Li Ka-Shing
Hong Kong iMail Vanessa Gould, Joan Yip and Foster Wong "..... ``SUPERMAN'' Li Ka-shing and his sons Richard and Victor are among a number of tycoons who exercise ``undue and dominant influence'' in sections of Hong Kong's economy, according to a report due to be accepted by the European Parliament this week. ....The 23-page report drafted by a committee headed by Irish Euro-MP John Cushnahan calls for fair competition laws and a level playing field for European Union firms wishing to compete in Hong Kong. ...... Among the issues in the report, debated in Strasbourg yesterday, were concerns about Hong Kong's judicial independence, and the interference of mainland officials in press and trade freedom. ....At the same time Mr Li's vast empire was reportedly being squeezed from another direction, with news that Beijing was also concerned about the dominance of his port business, which handled a quarter of China's container trade last year. .....The Far Eastern Economic Review reports today that the Ministry of Communication, which controls shipping on the mainland, had instructed local authorities in several coastal cities to limit the role of Hutchison Port Holdings - an arm of Mr Li's Hutchison Whampoa group - in new and expanding container ports. ......"
Hong Kong iMail Vanessa Gould, Joan Yip and Foster Wong "..... The report of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee said it had been``alleged'' that Mr Li's ``family's business operations account for somewhere between a quarter and a third of stock market capitalisation and include such sectors as telephones, mobile telephones, electricity, supermarkets and property''. The report, the result of Mr Cushnahan's four post-handover visits to Hong Kong, points to the widely-reported controversies surrounding the Li family's growing power with Richard Li Tzar-kai's Pacific Century CyberWorks (PCCW) takeover of Cable & Wireless HKT and the awarding of the Cyberport project ``to Richard Li without the matter being subjected to a public tendering process''. It also mentions concern about exemptions granted when Tom.com, run by Victor Li Tzar-kuoi, was being floated on the Growth Equity Market (GEM). ..........."
WorldNetDaily 3/23/99 Charles Smith "…Li Ka-Shing owns the vast shipping enterprise, Hutchison Whampoa, Ltd. Li works closely with the official PRC shipping carrier, COSCO. Li and COSCO own both ends of the Panama Canal. Li and COSCO tried to buy the former Navy port at Long Beach. Li financed several satellite deals between Hughes and China Hong Kong Satellite (CHINASAT), a company half owned by the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). Li Ka-Shing and the Chinese navy nearly obtained four huge roll-on/roll-off container ships, financed by loans backed by U.S. Treasury notes…… The bio of Li Ka-Shing was forced from the White House by this author during a lawsuit filed in federal court. The Commerce Department claimed the material was withheld for review by another "agency." In fact, the material was secretly sent by Commerce to the real authors, the White House, which is not an agency. The legal "Catch-22" situation was all too obvious to Commerce and White House lawyers who caved in rather than being made to look stupid in front of a Federal Judge…….The reason for the resistance becomes all too clear when Li Ka-Shing's bio is compared to the accompanying materials forced from the grips of the White House. Li was the only so-called "civilian." Li's bio was included by the White House along with the entire leadership of Communist China from Jiang Zemin to the mayor of Shanghai. The Long Beach affair demonstrated that Li Ka-Shing is an agent of Beijing. The White House material clearly shows that Mr. Li Ka-Shing is a member of the Communist government. The Long Beach deal led by Li Ka-Shing was clearly a national security threat. It was canceled after U.S. intelligence sources revealed that Li Ka-Shing's empire is used for PRC espionage. Li Ka-Shing provides fronts for Chinese military operations and "civilian" covers for PLA soldiers to enter the U.S. under "commercial" camouflage…."
www.softwar.net Freeper report "...The Sino-Swearingen plant in West Virginia is a joint project between Texas based Swearingen aircraft, the AFL-CIO, and Sino-Aerospace Investment Corporation. The joint interests of PRC billionaire Li Ka-Shing, a big U.S. union, and Sen. Rockefeller were teamed up to manufacture business jets in the remote mountains of rural West Virginia. The so-called SJ-30 "business" jet is state-of-the-art. The SJ-30 can travel 2,500 miles at nearly the speed of sound and is rated to cruise at 49,000 feet. The SJ-30 is considered to be the leading edge of U.S. commercial aerospace technology and includes all the latest in avionics such as GPS navigation. The immense speed, range and altitude capability of the SJ-30 can be attributed to the twin Rolls Royce/Williams FJ-44 turbofans that power it. The Williams FJ-44 is also used in the Swedish SK-60 military attack trainer and powers the USAF DarkStar stealth robot spy plane. Williams is best known for making the jet engines for U.S. Tomahawk and ALCM cruise missiles....."
The Center For Security Policy 7/2/99 "…On 23 June, Hutchison USA announced its investment of $957 million into the combined telecommunications company of Voicestream Wireless and Omnipoint. Hutchison is already the largest shareholder in Voicestream, owning 24% of the company and its latest investment will increase its ownership to 30% of the newly merged conglomerate….Hutchison USA is a division of the large Hong Kong business conglomerate, Hutchison Whampoa, whose business ventures include real estate, port ownership in Asia, Europe and Panama, retail and manufacturing, and telecommunications and energy projects. Owned largely by billionaire Li Ka-shing, the company has recently initiated an extensive overseas acquisition strategy. Among other companies, Li is also the principal owner of the Panama Ports Company and China Resources Enterprise which collectively control four major ports at the eastern and western entry points to the Panama Canal. In a recent hearing before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on U.S. interests in the Panama Canal, a former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Thomas H. Moorer (USN, Ret.) raised an alarm over Hutchison's role -- and that of the Chinese government -- in Panama.
The Center For Security Policy 7/2/99 "…As Adm. Moorer put it: ...There's far more going on [in Panama] then meets the eye. A company called Panama Ports Company, S.A., affiliated with Hutchinson Whampoa, Ltd. through its owner, Mr. Li Ka-Shing, currently maintains control of four of the Panama Canal's major ports. Now, Panama Port Company is 10 percent owned by China Resources Enterprise, the commercial arm of China's Ministry of Trade and Economic Cooperation….. In their best-selling book, Year of the Rat, Edward Timperlake and William C. Triplett III claimed that China Resources "had previously been identified as an associate of Chinese military intelligence." The authors also identified ties between Li Ka-shing and known arms-smuggler Wang Jun, head of Polytechnologies, an enterprise closely associated with the People's Liberation Army.,,,, The Senate [Government Reform] Committee...revealed that Hutchison Whampoa's subsidiary, HIT, has business ventures with the China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO), which is owned by the People's Liberation Army. COSCO has been criticized for shipping Chinese missiles, missile components, jet fighters and other weapons technologies to nations such as Libya, Iraq, Iran and Pakistan. In 1996, the U.S. Customs Service seized a shipment of 2,000 automatic weapons aboard a COSCO ship at the port of Oakland, California. The man identified as the arms dealer, Wang Jun, is the head of China's Polytechnologies Company, the international outlet for Chinese weapons sales. Jun also sits on the Board of the China International Trust and Investment Corporation (CITIC),(1) the chief investment arm of the Chinese central government. It is also the bank of the People's Liberation Army, providing financing for Chinese Army weapons sales and for the purchase of Western technology. Jun's fellow CITIC Board member is Mr. Li Ka-shing, chairman of Hutchison Whampoa Ltd…."
The Center For Security Policy 7/2/99 "…Li Ka-shing has profound ties to the Beijing regime. Li has invested more than a billion dollars in China and owns most of the dock space in Hong Kong. In an exclusive deal with the People's Republic of China's communist government, Li has the right of first-refusal over all PRC ports south of the Yangtze river, which involves a close working relationship with the Chinese military and businesses controlled by the People's Liberation Army. Li has served as a middle man for PLA business dealings with the West. For example, Li financed several satellite deals between the U.S. Hughes Corporation and China Hong Kong Satellite [CHINASAT], a company owned by the People's Liberation Army. In 1997, Li Ka-shing and the Chinese Navy nearly obtained four huge roll-on/roll-off container ships -- which can be used for transporting military cargo -- in a deal that would have been financed by U.S. taxpayers. A June 1997 Rand report, "Chinese Military Commerce and U.S. National Security," stated, "Hutchison Whampoa of Hong Kong, controlled by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing, is also negotiating for PLA wireless system contracts, which would build upon his equity interest in Poly-owned Yangpu Land Development Company, which is building infrastructure on China's Hainan Island." In 1998, Li Ka-shing attempted to issue $2 billion in bonds, through his Hutchison company, in the United States. According to the Dow Jones Newswire, Hutchison revealed that 50 percent of the bonds would be used through a subsidiary known as Chung Kiu Communications Ltd., which had signed agreements to provide cellular services and equipment to joint ventures between the People's Liberation Army and the Chinese Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. (Emphasis added.) …"
Excerpts from China's Beachhead at Panama Canal by J. Michael Waller Insight Magazine 7/25/99 "...Hutchison Whampoa is more than a Hong Kong shipping giant. Company chairman Li Ka-shing is an important cog in the economic machinery of the Chinese Communist Party and the PLA. Li is a board member of the Chinese government's main investment arm, the China International Trust and Investment Corp., or CITIC, run by official PLA arms marketeer and smuggler Wang Jun. According to Santoli, Li "has invested more than a billion dollars in China and owns most of the dock space in Hong Kong." Additionally, "Li has served as a middle man for PLA business dealings with the West," financing some of the controversial Hughes Electronics Corp.-Loral Space & Communications deals found to have been conduits for weapons technology to Beijing. He also has been a powerful ally of the Mochtar Riady financial empire of Indonesia -- the Lippo Group family that according to sworn testimony paid off Clinton's friends and political allies on behalf of Chinese military intelligence...."
Excerpts from China's Beachhead at Panama Canal by J. Michael Waller Insight Magazine 7/25/99 "...Hutchison Whampoa's port subsidiary, Hutchison International Terminals, or HIT, which in turn runs the Panama Ports Co., does substantial business with the PLA-owned China Ocean Shipping Company, or COSCO, which has been seeking to take over former naval facilities in Southern California. Some of Hutchison's board members consult to COSCO. China Resources Enterprise, or CRE, the commercial arm of Beijing's Ministry of Trade and Economic Cooperation, owns 10 percent of the Panama Ports Co. The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee has identified CRE as a vehicle for "espionage -- economic, political and military -- for China."
U.S. officials have been slow to realize the importance of Hutchison Whampoa and its global maritime network in Beijing's strategic planning. "Hutchison is trying to build a commercial empire in the Americas," a senior U.S. official in Panama tells Insight. "If you asked me three years ago, I'd say Hutchison Whampoa was just a business concern. Logic would tell you that the PRC has more opportunity to influence Hutchison Whampoa than before." ...."
