into a bourgeois family that was
                                  fairly affluent when compared to the rest of
                                  China's population.
                                  "My father was a banker and my mother had
                                  descended from a family of well-to-do
                                  landlords," Wu told WorldNetDaily. "My youth
                                  was one of peace and pleasure. Then in 1949
                                  came the communist revolution, led by Mao.
                                  My life changed dramatically. During my
                                  teen-age years, my father lost all his
                                  properties. We had money problems. The
                                  government took over all the property in the
                                  country. We even had to sell my piano."
                                  "At first things seemed OK in China. The
                                  government was busy with the Korean War and
                                  suppressing the old government elements.
                                  The first four to five years after the revolution
                                  we were basically OK as a nation. But then the
                                  government began to wipe out religion --
                                  Buddhists, Catholics and all Christians."
                                  Wu said that during the initial
                                  years after the communist
                                  revolution, "the majority of the
                                  Chinese people wanted to
                                  dedicate their efforts toward
                                  serving the people of the nation.
                                  We believed this would make
                                  China a wealthy nation."
                                  "The communist government told
                                  the people, 'There will be no more imperialism,
                                  no more colonialism.' In China at that time, the
                                  government stopped prostitution, gambling and
                                  drugs. We believed that if we worked hard, we
                                  would have a bright future. The communist
                                  leaders killed many bourgeois landlord
                                  elements and demolished the churches.
                                  "There had been many problems in China since
                                  the Japanese invasion. We believed at first
                                  that the new communist government would be
                                  clean and straight and honest. We wanted to
     

www.worldnetdaily.com   for the rest of the story

Makes one appreciate his situation here in the land of the free, home of the brave.