Hong Kong Standard 8/14/99 Charles Snyder, Karen Chan and Kevin Rafferty "...``Mr Li Ka-shing . . . is a well-known entrepreneur and has no connection whatsoever with the People's Liberation Army,'' a statement from Hutchison Whampoa said. It added that the Hutchison subsidiary that operates container terminals in Panama was responsible for handling commercial shipping and was not involved in controlling access to or in the operations of the Panama Canal, which links the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans....In the letter, Mr Lott attacked Mr Li Ka-shing as an agent of China and its military. He claimed that with ports on either side of the canal Hutchison's subsidiary, Hutchison Port Holdings, would have a ``choke-point'' and could both block US ships and ``control at least one third of world shipping''. Hutchison said the group, through its wholly-owned subsidiary in the area, operates container terminals in Balboa and Cristobal Ports in Panama under Panama Ports Company (PPC). There is no mainland interest in the company. ``PPC's terminal facilities are designed to only load and unload containers from ships, and does not have involvement in the operation of the canal. ``PPC does not operate or control the pilotage nor does PPC have any influence on vessels transiting the canal,'' the statement added. Mr Lott made his accusations public in the wake of the visit by Panama's Vice President-elect Arturo Vallarino to Beijing for an ``unofficial'' visit. ``US naval ships will be at the mercy of Chinese-controlled pilots, and could even be denied passage through the Panama Canal by Hutchison Whampoa, an arm of the PLA,'' Mr Lott wrote. ``We have given away the farm without a shot being fired,'' he said. Not so, said the White House. Spokesman David Leavy cited the Neutrality Treaty which protects the security of the canal and the Panamanian law that governs the Hutchison Whampoa contracts that allows open passage. He said he does not know whether Hutchison Whampoa has links to the PLA. Under the treaty transferring control over the canal from the US to Panama, either country has the right to use military force if needed to reopen the canal, Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon said...."
Hong Kong Standard 8/27/99 "…TYCOON Li Ka-shing yesterday gave a clear assurance he is not forsaking Hong Kong for sunnier investment climes. Cheung Kong (Holdings)'s chairman pledged he is committed to invest more and keep Hong Kong as the group's investment base, despite the pull of more attractive yields from investing his empire's money overseas. ``Our strategy is to try investing more in Hong Kong although it has a lower rate of return,'' the property tycoon said. Last year, the influential businessman said he postponed a $10 billion investment in Hong Kong and was not investing until the political and economic climate improved. ``This year, we have invested no less than $10 billion in Hong Kong.'' Mr Li said Cheung Kong definitely sees Hong Kong as its base since about 75 per cent of its capital is invested in the city. Only 15 per cent of the group's capital is invested in 25 foreign countries while the rest, or about 10 to 11 per cent, is invested on the mainland, according to Mr Li. …"
World Net daily 6/29/99 Charles Smith "…Li is so close to the Chinese government that the Clinton White House included his bio along with Chinese President Jiang Zemin to the CEO of Loral Aerospace, Bernard Schwartz, just prior to the 1994 Ron Brown trade trip to Beijing. According to documents provided by the Commerce Department, Brown and Schwartz were to meet both Li and Gen. Shen Rougjun of COSTIND. Serving as a middleman for PLA satellite purchases, Li has financed several satellite deals between the U.S. Hughes Corporation and China Hong Kong Satellite, a company owned by the PLA unit, COSTIND. Besides trying to buy satellites for the PLA, in 1997, Li and the Chinese navy nearly obtained four huge roll-on/roll-off container ships from America. These ships were intended to transport PLA military cargo. The ships were part of a multi-million dollar deal that would have been financed by U.S. taxpayers. A man with considerable clout, Li has invested more than a billion dollars in China and owns most of the dock space in Hong Kong. In an exclusive deal with the People's Republic of China's communist government, Li has the right of first refusal over all PRC ports south of the Yangtze River. Furthermore, Li currently owns both the Pacific and Atlantic ports on the Panama Canal. And it was Li who attempted to purchase the military port of Long Beach, Calif. for COSCO and the Chinese navy…."
World Net daily 6/29/99 Charles Smith "…In 1998, Li attempted to issue $2 billion in bonds in the U.S. through his Hutchison company. According to the Dow Jones Newswire, Hutchison revealed that 50 percent of the bonds would be used through a subsidiary known as Chung Kiu Communications Ltd., which had signed agreements to provide cellular services and equipment to joint ventures between the PLA and the Chinese Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. In June 1999, Li and his PLA partners bought their way into the communications grid of northeast America, bringing PLA signals intelligence (SIGINT) operations inside the United States. Hutchison Telecom and the PLA are now major players in the American mobile-phone business with the recent investment of nearly $1 billion into VoiceStream Wireless. The $957 million deal, the PLA biggest investment yet in America, will allow funding of VoiceStream's merger with Omnipoint. Omnipoint provides a service to more than 100 million subscribers, predominantly in the northeastern cities of the U.S., including critical military, commercial and diplomatic sites in New York, Boston and Philadelphia. The opportunity for PLA profits and communications espionage now spans the massive East Coast of America. …."
Codel Report: Congressman Dana Rohrabacher Al Santoli ".... 1. Growing Role of Communist China: The People's Republic of China is making major political, economic and intelligence inroads in Latin America and the Caribbean. China has increased its activities in Cuba, including the creation of major electronic intelligence/jamming facilities directed at the United States, and increased Spanish language broadcasts of Radio Beijing. Panama, the strategic choke point between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and between North and South America, is becoming China's "hub" or "beach head" in our hemisphere. U.S. security officials and knowledgeable Panamanians see the Chinese using trade as their cover for intelligence and political operations. Beijing's goals are: 1) usurping U.S. political influence in the region; 2) dislodging the political recognition and economic influence of Taiwan; 3) a base for sabotage in the event of any future U.S.-China conflicts over Taiwan or the South China Sea. Canal security is very difficult and the presence of Chinese entities controlling ports at both ends of the Canal is a serious security risk. In addition, their control of the ports and stevedoring enhances the two-way flow of sensitive weapons-related technologies and the potential for sabotage....".
Codel Report: Congressman Dana Rohrabacher Al Santoli ".... 2. Hutchison Whampoa Control of Canal Ports: Businessmen involved in the bidding, as well as current and former-U.S. officials claim that the Chinese Hutchison Whampoa Company obtained the contract for 25 to 50 year lease for the Canal ports by using unfair under-the-table tactics. At least two consortiums, involving American companies may have offered better bids for these strategic port facilities. The smell of corruption is exceptionally strong. In addition, China has stationed a senior intelligence official, reportedly Mr. Yu Gi Ye, is reportedly Beijing's Commercial Attache and de facto ambassador. He operates with a staff of 14 out of the Global Bank Building in Panama City. It is especially troubling that the Clinton administration has publicly stated that they have no knowledge of a connection between Hutchison Whampoa and the Chinese government or military. See the attached documents that include or cite reports by U.S. intelligence agencies, the U.S. Bureau of Export Affairs [BXA], the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and the Rand Corporation identifying Li Ka-Shing and Hutchison Whampoa as financing or serving as a conduit for Communist China's People Liberation Army [and navy] to acquire sensitive technologies and other equipment. In addition, Li serves as a board member on CITIC, which is a state-owned funding and technology acquiring source for Communist China's military. Hutchison Whampoa's control over millions of cargo containers at entrance points at both ends of the Canal for the next 50 years is a more pressing security concern than the legal debate over who may appoint Canal pilots.
Codel Report: Congressman Dana Rohrabacher Al Santoli ".... 3. Corruption, Smuggling and Money Laundering: Panama - especially Colon - has become the "K Mart" of worldwide smuggling; the counterfeit and piracy of U.S. products; repackaging of Chinese textiles to beat U.S. quotas; and illicit money laundering. Chinese triad gangs from the mainland and Taiwan have been working together, in tandem with Russian mafia Mafia and Cuban entities. There are also Middle Eastern organizations present, as well as the pervasive activities of the Colombian drug cartels and narco-terrorist organizations. The entire 2,000 mile coast of Panama, from Costa Rica to the Colombian border has been as drop-off points for weapons being shipped into Colombia. There are also some 1,500 islands along the coast. Corruption in the Colombian government is rampant. Example: Panama's negotiator for a treaty with U.S. on stolen cars brought to Panama for transshipment, herself drove a stolen car.
Codel Report: Congressman Dana Rohrabacher Al Santoli ".... 4. Chinese Alien Smuggling: There is strong evidence of massive systematic smuggling of Chinese illegal aliens into Panama, which results in a steady flow of illegal Chinese from Panama to the United States, with the complicity of the highest levels of the Panama government. This is a major news story in Panama. All Panamanians the delegation spoke with, from senior government officials to ordinary citizens, expressed deep concern about the exceptionally large numbers of illegal mainland Chinese migrants that have been flooding into Panama during the past few years, far surpassing similar activity that occurred during the Noriega dictatorship. Panama's former Intelligence chief Samantha Smith, now in hiding in fear of retaliation, told us in detail the role of President Balladares and his closest aides in the Chinese alien smuggling.
Codel Report: Congressman Dana Rohrabacher Al Santoli ".... THE THREAT: If mainland Chinese and their Hong Kong-based front companies dominate the local and macro Canal-based economy, Beijing will become the dominant political influence in the country. In Panamanian newspapers, the designated new Canal Commissioner Ricardo Martinelli has been quoted as stating, 'The departure of the U.S. role in the Canal Zone will have no economic impact on Panama because of the influx of income from [mainland] China.' The media also report that China has promised to step up economic assistance and investment in Panama after the U.S. departs. China's $2 billion worth of annual commerce in the Canal Zone dwarfs the $500 million of commerce by Taiwan. And there are reports, in Hong Kong and Panama, that Taiwan's Evergreen shipping company is planning to sell its port on the Atlantic Coast of the Canal, with Hutchison Whampoa a potential buyer.
Codel Report: Congressman Dana Rohrabacher Al Santoli ".... 5. The Clinton-Balladares-China Connection: The ties between the President Balladares and communist China, as well as the ties between President Clinton's political entourage and Balladares and China is a matter of serious concern. In 1996, the Canal contract bidding occurred while China was making substantial contributions to the Clinton campaign. Li Ka-Shing is an investor in the Riady family's Hong Kong China Bank. Clinton crony and former White House Chief of Staff Mack McClarty is the President's Special Envoy to Latin America and has reportedly spent "a lot of time" in Panama. In 1997, James Carville ran the Balladares campaign to extend his presidency. Clinton lawyer Gregory Craig has represented at least one Balladares crony indicted on drug-smuggling charges in the U.S., and was publicly mentioned by Balladares as the lawyer to possibly represent his interests if the Chinese alien smuggling issue is brought to a U.S. court.
Codel Report: Congressman Dana Rohrabacher Al Santoli ".... 6. Maintenance of the Canal: Around 1/3 of the world's economy passes through the Canal, including more than 15% of all U.S. trade. In addition the U.S. Navy makes some 200 passages through the Canal annually. The Canal is especially fragile to maintain and operate, requiring a cadre of skilled technicians and engineers to maintain. The Canal Workers Union reports that by the end of 1999, some 30 percent of skilled Canal Workers are being laid off. They are reportedly being replaced by inexperienced personnel, whose qualifications are based on their membership to one political party or another. There are also reports that after the Canal is fully under Panamanian control that further lay-offs of skilled workers are expected. In addition, there are reports that pilots, engineers and other technicians are being hired in Communist China for the Canal, but will not arrive in Panama until after the year 2000.
Codel Report: Congressman Dana Rohrabacher Al Santoli ".... 7. Colombian Narco-Terrorist Forces: The U.S. military and other counter-drug forces will completely depart Panama by December 1999. Panama has no army, air force or navy, except for a small Coast Guard. The government relies upon largely untrained and poorly-armed police to patrol the border area with Colombia where the FARC narco-terrorist forces are increasingly active inside of Panamanian territory. Colombian FARC military/political units are increasingly active in the Darien region of Panama, including setting up schools, free clinics and other institutions. They are essentially waging a Maoist "people's war." The incoming President Mireya Moscoso and her advisors have spoken inconsistently on a U.S. role in bolstering Panama's security, counter-narcotics operations from Panamanian territory and the legality of the "DeConcini Reservation" to the Carter-Torrijos Treaty that would permit the U.S. to intervene to defend the Canal's security. The Clinton Administration speaks of a "two to three year cooling of period" before resuming bilateral talks on a Multinational Counternarcotics Center in Panama. Unfortunately, by that time the narco-terrorists could be in a much stronger position on both sides of the border.
The Province (Vancouver) 9/30/99 Fabian Dawson ".....A secret study by Canada's spy agency tracked a myriad of companies linked to Asian tycoons to determine if they were fronts for Chinese espionage activities. The study also looked at "hundreds of thousands of dollars" that were being pumped into political parties to see if Canada's lawmakers were being unduly influenced. ...... The Province has learned that among those probed were Macao casino king Stanley Ho, who has extensive interests in Canada, and Li Ka-shing, one of the world's wealthiest men, known in Vancouver for his purchase of the Expo lands. Other companies tracked were linked to tycoons Robert Kuok, Cheng Yu Tung and Henry Fok and firms with connections to CITIC -- the investment arm of the Chinese military....... Sources used by CSIS and the RCMP said the study of Chinese tycoons with close links to Beijing showed that together they owned in Canada: - More land, commercial properties and hotels than any other owner. - Major banks and brokerage houses. - All the Chinese language television and radio stations and major video outlets, plus control of the Chinese print media. - Shipping lines, including the giant COSCO which recently struck a deal with the Vancouver Port Corp. to make Vancouver its gateway to North America. - At least 16 data-processing and hi-tech companies servicing corporations including those doing classified work for federal and provincial agencies. - The operation of the databases used by university libraries. - Almost half the shares in three of Canada's major telephone and telecommunications companies. - About 25 major oil and gas companies. - Some immigrant-investor funds. - Large retail distribution companies. In addition, companies linked directly to Chinese state-owned enterprises and Beijing-friendly tycoons have bought a large tract of land at a Scarborough, Ont., industrial area and set up companies in Western Canada to make cell phones, manufacture TVs and export fax machines. Holly Porteous, an Ottawa-based security analyst and former Pentagon writer, said the companies in Canada that can be linked to Beijing is a national security concern....."
The Province (Vancouver) 9/30/99 Fabian Dawson "..... Among other things the U.S. Senate probe found many of the Beijing-linked front companies were specifically set up for "technology acquisitions" In one case, according to declassified American documents, a Chinese military-owned company tried to use a Canadian intermediary to hire former Pratt & Whitney engineers in the U.S. to help develop an indigenous Chinese jet engine. The initial approach was under the guise of a civilian project, and the U.S. engineers were initially not told they would be working on a military engine. The U.S. engineers pulled out when they learned what they would be doing....."
The Straits Times 10/3/99 AFP "...Hongkong billionaire Li Ka Shing and Macau casino magnate Stanley Ho were among a number of Asian tycoons who were investigated secretly by Canada's spy agency, a newspaper here said. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) probe, called Project Sidewinder, looked at a number of Hongkong and Macau companies to see if they were covers for Beijing-backed Chinese espionage into Canada, the Province newspaper reported. Project Sidewinder was started in 1994 and lasted for two years. No charges were laid and the probe was stopped after allegations of political influence were deemed to be unfounded. The probe also focused on alleged contributions from Chinese tycoons to political parties in Canada and any possible influence that might have had on lawmakers. But sources told the newspaper the project was halted abruptly because of "political influence".....Secret papers obtained by the newspaper showed that Chinese with strong links to Beijing collectively owned more land, commercial properties and hotels in Canada than Canadian-born businessmen....."
Wall Street Journal 10/15/99 Peter Wonacott "....U.S. congressional scrutiny of a well-known Hong Kong conglomerate's operations in Panama point to a new wariness toward this city in some quarters of Washington following its return to Chinese rule. In the next few weeks, the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee will discuss a Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. subsidiary's right to run two container ports at the Atlantic and Pacific entrances of the strategic Panama Canal. The hearing comes at the behest of Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, who warned of "security risks" posed by the Hong Kong company. In August, Mr. Lott wrote to U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen that "U.S. naval ships will be at the mercy of Chinese-controlled pilots and could even be denied passage through the canal by Hutchison, an arm of the People's Liberation Army.".... Hong Kong-listed Hutchison, one of the territory's oldest companies, has no known links to the PLA. And the city is home to hundreds of publicly listed companies with billions of dollars invested in China. Relationships between those companies' senior executives and Chinese officials are more the rule than the exception. Still, U.S. legislators have cited concerns that Hutchison's controlling shareholder, billionaire Li Ka-shing, has close ties to China's leadership...."
Wall Street Journal 10/15/99 Peter Wonacott "....The congressional concern is the latest manifestation of a China phobia sweeping conservative political circles in the U.S. Once beyond suspicion, Hong Kong is now lumped together with its mainland ruler in the eyes of many U.S. politicians. Those suspicions increased after recent allegations that Hong Kong companies may have helped China acquire sensitive U.S. technology, a charge Hong Kong officials vigorously deny. ..... For the sprawling conglomerate, with operations in China and around the world, dissecting the business empire for U.S. officials will not be easy. Aside from 19 port operations in six countries, Hutchison also has an international telecommunications business and an extensive property portfolio. Its stock, listed in both London and Hong Kong, is widely held by international investors. About half the shares are owned by Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd., a property and industrial conglomerate controlled by Mr. Li and his family. Hutchison executives say mainland Chinese interests hold no more than 1% ownership in either company......"
Hong Kong Standard 10/11/99 Clare Cheung Agencies "...HUTCHISON Whampoa's Israel-based associate mobile phone firm Partner Communications Company is raising about US$525 million (HK$4.07 billion) through the issuance of American Depositary Shares (ADS). The Li Ka-shing conglomerate indirectly owns 46.67 per cent of the company. Partner is proposing to offer 23 per cent of its ordinary shares to back up the ADS, which will be open for public subscription. .....The major shareholders are Hutchison's affiliate Advent Investments; Matbit Telecommunications Systems; Tapuz Cellular Systems Limited Partnership and Matav Investments. After the share offer is completed and the over-allotment option is fully exercised, about 34.3 per cent of Partner Communications will be held by Advent; 24.3 per cent by Matbit: 12 per cent by Tapuz and 3 per cent by Matav. The remaining 26.4 per cent will be in the hands of the public....."
South China Morning Post 10/13/99 Greg Torode "....Hutchison Whampoa is taking urgent steps to protect itself from intensifying political attack in Washington over its Panama Canal operations. The company is negotiating with several lobby firms in the capital to quell claims it is at the heart of a mainland bid to eventually control the strategic shipping route. "We are increasingly worried about the situation and we are taking steps to ensure our side of the story is firmly and effectively put across to stop all this," one official said. "It is not good for us or Hong Kong in the long term. It is all quite ridiculous and we are talking to people who know Washington a lot better than we do." ...... Senior Republican figures, such as Senate Majority leader Trent Lott and former defence secretary Caspar Weinberger, have named Hutchison as a major People's Liberation Army security threat once American forces pull out of the canal in December. Open hearings of the Armed Services Committee of the House of Representatives are expected to start by the end of the month. Committee members are understood to have met intelligence officials last week to discuss the situation. Further attention is expected this week with the arrival in Washington of new Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso, who has refused to allow any future stationing of United States troops. ....... He described the Hutchison deal as the "biggest threat" to the canal's continued security and raised the prospect of the firm using a "trumped-up reason" to shut it to US traffic. Hutchison has fiercely denied the reports, insisting it has no links to the PLA, no ability to control the canal and no interest in doing so. ...."
WorldNetDaily 10/26/99 Charles Smith "….Li Ka-Shing teamed with Robert Kwok and Henry Fok, according to a recent biography titled "Li Ka-Shing," to form the China International Trust Investment Company (CITIC), described in a 1997 Rand Corporation report as an "investment concern under China's governmental State Council." The guest list for the Pacific Princess included the Executive Director of CITIC, Robert Adams. The Fok family leader, Henry Fok, is reported to be a member of the 14K Triad. According to Timperlake and co-author Bill Triplett, "Henry Fok first made his name by running United Nations-embargoed goods to China during the Korean War. His son was later convicted for trying to bring Chinese machine guns into the United States." The Kwok family, reportedly led by Robert Kwok, allegedly is involved in the heroin smuggling business inside Burma. However, Peter Kwok served as a consultant to the China Overseas Shipping Company (COSCO), and COSCO Hong Kong Holdings, a company owned by Li Ka-Shing. In 1989, Kwok helped CITIC and Li Ka-Shing raise $120 million to buy a Hughes-built communications satellite for AsiaSat, a company part owned by the Chinese Army unit COSTIND (the Commission on Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense). Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Ca., also knows the Kwok family well….."
WorldNetDaily.com 10/26/99 Charles Smith "….In October 1999, the Clinton White House denied that Chinese billionaire Li Ka-Shing is working for the communists in Beijing. The White House press secretary labeled such accusations as "silly" and dismissed them as "the kind of thing you see around here from time to time." Yet, in August 1994, the Clinton White House did not think Li Ka-Shing's connection to the red Chinese leadership was silly. President Clinton thought so highly of Li Ka-Shing that he equated and included the communist financier with the red leaders of Beijing in a package of intelligence information supplied to a Democratic National Committee million-dollar donor. [Loral CEO Bernard Schwatz] …..Li Ka-Shing's bio and the bios of other leading communist party members were exposed here in an exclusive WorldNetDaily column…… According to Forbes, Li Ka-Shing is the sixth richest man in the world. Li claims to be neither a red Chinese government official nor a member of any military service. Yet, the Clinton White House bio states that Li is a "member of the board of directors of the China International Trust and Investment Corporation (CITIC)." According to a 1997 Rand Corporation report sponsored by the Clinton administration, CITIC is an "investment concern under China's governmental State Council." CITIC "became identified with the PLA as a result of the scandal surrounding Wang Jun and his visit to the White House on 6 February 1996." …..The Rand report concluded, "CITIC does enter into business partnerships with and provide logistical assistance to PLA and defense-industrial companies like Poly….."
WorldNetDaily.com 10/26/99 Charles Smith "….According to the Rand report, "Hutchison Whampoa of Hong Kong, controlled by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing, is also negotiating for PLA wireless system contracts, which would build upon his equity interest in Poly-owned Yangpu Land Development Company, which is building infrastructure on China's Hainan Island." Clearly, Li Ka-Shing helps to fund the People's Liberation Army by providing financing for Chinese army weapons sales through Poly Technologies and for purchases of advanced western military technology. For example, CITIC also owns a controlling interest in the Hong Kong based Asia Satellite Telecom Co. Ltd., or AsiaSat. AsiaSat, a company founded in 1988, operates several communications satellites in the Far East bought from U.S. manufacturers such as Hughes. ….."
WorldNetDaily.com 10/26/99 Charles Smith "….AsiaSat is also a front company for the People's Liberation Army. According to "Aviation Week and Space Technology," AsiaSat is also part-owned by the Chinese army unit COSTIND (the Commission on Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense). AsiaSat satellites regularly carry "military communications" traffic for PLA units and Chinese military-owned companies. It is no surprise that AsiaSat signed an exclusive deal with billionaire Li Ka-Shing to carry his STAR television service, 54 channels of premium cable/satellite television including MTV, re-runs of American sitcoms dubbed in various languages, and pay-per-view X-rated movies. Li Ka-Shing later sold all of his STAR TV holdings in two huge chunks to news magnate Rupert Murdoch for nearly a billion dollars…."
WSJ 11/16/99 "….Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. said it is forming a $1.2 billion telecommunications and Internet joint venture with Bermuda-based Global Crossing Ltd. The joint venture will combine Hutchison's fixed-line network in Hong Kong with an international fiber-optic network that Global Crossing is laying across the world's oceans…… To finance its stake in the venture, Global Crosing will give Hutchison $400 million in convertible preferred stock, or a stake of about 1.3% in the company, which has a market capitalization of about $30 billion. It also will provide assets valued at $350 million and $50 million in cash to the venture, said Global Crossing Chief Executive Jack Scanlon….."
Fox News/Reuters 12/1/99 "….Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing on Wednesday dismissed suggestions that his company Hutchison Whampoa Ltd would control the Panama Canal when it begins operating container ports at each end of the strategic waterway. Li was responding to remarks by President Clinton, who said on Tuesday he did not expect any adverse consequences from "the Chinese running the canal.'' "We cannot possibly control the canal,'' Li told reporters in Hong Kong. "We are only an operator of container ports there.'' Li has strong ties to China. U.S. lawmakers have expressed concerns that this could eventually give China effective control of the 51 mile long canal once the U.S. military pulls out. The Clinton administration has repeatedly assured them that China will not take it over. Li noted the container ports were for loading, unloading and storing cargo and had no role in operating the canal. Hutchison, with port operations around the world, won a 25-year lease to run the Panama cargo ports after the United States cedes control of the waterway on December 31. ….."
Hutchinson Whampoa 3/98 "…. Hutchison Whampoa Limited (HWL) is a Hong Kong-based conglomerate with its origins dating back to the 1800s. In terms of market capitalisation, HWL is one of the largest companies in Hong Kong. It operates five core businesses in 24 countries: ……. Hutchison Telecom operates a wide range of integrated telecommunications services worldwide and is one of the world's major providers of mobile communications. It has also expanded into the multimedia arena….."
The Independent 12/12/99 David Wastell "…. President Clinton and his Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, are to boycott the ceremonial handover of the Panama Canal on Tuesday amid American concern that the deal is handing influence over the strategic waterway to China. …… American unease at losing control of the Panama Canal, which has been under US protection since troops were dispatched to defend it in 1911, is reflected in the fact that Mr Clinton will not attend the celebrations on Tuesday, even though his diary leaves him free to do so. …… However, Al Santoli, a special security adviser to the Republican congressman Dana Rohrbacher, one of the White House's most vociferous critics on China, said last night: "No matter how many Brits there may be in the company, it is a Hong Kong company and Hong Kong is part of China. Li Ka-shing is trusted by the Chinese leadership. He is a board member of China's international trade and investment corporation, which is known by the US Congress as an important investment arm of the Chinese government and military. ….."
INSIGHT Magazine 12/27/99 Dana Rohrabacher "….. I am especially concerned about the corruption and the lack of transparency in the contract-bidding process that enabled Hutchison Whampoa and its chairman to obtain 25- to 50-year leases on ports at both the Atlantic and Pacific ends of the canal. Li Ka-shing and his Hong Kong-based company and subsidiaries are closely associated with the Beijing regime and have a history of acting as sources of funding or intermediaries in deals for the PLA. It is especially troubling that the Clinton administration, including defense and intelligence agencies, publicly has stated that members have no knowledge of a connection between Li, Hutchison Whampoa and the Communist Chinese government or military……"
INSIGHT Magazine 12/27/99 Dana Rohrabacher "….. However, I obtained unclassified documents by U.S. intelligence agencies, the U.S. Bureau of Export Affairs, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and the RAND Corp. that identify Li and Hutchison Whampoa as financing or serving as a conduit for Communist China's military to acquire sensitive technologies and other equipment. And President Clinton actually acknowledged at a Nov. 30 press conference that the Chinese will be controlling the canal….."
INSIGHT Magazine 12/27/99 Dana Rohrabacher "….. A billionaire and international tycoon, Li is a founding board member of the China International Trust and Investment Corp., or CITIC, which is a technology-acquiring source for China's military. Other members of the CITIC board include prominent members of the Communist Chinese military-industrial complex. CITIC board members include Wang Jun, the chairman of the PolyTechnologies Corp., which was indicted by U.S. Customs for attempting to ship thousands of weapons into California for use by street gangs. The PLA created the Poly Group, with CITIC funding, for international arms trading. The Poly Group is known for selling advanced military systems to Third World countries. ….."
INSIGHT Magazine 12/27/99 Dana Rohrabacher "….. Li also is a business partner of the giant Communist Chinese shipping firm, the China Ocean Shipping Co., or COSCO, which, in addition to commercial transport, acts as the merchant marine for the Chinese military. COSCO has been involved in shipping Chinese missile technology and biological-warfare components to North Korea, Pakistan, Iraq and Iran. A November 1999 Hong Kong news report states that COSCO ships are being fitted by the PLA to conduct military operations, including mine-laying, antisubmarine warfare, missile launching and electronic surveillance. Li also has engaged in numerous business partnerships with the China Resources Co., a firm that has been identified by U.S. congressional investigators as a front for Beijing's intelligence agencies….."
The Economist via J. Orlin Grabbe 1/8-14/00 "….AN ODD thing happened last month, just before Christmas. A Hong Kong firm, only eight months old, run by the 33-year-old son of an old-style property tycoon and with a business plan that almost nobody fully understands, suddenly became one of the biggest Internet companies in the world, with a stockmarket value of $21 billion. Odder yet: it might even deserve it. The firm is Pacific Century CyberWorks (PCCW), a name still little known outside Hong Kong. That will soon change, thanks to the vaulting ambitions of its founder, Richard Li, and the billions of dollars he can marshal behind them. PCCW is assembling a satellite-based broadband Internet network, modelled on America's Excite@Home, with the aim of becoming the largest broadband Internet business in the world. It has also built a venture-capital arm, CyberWorks Ventures, that has already invested $500m in cash and equity in nearly 30 companies….."
WorldNetDaily 1/18/2000 Charles Smith "….According to the Commerce Department's "Event Scenario," the meeting in Hong Kong [1994] included Li Ka-Shing, Secretary Brown and Ginger Lew from the Commerce Department, Maria Haley from the Export Import Bank, John Bryson, president of SCE Corp. and Edwin Lupberger, chairman of Entergy Corp…… Throughout Brown's 1994 trade meeting with Li Ka-Shing, mysteriously, there is a curious reference to an unnamed "Minister." No "Minister" is listed as attending the meeting, and the only government officials in attendance were Brown and his official party. The "Minister," it now turns out, is Li Ka-Shing……In "An Introduction to the Chinese Defense Industry," U.S. Army Lt. Col. Dennis Blasko, the U.S. military attache to Beijing in 1994, also concludes that the Hong Kong billionaire is very likely an unofficial minister in the Chinese government. "These new corporations are now directly subordinate to the State Council -- they have attained a position equal to the status formerly granted to only a few corporations such as the China International Trust and Investment Corporation (CITIC)," explained Blasko. "This new position gives their general managers de facto ministerial rank, although they are not called 'minister' in public," he concluded….."
WorldNetDaily 1/18/2000 Charles Smith "….According to an October 1999 "Intelligence Assessment" prepared by the U.S. military's Southern Command, Li Ka-Shing is indeed a "threat" to the Panama Canal. "Hutchison Whampoa's owner, Hong Kong tycoon, Li Ka-Shing, has extensive business ties in Beijing and has compelling financial reasons to maintain a good relationship with China's leadership," states the 1999 assessment. "For example, Hutchison Whampoa could threaten to shift some business from Panama to its facilities in the Bahamas, thus giving the company additional leverage over the Panamanian government." Moreover, said the U.S. military intelligence report, "Hutchison's containerized shipping facilities in the Panama Canal, as well as the Bahamas, could provide a conduit for illegal shipments of technology or prohibited items from the west to the PRC, or facilitate the movement of arms and other prohibited items into the Americas." …."
WorldNetDaily 1/18/2000 Charles Smith "….Not only are both Entergy Corporation chairman Lupberger and SCE President Bryson listed as donors to President Clinton's political campaigns, but both Entergy and SCE -- now known as Edison Mission Energy Corporation -- also have direct business ties to Indonesian billionaire Moctar Riady, another key figure in the White House campaign finance scandals. And Mission Energy Corporation currently is engaged in a legal battle with the government of Indonesia over "corruption, collusion and nepotism" inside a U.S.-sponsored coal fired electric power plant located in East Java….."
WorldNetDaily 1/18/2000 Charles Smith "….According to the [intelligence] dossier, Li has "significant economic and political ties to China," including investments in a "power station, a highway construction project and a large contribution to Shantou University."……. According to the White House dossier, Li was "found guilty of insider trading after a widely publicized trial in 1984; he was not punished by the courts." The White House intelligence dossier states that Li is also a "member of the boards of directors of the China International Trust and Investment Corporation (CITIC)." A 1997 Rand Corporation report sponsored by the Clinton administration states that CITIC is an "investment concern under China's governmental State Council." …."
WorldNetDaily 1/18/2000 Charles Smith "….According to a recent biography titled "Li Ka-Shing," the billionaire teamed with two leading members of the Asian "Triad" organized crime families -- Robert Kwok and Henry Fok -- to form the China International Trust Investment Company. In addition, the newly released documents show that alleged organized crime "Triad" gangsters were included on the 1994 "Presidential Business Development" mission. According to official U.S. Commerce materials, after meeting with Li Ka-Shing, Secretary Ron Brown sailed on an evening paradise cruise from Hong Kong with the "who's who" of Triad business families. …The Fok family leader, Henry Fok, is reported to be a member of the 14K Triad. According to Ed Timperlake and Bill Triplett, co-authors of "Red Dragon Rising," ……Robert Kwok reportedly leads the Kwok family businesses and is allegedly involved in the heroin smuggling business inside Burma. Peter Kwok, a business partner of Sen. Dianne Feinstein's husband, Richard Blum, has also worked for Li Ka-Shing and the Chinese army. In 1989, Kwok helped CITIC and Li Ka-Shing raise $120 million to buy a Hughes-built communications satellite for AsiaSat, a company part owned by the Chinese army unit called the Commission on Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense….."
WorldNetDaily 1/18/2000 Charles Smith "…..The documents show that "COSTIND Vice Minister Shen Roujun" met with Commerce Secretary Ron Brown and Loral Aerospace chairman Bernard Schwartz in late August 1994 just prior to the Hong Kong meeting with Li Ka-Shing. According to the Cox report, COSTIND Gen. Shen actively sought help from the U.S. Commerce Department in obtaining employment for his son, Shen Jun, at Loral. The Cox report noted that Shen later succeeded in obtaining both a sensitive position for his son and sensitive nose cone technology for the Chinese army from the Hughes Corporation. Ironically, Li Ka-Shing has been compared to the reclusive American billionaire Howard Hughes. William Triplett, co-author of "Red Dragon Rising", noted that the Hong Kong billionaire often works closely with the Chinese army intelligence services and with the Triad gangs in order to serve Beijing. "Li Ka-Shing is to the Chinese army intelligence HQ what Howard Hughes was for the CIA," stated Mr. Triplett. …. "The leadership in Beijing openly states that there are 'good patriotic' Triads," stated Ed Timperlake, Asian law enforcement analyst and "Red Dragon" co-author. "The merging of the Triads, financiers like Li Ka-Shing, and the leadership in Beijing is a nasty law enforcement problem. It is almost state-sponsored gangsterism." …."
Washington Times 1/19/2000 Bill Gertz "….The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee is asking the Pentagon to explain why information contained in an intelligence assessment about Chinese activities in Panama was not provided to his panel. ``I am concerned that this Pentagon report was not mentioned during our hearing or subsequently shared with the committee,'' Sen. John W. Warner said in a letter sent Friday to Defense Secretary William S. Cohen. Mr. Warner, Virginia Republican chairman, said he would like to know why the report by the U.S. Southern Command's Joint Intelligence Center reportedly contradicts claims by the Clinton administration that the presence of a Chinese company near the canal is not a threat to U.S. security interests. The senator stated that he sent the letter after the intelligence report was mentioned in The Washington Times on Jan. 12. Mr. Warner also said he has ordered the committee's staff to obtain the complete, classified version of the report from the Pentagon……During the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, held four days before the intelligence report was produced, several administration officials testified that Chinese control of the two Panamanian ports was not a problem and said they were unaware that Beijing uses Chinese commercial entities for military purposes. Marine Corps Gen. Charles E. Wilhelm, commander in chief of the U.S. Southern Command, testified during the hearing he believes China does use businesses for military purposes. He said there was ``no evidence'' the canal was targeted by terrorists or foreign governments although it is a potential target……. The Panama Ports Co. is providing tugboat, ship repair and pilot services to ships using the ports of Balboa, on the Pacific, and Cristobal, on the Atlantic. The report concluded that it is unlikely the Chinese company's officials or employees ``would overtly sabotage or damage the canal on orders from Beijing, as it would be contrary to their own financial interests and would undoubtedly elicit an immediate response from the U.S. and the international community.'' But the intelligence document stated that Hutchison's owner, Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-Shing, ``has extensive business ties in Beijing and has compelling financial reasons to maintain a good relationship with China's leadership.'' The Chinese may be seeking economic inroads in Panama designed to counter Taiwan's influence in the region…."
South China Morning News 1/22/2000 Ben Kwok "…. A Hutchison Whampoa subsidiary is close to forging a partnership with a United States-based e-commerce company in what would be a big step forward in the group's global Internet strategy, according to sources. The unit - Hutchison E-Commerce Resources - could conclude an agreement with a listed US company next week, the sources said. Details of the arrangement were under discussion, the sources said. The alliance would strengthen Hutchison's integrated on-line services, with the deal covering everything from content and e-commerce to business solutions, they said. ….."Analysts said it was difficult to assign a value to all of Hutchison's Internet assets. "The size of Hutchison's Internet assets could be unbelievably high," an analyst said. The analysts estimated the value of Hutchison Global Crossing at more than $20 billion, while Tom.com's valuation was put at between $10 billion and $30 billion and Hutchison E-Commerce Resources's valuation at $30 billion. Many blue-chip companies in Hong Kong were searching for exciting on-line projects, but none had made the kind of progress Hutchison had, the analyst said. "When it comes to technology, Hutchison is three or four years ahead of other blue-chip competitors, many of whom are still just talking about the business," the analyst said. Hutchison chairman Li Ka-shing said this week that the group's Internet business had been in operation for at least three years. "The work has been done for a long time," Mr Li said. "A lot of potential could be seen in the Internet world that could complement our business," Mr Li added. …."
NewsMax.com 1/19/2000 Christopher Ruddy and Stephan Archer "…..The same Chinese company that recently took operational control of the Panama Canal is currently completing construction of the largest container port in the world in Freeport, Bahamas - just 60 miles from Florida. Several U.S. military experts say that the activities of Hutchison Whampoa Limited, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate, in both Panama and the Bahamas, pose a significant risk to U.S. national security……. One port facility that has captured the interest of the Chinese government is Hutchison Whampoa's sprawling port facility in the tourist destination of Freeport on Grand Bahama Island. According to the company's Web site, the port is located at one of the most strategic spots in the world because "Freeport is the closest offshore port to the east coast of the United States, at the cross-roads of routes between Europe and the Americas and through the Panama Canal." ….. In 1995, Hutchison Whampoa entered into a 50-50 partnership with the Grand Bahama Development Company, a privately owned Bahamian company, to develop and expand the small Freeport facility that had catered to cruise ships. Since then, Hutchison has helped dredge and expand the port, making it capable of handling the largest container ships on the high seas….."
NewsMax.com 1/19/2000 Christopher Ruddy and Stephan Archer "…..The company has ambitious plans to create the largest air cargo facility on land adjacent to the port. Hutchison has a 50 percent stake in the Grand Bahama Airport Company, which owns one of the largest airport runways in the world - more than 11,000 feet long. According to Powers, the runway is capable of handling the world's largest cargo and military aircraft. On 800 acres of wooded land adjacent to the airport, Hutchison plans to create the Grand Bahama Sea-Air Business Center - a center that could potentially allow for 8 million square feet in warehouse space……. Hutchison Whampoa's chairman, Li Ka-Shing, is also a board member of CITIC - the China International Trust and Investment Corporation. U.S. intelligence sources have described the firm as a front for China's governmental State Council……"
NewsMax.com 1/19/2000 Christopher Ruddy and Stephan Archer "….. According to Powers, Hutchison employs about 500 Bahamians. Only five managers are not Bahamians, mostly British nationals. None are Chinese. Bahamian officials told NewsMax.com they have noticed no increase in Chinese nationals at the port or on the island. Despite the strong claims made by Hutchison that China has no interest in their Bahamian port, evidence suggests otherwise. A review of the visitor's log by NewsMax.com at the company's main office in Freeport shows that Chinese government officials have been frequent visitors to the port facility. According to the log, China's ambassador to the Bahamas, Ma Shuxue, has visited the port facility at least a half dozen times in the past few years. He has also accompanied groups of Chinese government officials… The visitor logbook indicates Chinese officials have visited the port more often than officials from any other country, including the United States. The logbook also shows that on June 2, 1999, the Cuban ambassador, Lazaro Cabeza, also paid a visit to the facility. Cuba is a strong ally of China's…."
NewsMax.com 2/1/00 Carl Limbacher "..... Priceline.com, the internet name-your-price site that has been hawked by William Shatner, is going Chinese. Priceline has recently announced a partnership with Hutchison Whampoa, the Hong Kong-based conglomerate that runs ports at both ends of the Panama Canal. President Clinton has admitted the Chinese have de facto control over the canal. Hutchison is headed by one Li Ka-Shing, a man close to Red China's ruling circles. NewsMax.com recently reported that Hutchison is completing the Western Hemisphere's largest container port at Freeport in the Bahamas......"
South China Morning Post 1/27/2000 "….Hutchison Whampoa has concluded the latest in a string of information-technology investments by forming an alliance with US-based on-line shopping firm Priceline.com. The two companies said yesterday they would establish a joint venture to introduce Priceline.com's "name-your-own-price" concept to Asia. The venture will have an initial investment of US$20 million. Neither would say how this would be shared. The deal marks a further acceleration in Hutchison's drive to embrace the Internet, coming only three days after it formed a HK$3 billion e-commerce joint venture with parent Cheung Kong (Holdings) and banking giants HSBC and Hang Seng Bank. Hutchison has forged a series of technology-related deals in recent months, including setting up Tom.com, an infotainment portal venture with Cheung Kong, and tie-ups with Japan's NTT and Global Crossing of the United States. ….."
South China Morning Post 1/26/2000 Ben Kwok "….Hutchison Whampoa has announced a 50-50 joint venture with Priceline.com, the fast growing US e-commerce company, to jointly develop on-line shopping in Asia. Hutchison Whampoa group managing director Canning Fok said the joint venture will list on either Nasdaq or Hong Kong. The initial investment for is US$20 million. Hutchison, which has already sealed telecom and internet deals with US, Japanese and European partners, already plans to list tom.com in the first half of the year with more projects coming up. ''Hutchison regards e-commerce as an area of particular importance, said Mr Fok. ''We are, in fact, the most active Hong Kong company in e-commerce.'' …."
newsmax.com 2/24/00 Carl Limbacher "….Back in 1977, when Jimmy Carter was pushing for the United States Senate to adopt his Panama Canal Treaty, turning over the U.S. strategic waterway to the Panamanians, Admiral Thomas Moorer warned Congress that the Russians and other communist powers would fill the vacuum. Already we knew that Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa, a company with close ties to the Chinese government, controls ports at both ends of the Canal. Now we learn that Admiral Moorer may have been quite prescient. As it turns out Russian and Chinese companies are reportedly bidding to take control of Howard Air Force Base, the former U.S. military outpost situated near the canal. Howard Phillips, head of the Conservative Caucus, a group that has spearheaded efforts to preserve U.S. interests in Panama, just returned from a fact finding tour of Panama with Judicial Watch chief Larry Klayman. Phillips says Panamanian officials told him that two Russian companies and two Chinese companies are bidding for control of Howard Air Force Base. The Panamanians are expecting to reap upwards of $3.5 billion from the sale……"
The New Australian No. 145, 21-27 2/00 Peter Zhang "…….Irrespective of what some have asserted, Hutchison Whampoa is an arm of the Chinese government. The company's chairman, Li Ka Shing, is an unofficial government minister. This fact is well known to US intelligence and President Clinton. And still Clinton insisted on the canal passing into Beijing's hands, even though he knew Hutchison Whampoa had corruptly obtained the lease……. To get a clearer picture of what Clinton has let the US in for let us turn to Chinese Defence Minister Chi Haotian who said that war with the United States is inevitable. As Chi well knows there is more than one way to wage war - and this is where the canal comes in. It provides Beijing with a base from which to create enormous mischief for the US while piously claiming that its presence is merely a commercial one. The word is out that acting through Castro's agents and Chinese crime lords, Beijing is already heavily involved in running drugs into the US. To Beijing drugs are merely another weapon in its unofficial war against the US. Two other weapons are terrorism and subversion…… Clearly the tactic is not one of establishing pro-Beijing regimes but of creating a massive running sore that will drain US political and military resources that will eventually help drive it out of the Pacific Asian region, leaving Hawaii as its only Pacific base. This is not a fantasy. Why else does Beijing provide missile know-how and nuclear weapons technology to the likes of North Korea, Pakistan, Iran and Libya? Because it generates tensions and fuels conflicts that tie up US resources. Knowing all of this, why did Clinton allow the canal to fall into Beijing's hands?…."
The Business Times/Singapore 2/14/00 Shoeb Kagda "….INDONESIA'S Lippo group is forging ahead after having formed a strategic alliance with Hongkong's Hutchison Whampoa group for its push to create the largest Internet empire in the country. It has secured an additional US$100 million (S$166 million) commitment from Taiwan's China Development and Investment Bank group (CDIB) for its drive, sources in Jakarta told BT…….. The deal was concluded by Lippo's founder and patriarch Mochtar Riady, who is also in negotiations with two other Taiwanese IT powerhouses -- the Hwashin Group and Acer. …… Separately, BT understands that US-based financial giant American Insurance Group (AIG) is looking to increase its 5 per cent stake in Lippo e-Net, formerly known as Lippo Life. …… Lippo e-Net will act as the umbrella company coordinating not only the investments and strategic alliances, but also the dovetailing of the group's existing businesses with its new empire. As part of its efforts to speed up the laying of the broad band cable infrastructure in the greater Jakarta area, for example, Lippo has tied up with Hutchison Whampoa and is in negotiations to sell as much as 20 per cent of Multipolar. The Hongkong-based telecommunications giant is also said to be helping the group develop its wireless calling card facility. The Riadys have also brought in American Jim Guy Tucker, a specialist in broadband cable TV, to spearhead the group's entry into this field. The former Arkansas governor, who used to own cable companies in the US, is a technical adviser in the group's subsidiary KableVision, which will offer Internet access through television sets. ….."
Taipei Times 3/5/00 "……Over the past two weeks, Hong Kong mega-tycoon Li Ka-shing (§õ1ŸÛ) has shown the immense power his family wields over the territory's economy. An estimated 400,000 Hong Kongers first scrambled to purchase stock in Li's Web portal TOM.COM as it listed on the second board of the Hong Kong Growth Enterprise Market last week. The listing only took place, however, because of the close relations between the company's management and the government. Li Ka-shing was able to have his way because of his relations with Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa (¸3«ØµØ) and the authorities in Beijing. Later, the successful purchase of Cable & Wireless HKT by Li's second son, Richard (§õ¿A·¢), kept ownership away from Singaporean capital, but only after loans extended to Richard Li by the Bank of China gave him the funds to take over the 100-year-old British telecom company for a staggering US$35.9 billion. Pacific Century CyberWorks Ltd (¬Õ¬ì°Ê€O) is now the third-largest company listed on the Hong Kong market, smaller only in scale than China Telecom and HSBC. The deal also made Richard Li the second-richest individual in Hong Kong at the tender age of 33, with a wealth only exceeded by his father, Li Ka-shing. Father and son now control stock in industries accounting for about 30 percent of the entire value of Hong Kong's stock market. This shows how powerful families in Hong Kong have expanded their influence over the economy. Pundits in local papers have started giving Hong Kong the title, "Li Land." In addition to a growing concentration of economic power in Hong Kong, the former colony is also swiftly developing into a proxy for China to demonstrate the feasibility of the "one country, two systems" concept for Taiwan. ……"
Hong Kong Standard 3/6/00 Tessi Cruz "…..TYCOON Li Ka-shing and his family came under heavy attack again yesterday over their growing influence in Hong Kong, this time from Democratic Party chief Martin Lee Chu-ming. Mr Lee expressed his concern that the rise to prominence of the Li family could send the wrong signal overseas _ that cronyism exists in the SAR. His remarks came as Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa again dismissed concerns about the family's dominance while talking to reporters in Beijing covering the National People's Congress session. The Li family also dismissed the attacks, saying they were probably inspired by envy. Early last week, local newspapers voiced concern over the influence of the Li family after Mr Li's son, Richard Li Tzar-kai, took control of Cable & Wireless HKT, the largest telecom operator in the territory. Speaking on RTHK's Letter to Hong Kong yesterday, Mr Lee said a number of other tycoons had voiced their concerns over the danger of what was once a level playing field ``beginning to tilt and tilt and tilt towards just one empire''. ……"
Freeper snopercod 2/29/00 "…..Huchison Wampoa is buying into more than the Panama canal. This from today's WSJ: VoiceStream Wireless fell 4 11/16 to 135 3/4 on Nasdaq in a session that featured some sharp losses by technology stocks. The Bellevue, Wash., wireless-telecommunications-service provider, as expected, said it completed its $7.2 billion acquisition of another wireless-service provider, Omnipoint. VoiceStream also said it completed agreements for a $957 million investment from Hong Kong telecommunications company Hutchison Wampoa and a $500 million investment from Finland's Sonera……"
Reuters 3/23/00 "…….Hong Kong Internet start-up Pacific Century CyberWorks on Thursday denied a magazine report that its takeover of local telecom giant Cable & Wireless HKT was driven by Beijing. "It was entirely a commercial decision for PCCW to merge with HK Telecom," said PCCW deputy chairman Francis Yuen. "Throughout the process, discussions with all parties concerned, including China Telecom and BOCI [Bank of China International], were conducted purely on a commercial basis." Yuen was responding to an article in the Far Eastern Economic Review that said people close to the deal revealed PCCW's successful takeover of C&W HKT was largely the result of the efforts of mainland Chinese officials. At the end of February, PCCW secured a $35.9 billion deal to merge with C&W HKT, which is 54 percent held by Britain's Cable & Wireless, beating rival bidder Singapore Telecommunications. …….. The Review said there is "compelling evidence" that Beijing worked behind the scenes to prevent C&W HKT falling into the hands of Singapore Telecommunications. It cited Yuen as saying the genesis of the PCCW bid came at a hastily convened lunch meeting in late January that included senior officials from BOCI and China Telecom (Hong Kong). ………The Review quoted Yuen as saying PCCW chairman Richard Li travelled to Beijing in early February to seek the Chinese government's formal blessing for the deal, which he received. Li has said the Beijing trip was not related to the takeover. "When Richard Li went to Beijing, it was for the purpose of assessing first-hand the prospect of Pacific Century Group's expansion into the China market," Yuen said. "He also wanted to assess the progress of the WTO [World Trade Organization] negotiations and their potential impact on the group's future activities. This was a normal business visit that any large corporation would undertake before embarking on a major investment." ….."
Freeper Woodman 3/20/00 "……Priceline.com and Webhouse are part of the Walker Digital Group. Jay Walker himself owns about 47% of hte company, I also saw in Edgar that Paul Allen had aquired about 10% of the company. Lets see 47+10+(unknown employee holdings and options) adds up to far more than 50%. I would like to know where this Chicom nonsence is comming from. Priceline may be screwed up, but a simple search of schedule 13 info in edgar will show you that this claim is impossible. ….."
1/26/00 NORWALK, Conn. and HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- --Priceline.com (Nasdaq: PCLN) and Hutchison Whampoa Limited ("Hutchison") today announced an alliance to introduce priceline.com's unique buyer-driven e-commerce platform to 2.6 billion consumers in Asia's most populous countries, including China (and Hong Kong), India, Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. The alliance does not apply to Japan. Priceline.com is the patented Name-Your-Own-Price(TM) Internet pricing system that currently offers services in the U.S. for leisure airline tickets, hotel rooms, new cars, rental cars, home refinancing and home equity loans. The Company also has announced that it will offer additional services this year for credit cards and long-distance calling. ……… Hutchison Whampoa is a conglomerate with a market capitalization of over $53 billion. Among its many businesses, it is one of Asia's largest owners and operators of Internet and telecommunications infrastructure offering a wide range of related services. These include fixed-line services, ISP (Hutchcity) and ICP (tom.com) services, Web hosting services, fiber optics broadband networks, mobile telephone data and internet services, paging, trunked mobile radio, VSAT and radio broadcasting services.
1/26/00 NORWALK, Conn. and HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Hutchison's Internet related operations have been growing rapidly. The Company recently teamed up with Global Crossing to further expand its global connectivity and to pursue fibre optic broadband network opportunities in the Greater China Region. Cooperation with NTT DoCoMo which owns 19% of Hutchison's mobile communications businesses in Hong Kong offers its customers advanced mobile Internet opportunities. ………. Hutchison is also a part of iBusiness Corporation.com, a joint venture with its parent company Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited, the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, and Hang Seng Bank to facilitate e-commerce on the Internet. ….."
1/26/00 NORWALK, Conn. and HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Hutchison Whampoa is a Hong Kong-based conglomerate with origins dating back to the 1800s. Hutchison is part of the Li Ka-shing group of companies, which together represent 16% of the total market capitalization of the Hong Kong stock market. In 1998, consolidated turnover was over $6.6 billion, and after-tax earnings were approximately $1.1 billion. With over 80,000 employees worldwide, Hutchison operates five core businesses in 26 countries: ports and related services; telecommunications and Internet; property development and holdings; retail, manufacturing and other services; and energy and infrastructure. The Group's telecommunications business and holdings span several continents, and include such diverse products as cellular telephone network services, fixed-line services, fiber optics services, paging, trunked mobile radio services, VSAT and radio broadcasting. Hutchison recently sold its UK mobile communications operations to Mannesmann for US$14.6 billion and is currently the largest shareholder in Mannesmann AG. As part of its retail services, the Group recently constructed the largest shopping center in Beijing and operates about 800 retail outlets in Asia. Under its property division, Hutchison also owns and manages hotels in China, Hong Kong and the Bahamas. ......"
ETHERZONE 3/22/00 Barbara Stanley "….. Hutchison Whampoa, Ltd. (HW, Ltd.) who is partnered with Priceline, is owned by Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong billionaire businessman with ties to the PRC (Peoples' Republic of China) /Communist Party effectively, their military and intelligence agencies. The Panama Ports Company in Panama is also a front company for HW, Ltd., and controlled by China Resources, via China's Trade Ministry. China Resources is yet another company, with the same ties, and called "an agent of espionage..... economic, military and political, for China" according to Sen. Fred Thompson after hearings held in the Senate. …………. Shen Jueren, head of China Resources, is partners with the above mentioned owner of HW, Ltd.., Li Ka-shing--and both are partners in Riady's Hong Kong Chinese Bank. China Resources bought into Lippo Bank of Hong Kong and Indonesia and placed its officers John Huang and James Riady in Arkansas at the Lippo owned Worthen Bank. John Huang was born in Mainland China, but had served in the Taiwanese air force. Ya Long Economic Trading of the Chinese Hainan province sought influence and legitimacy through the Hsi Lai temple of Taiwan, through its representative Maria Hsia, born in Taiwan……….. Li is also involved at the top levels with China Telecom and CITIC (China International Trust and Investment) and this mega-conglomerate worth $21 billion, is managed by frequent White House guest and arms dealer, Wang Jun........ "
ETHERZONE 3/22/00 Barbara Stanley "…..In a press release dated 26 January 2000, Hutchison Whampoa and priceline.com announced their new partnership in the areas of airline tickets and hotel rooms, publishing the first quarter sales of 80,000 and 20,000 respectively. This is the camel's nose and head and neck under the tent. ISP (Hutchcity), ICP (tom.com), web hosting services, fiber optic broadband networks, mobile telephone data and internet services, paging, trunked mobile radio, VSAT and broadcasting services are all being produced by this new unholy alliance. …….."
New Australian 3/13/00 Peter Zhang "….. Li Ka-Shing (multi-billionaire, unofficial Beijing Government minister and PLA agent) has received a warm welcome in Australia. It appears that Li is looking to invest heavily in Australian infrastructure, particularly electricity generation and telecommunications…… Chinese military intelligence always follows Li. ......... Li Beijing's connections are hardly a state secret. He had been a close friend of Gen. Ji Shengde, former military intelligence director of the PLA, who was recently arrested for corruption, and is still close to Gen. Xiong Guangkai who had been Gen. Ji's superior. He is equally close to Jiang Zemin. Most telling of all, probably, is Li's corrupt real estate dealings with the brutal Chen Xitong who is infamous for the instrumental role he played in the Tiananmen Square massacre….."
New Australian 3/13/00 Peter Zhang "…... Li's eldest son, Victor, has launched Pacific Century CyberWorks. This is quite a coincidence because there was also an investment firm called Pacific Century Group which was supposed to use US money to finance electricity generating plants in mainland China. The company was revealed by intelligence to be a front whose principle owners were Li Ka-Shing and a Macau-based triad gangster called Ng Lapseng whose main source of income is drug-running, prostitution, including child prostitution. He is also involved in extortion, smuggling illegal immigrants, loansharking, money laundering, etc. Ng is also deeply implicated in the Clintons' fundraising scandals and had personal relations with the Clintons who invited him to the White House on a number of occasions……. This creep also has an interest in Ang-Du International which is known to participate in the abduction of young Asian females, even children, for sale to the region's brothels. Ang-Du was also used to channel funds into the Clintons' election campaign on behalf of Lapseng's associates…….."
New Australian 3/13/00 Peter Zhang "….. Lapseng is not the only gangster with whom the enterprising Mr Li has had dealings. Li joined with Henry Fok and Robert Kwok to form the CITIC (China International Trust Investment Company). The Hong Kong police and British and American intelligence have reported that the charming Henry is a prominent member of the 14K Triad and enjoys the patronage of the PLA while Robert, also a Triad member, is believed to be engaged in the Burmese heroin trade......."
ETHERZONE 3/21/00 Barbara Stanley "…….Everybody knows the good American wife will shop wisely for her family, taking advantage of coupons, sales etc. to stretch the family budget. And those in the know will use priceline.com to shop for airline tickets and save a few bucks. But this shopping may not be so wise after all... So when the Communist Chinese, using the cutout company Hutchison Wampoa, bought up over 50% of Priceline.com, they knew they were on to something. And I began to wonder how many people knew about this. ……..It is also rumored that Mr. Feinstein (Senator Diane's husband) is in cahoots in this deal. The Red Chinese have a trade deficit with the US that approaches $60 Billion. The Red Chinese also have our technology, courtesy of the current administration, many of whom are making Billions on these deals, not to mention funding the theft of the '96 election. The Red Chinese, recent visitors, have threatened California with missiles. Missiles made accurate with space age technology courtesy of democRat major donor Bernie Schwartz via the DNC, to elect Clinton/Gore, and now Gore/Clinton(Hitlery)……."
THE WASHINGTON TIMES 4/5/00 Bill Gertz "……. Chinese businessman Li Ka-shing was planning to take over operation of the Panama Canal before the pullout last year of the United States, according to a declassified Pentagon intelligence report. The Army intelligence report contradicts statements by President Clinton and Panamanian government officials that the Atlantic and Pacific port facilities leased in Panama by Mr. Li and his Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. will have no role in Panama Canal operations…………. The Army report, from April 22, 1998, contains an article with the headline, "Panama: China Awaits U.S. Departure" and is based on a Defense Intelligence Agency intelligence information report. "According to a DIA Intelligence Information Report, Li Ka-shing, the owner of Hutchison Whampoa Lt. (HW) and Cheung Kong International Holdings Ltd. (CK) is planning to take control of Panama Canal operations when the U.S. transfers it to Panama in December 99," the report from the office of the deputy chief of staff for intelligence states. "Li is directly connected to Beijing and is willing to use his business influence to further the aims of Chinese government," the report states. It is labeled "SECRET/ NOFORN" - the latter term meaning no access to the intelligence by foreign nationals…….."
WorldNetDaily.com 4/21/00 Charles Smith "…..In addition, a 1996 State Department report contradicts Clinton administration claims that advanced communications exports to China were "civilian" projects. The report states that the Chinese army was keenly interested in obtaining Loral Globalstar satellite technology and the Loral purchase was possibly being financed by Chinese billionaire, Li Ka-Shing. The 1996 Department report was written by then-Ambassador to China James Sasser, a former U.S. Senator from Tennessee. The 1996 State Department report was obtained through the Freedom of Information Act……. The 1996 report written by Sasser alleges that the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) and Li Ka-Shing were both directly involved with the People's Liberation Army in financing the Loral export to China. "Already, foreign companies are interested in the new PLA-backed entity that is likely to emerge over the next year," states the report. "Recent press reports indicate that Hutchison Whampoa may be involved with the PLA about possible funding options." ……… Li Ka-Shing owns Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. and is reportedly the sixth richest man in the world. Hutchison Whampoa is the shipping company awarded the contract to control the ports at both ends of the Panama Canal. ….. Li Ka-Shing has been described by intelligence sources as a "Howard Hughes" for the Chinese Military Intelligence Department, or MID. U.S. Army Southern Command documents on the Panama transfer noted that Li Ka-Shing was an "indirect" threat to the United States. ……."
Insight on the News 4/17/00 J Michael Waller "…… Canadian police have identified Clinton donor and Macao gambling tycoon Stanley Ho as the leader of a triad gang of organized criminals with strong ties to Communist China. …….. President Clinton personally accepted $250,000 from a Macao gambling tycoon whom Canadian police identify as a "leader" of a Chinese triad, or organized-crime syndicate. Insight has obtained a copy of the Asian Organized Crime Roster of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, or RCMP, listing Stanley Ho - who handed the check to Clinton at a 1997 White House reception to fund the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial - as a suspected "leader/member" of the notorious Kung Lok triad. This is the first concrete indication that a major Western law-enforcement agency considers Ho an organized-crime figure. Earlier reports characterized Ho as "associated" with the triads, but not a "leader" or "member." According to a separate Canadian Security Intelligence Service report, the triads are involved in "drug trafficking; money laundering; corruption; computer-software piracy; credit-card forgery and fraud; counterfeit currency and identification operations; and migrant smuggling. They will often provide direction to Chinese gangs in exchange for the 'muscle' needed in some triad operations." ……."
Insight on the News 4/17/00 J Michael Waller "……Insight's copy of the RCMP roster identifies Ho Hung Sun, alias Stanley Ho, as born in Hong Kong on Nov. 25, 1921, and provides addresses in Toronto and Macao. After classifying Ho as a "member/leader" of the Kung Lok triad organized-crime syndicate, it assigns him the "gang file number" 89-1170. A 1988 Justice Department list authored by then assistant attorney general William Weld identified Ho as "associated" with the triads, former congressional investigator Edward Timperlake tells Insight. Timperlake is coauthor of Year of the Rat, a book documenting ties between Clinton-Gore administration political fund-raising from Chinese interests and their effects on U.S. national-security decision-making. The book reported that "Ho's triad connections are really quite extensive" in his gambling partnerships. Has the Justice Department "cleared" Ho since Clinton and Gore were elected in 1992? A Justice Department spokeswoman would not comment, citing privacy concerns. Certainly, the Mounties have not cleared Ho: An RCMP Asian Organized Crime detective familiar with the roster labeling Ho as a triad figure told the Vancouver Province, "Nobody gets off it unless they die." ……."
Insight on the News 4/17/00 J Michael Waller "…… Ho and his business partners have been mired in international controversy in recent months. One of his partners is Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing, whose Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. company has taken control of port facilities at both ends of the Panama Canal, prompting concerns that they may become a strategic beachhead for Beijing. The Clinton administration has gone out of its way to portray Li and Hutchison Whampoa as posing no security threat to U.S. interests, but not everyone is convinced. Peter Zhang writes in the New Australian, a weekly published in Melbourne, that Li is a "front man" for the Communist Chinese People's Liberation Army, or PLA. Commenting on Li's planned investments in Australian electric power and telecommunications infrastructures, Zhang warns, "Ordinarily I would advise any country to welcome a foreign investor. But Li is no ordinary investor. Just as British imperialism followed trade, Chinese military intelligence always follows Li." ….."
WorldNetDaily 6/17/00 Charles Smith "…..Newly released federal documents show that the Clinton administration was aware in 1996 that China was attempting to gain control of the Panama Canal. The U.S. Commerce Department recently released a July 1996 unclassified cable from the U.S. Embassy in Panama. The cable accuses Beijing of funneling money into Hutchison Whampoa, the company controlled by controversial Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing. …… "Embassy Panama has received information to the effect that HIT (Hutchison International Terminals) is controlled by mainland Chinese, perhaps through a Macao front which allegedly recently invested $400 million in HIT," states the cable. "Such control would have security implications and might affect the Panamanian government's views on awarding the port concessions." ……. Reacting to the information, Rep. Bob Barr, R-Ga., a ranking member on both the House Judiciary and House Government Reform Committees, sharply criticized President Clinton for ignoring the warnings about Chinese control of the canal. "This message proves serious concerns about Chinese control of the canal raised by the U.S. Embassy in Panama in 1996 were and remain completely ignored by an administration that wants us to believe all is well in Panama," stated Barr in an interview from his office inside Capitol Hill. ….."This latest piece of evidence is part of a systematic pattern of deception about the dangers posed to American and Panamanian national security by our unilateral withdrawal from Panama," concluded Barr. …….."
WorldNetDaily 6/17/00 Charles Smith "…..The Commerce Department documents also show that law enforcement agencies were very concerned about Li Ka-Shing's connections to international smuggling. A 1995 cable from the American Embassy in Nassau noted that Li Ka-Shing had signed an agreement to build an $88 million container-ship terminal in the Grand Bahamas. The document shows that the embassy in Nassau copied the cable to several law enforcement agencies including the Customs Service and the Drug Enforcement Agency. "Reftel describes U.S. agencies' security concerns about possible smuggling attempts through the terminal," states the cable from the American Embassy. "Post will request via septel assistance in addressing these concerns while port development plans are still on the drawing board." ..."
WorldNetDaily 6/17/00 Charles Smith "…..The documents the Commerce Department provided show that the Clinton administration was aware in 1996 of the $400 million investment into Li Ka-Shing's company by the Chinese government. The Commerce documents describe China Resources Enterprises as "the investment arm of China's Foreign Trade ministry." ….. According to Sen. Thompson, China Resources Enterprises is linked to billionaire Moctar Riady and the Lippo Group. ……. Despite questions about illegal links to Beijing front companies and international smuggling, the newly released documents show that U.S. Commerce Secretary William Daley, the newly appointed campaign chairman for Vice President Al Gore's presidential bid, met with the Li Ka-Shing at a 1997 luncheon hosted by the powerful investment firm Goldman Sachs. …….. The Commerce documents note that an informal "talk" between Daley, Li and several "influential business people" was held on the Goldman Sachs' boat Monkey's Uncle during a 1997 Hong Kong trade trip. Included in the meeting was Beijing-owned business CITIC, a firm directly linked to arms smuggling. ……"
WorldNetDaily 6/17/00 Charles Smith "…..The Commerce documents also reveal Li Ka-Shing's business dealings with the Chinese military. One document titled "principal subsidiary and associated companies," states that Li owns 25 percent of "Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company," a firm run by the Chinese air force. ...,, The documents show that Li owns one-third of Asia Satellite Telecommunications Holdings, or AsiaSat, a company owned in part by the Chinese army. In 1989, Peter Kwok, the business partner of Robert Blum, the husband of Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., helped CITIC and Li Ka-Shing raise $120 million to buy a Hughes-built communications satellite for AsiaSat. ……."
WorldNetDaily 6/17/00 Charles Smith "…..The documents also state that Li Ka-Shing is directly in business with the Chinese government through the China Ocean Shipping Company, or COSCO. In 1996, a COSCO ship was caught in an attempt to smuggle over 2,000 fully automatic machine guns into the United States. COSCO is better known for its unsuccessful attempt to purchase the former Long Beach Naval station in California. In January 1997, President Clinton authorized four container ships for export directly to China. The four container ships were to be constructed for COSCO and Li Ka-Shing's Hutchison Whampoa by the Alabama Shipyards of Mobile, Ala. …..The four ships were to be built using $138 million in private loans backed by the U.S. government. The loans had very favorable terms, including low interest rates and a 25-year repayment plan -- longer than the expected life of the ships. ……. Li Ka-Shing's ties to China have also attracted U.S. military attention. U.S. Defense Department documents discovered by Larry Klayman of Judicial Watch, a Washington-based public interest group, focused on Li Ka-Shing and his company Hutchison Whampoa. According to an October 1999 "Intelligence Assessment" prepared by the U.S. military Southern Command, the Hong Kong billionaire is a potential threat to America. ….."
WorldNetDaily 6/7/00 Charles Smith "….Li Ka-Shing is no ordinary billionaire. Mr. Li's company currently operates the two ports on the Panama Canal, the Pacific port of Balboa and the Atlantic port of Cristobal. According to recently declassified documents from the U.S. Commerce Department, Li Ka-Shing is a very special man in Beijing, Washington and Hong Kong. …….. "Li is reputed to have a close business relationship with key figures in Beijing," states an August 1999 from the American Embassy in Hong Kong. "And he has a number of real estate and infrastructure projects in the mainland. These close relationships were said to be key to his obtaining the prime site on Beijing's Wangfujing for his USD2 billion Oriental Plaza Project. Some have suggested that it was because of Li's mainland connections that the man behind the 1996 kidnapping of his son Victor was arrested last year in China and swiftly executed. Li is a leading member of Hong Kong's ethnic Chinese business elite, a tycoon who is no democrat. This fact is reflected in his recent claim that he canceled a HKD10 billion (USD1.3 billion) project because of the unfavorable business climate created by Hong Kong's politicized (more democratic) business climate." ………
WorldNetDaily 6/7/00 Charles Smith "….The Commerce Department documents also show that law enforcement agencies were very concerned about Li Ka-Shing's connections to the Triad gangs. ……One document on Li Ka-Shing, previously discovered by Larry Klayman and Judicial Watch, a Washington, D.C.-based legal watchdog group, came from the U.S. Defense Department. According to the October 1999 "Intelligence Assessment," prepared by the U.S. military Southern Command, the Hong Kong billionaire is a "threat" to the Panama Canal: "Hutchison Whampoa's owner, Hong Kong tycoon, Li Ka-Shing, has extensive business ties in Beijing and has compelling financial reasons to maintain a good relationship with China's leadership," states the 1999 assessment. "For example, Hutchison Whampoa could threaten to shift some business from Panama to its facilities in the Bahamas, thus giving the company additional leverage over the Panamanian government." The U.S. military intelligence report concluded: "Hutchison's containerized shipping facilities in the Panama Canal, as well as the Bahamas, could provide a conduit for illegal shipments of technology or prohibited items from the west to the PRC, or facilitate the movement of arms and other prohibited items into the Americas." ……."
WorldNetDaily 6/7/00 Charles Smith "….However, the newly released documents from the Commerce Department show that current Commerce Secretary Daley met with the Beijing tycoon at a 1997 luncheon hosted by the powerful investment firm Goldman Sachs. The Commerce documents note that an informal "talk" between Daley, Mr. Li and several "influential business people" was held on the Goldman Sachs' boat "Monkey's Uncle" during a 1997 Hong Kong trade trip. …….. The Commerce documents show that Daly and Li met on board the "Monkey's Uncle" with some of the leading Beijing owned businesses including two directly associated with the Chinese Army -- CITIC and, China Everbright. Some other "influential business people" were also included on the guest list for the lunch cruise. Among the leading figures are Raymond Kwok, Robert Kwok, and Canning Fok. …….. The newly released documents show that alleged organized crime "Triad" gangsters were included on the 1997 voyage of the "Monkey's Uncle." According to official U.S. Commerce materials, Secretary Daley sailed on a paradise cruise from Hong Kong with the "who's who" of Triad mob families. ……."
WorldNetDaily 7/14/00 Kenneth R. Timmerman and Charles Smith "…….House Speaker Dennis Hastert has named a lobbyist for Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing as his top national security and foreign policy adviser, a move that has made some top House Republicans angry and left others bewildered. A low-key lawmaker known for avoiding controversy, Hastert's appointment of Washington, D.C., lobbyist Nancy P. Dorn seemed out of character. "I can't believe he knew of this person's background," Maryland Republican Roscoe Bartlett told WorldNetDaily.com. Bartlett is a leading member of the House National Security Committee. ……."
WorldNetDaily 7/14/00 Kenneth R. Timmerman and Charles Smith "…….Dorn, 41, briefly served in the Reagan administration, and won a Schedule C. political appointment under President George Bush as Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), a position she held from 1991-1993. After leaving the administration, she worked as a lobbyist for Coastal Corporation, the Houston oil firm owned by the flamboyant and often controversial Oscar Wyatt. …….."Here is a person who will be the Speaker's representative to the Intelligence Committee," one irate Republican staffer told WND. "She will have access to operational matters, and can in effect task the intelligence community to do anything. And until yesterday, she has been Li Ka-shing's person in Washington." ……."
WASHINGTON TIMES 7/21/00 Bill Gertz "…..A former lobbyist for a Hong Kong company with close ties to the Chinese government will have access to the most sensitive U.S. intelligence secrets as the new national security aide to House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert. But despite growing concern in Republican ranks, Mr. Hastert is standing by his decision to name Nancy P. Dorn as his top national security assistant…….. Congressional aides involved in national security issues told The Washington Times they are worried that Mrs. Dorn will have access to U.S. intelligence that includes details of operations against China……..Mr. Hastert, Illinois Republican, is an ex-officio member of the House Intelligence Committee and one of the "gang of eight" congressional leaders who usually are briefed on the most sensitive intelligence and military matters. As the key adviser to the speaker, Mrs. Dorn would be the staffer privy to these highly classified briefings. Mrs. Dorn until recently was a lobbyist representing Hutchison Port Holdings, a company owned by Hong Kong billionaire Li Kashing. Mr. Li has been described in U.S. intelligence reports as having close ties to the Chinese government……..Mrs. Dorn said she did not delve into Hutchison's undercover activities and called her lobby "very minor work" that included introducing Hutchison officials to "people in Washington." "I don't see how that amounts to a treasonous act," she said. Because of the activities, "if anything I will be bending over backward in making sure I'm above reproach in China security matters," she said. Mrs. Dorn was appointed to the Interamerican Foundation, a quasi-official organization devoted to Latin America, and underwent a background check for the post. However, she said she did not know whether she was given a security clearance for that job……."
Washington Times 7/18/00 Frank J. Gaffney, Jr. "…….What on Earth was he thinking? This is the question prompted by House Speaker Dennis Hastert's selection, announced last week, of a new national security adviser: Nancy P. Dorn, a woman who had parlayed her stints as an official in the Reagan and Bush administrations into a lucrative business as a registered foreign agent. ……… Not just any foreign agent. One of her troubling clients was, in the words of Insight magazine, which broke the story, "a division of a Communist Chinese company linked to Beijing's military intelligence." …….Specifically, Mrs. Dorn lobbied for Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH), a subsidiary of Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. which is, in turn, owned by Li Ka-shing - a Hong Kong-based billionaire who reportedly enjoys an extemely close relationship to the leadership in Beijing and its security services. ……."
Washington Times 7/18/00 Frank J. Gaffney, Jr. "……..So who did Li Ka-shing turn to in order to head off GOP efforts to reopen the bidding on the Panamanian ports in question and to limit other political fall-out - especially efforts that might have interfered with the plans he and his friends in Beijing had to expand Hutchison/ China's presence in the Bahamas and elsewhere in the hemisphere? Lobbyist Nancy Dorn. …….. It turns out Mrs. Dorn was also the "go-to" woman for one of China's leading clients, the military junta that seized power in Pakistan last year. Presumably, her assignment was to keep Republicans from making too much of a ruckus about the Clinton-Gore administration's systematic failure to fulfill legal obligations to sanction both countries over their cooperation in the proliferation of nuclear weapons and long-range missile technology. Whether thanks to her or others, that objective was largely achieved. ……..Perhaps Mrs. Dorn deserves credit as well for the lack of protests from the Republican congressional leadership earlier this year when Pakistan was curiously left off the State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism. …….In a way, an even more interesting question would be why Mrs. Dorn saw fit to take a significant pay cut to assume a position that may cease to be Mr. Hastert's to fill half a year from now? ….."
Wang Jun
Atlanta Constitution 8/15/99 Rebecca Carr "…Federal investigators say Wang, son of a former Chinese vice president, formed at least a half-dozen companies in the Atlanta area with just 20 em ployees. Still, investigators say some of these companies bought, sold and in at least one case smuggled sophisticated weapons, funneled money to suspicious offshore bank accounts, and bought up land across the country….. "There is little doubt that Wang Jun was in this country to acquire sensitive technology," said Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Calif.), who headed a Congressional investigation into Chinese espionage….a former Chinese naval intelligence officer who ran Wang's Atlanta operations from offices on East Paces Ferry Road was indicted in 1996 for his alleged role in smuggling 2,000 AK-47s into this country. …The Wang associate, Robert Ma, remains a fugitive and is believed to be in China. Federal investigators suspect he had been tipped off that the indictments were coming. Then there's the treasure chest of arms sale profits stemming from Wang's Atlanta operations that mysteriously ended up in the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and the British West Indies, according to internal company records, court documents and interviews with former employees …."
Atlanta Constitution 8/15/99 Rebecca Carr "…. As the head of Poly, Wang reports directly to the so-called Staff Department of PLA, which oversees China's military intelligence. Wang also runs China International Trust & Investment Corp., a powerful company with interests in industry, finance and trade. Federal investigators believe both companies took part in a plan to station workers at companies throughout the United States to gather sensitive information that would be helpful to the military. Cox and other federal investigators estimate there are as many as 3,000 such "front" companies in the United States……F. Michael Maloof, chief of technology security operations at the Defense Department's U.S. Threat Reduction Agency, has been investigating Wang's activities for more than 18 months. He has no doubt about what Wang has been up to. "Wang Jun's operations are part of an overall Chinese system that is integrated to target and acquire militarily critical technologies," Maloof said….. Congressional committees have requested his appearance to answer campaign fund-raising and espionage allegations for the past two years. They have little hope he will appear. "This guy is bad news," said Rep. Bob Barr (R-Ga.), who sits on the House panel investigating campaign fund-raising misdeeds. "The fact that he has been able to operate with impunity is very disturbing. This fellow has ties that go directly to the Communist Party in Beijing. He is right there, smack in the middle of the campaign finance scandal and (involved with) U.S. corporations that are in the middle of the spy scandal. Apparently this comes as a surprise to our law enforcement officials, and that's a problem. It's outrageous." …"Atlanta Constitution 8/15/99 Rebecca Carr "…Wang's enterprises eventually stretched across the United States, but they began in Atlanta in 1987 as PTK International Inc., a joint venture with a Smyrna company, Keng Firearms Specialty Inc. Two other companies controlled completely by Wang --- Dynasty Holding Co. and Poly USA Inc. --- soon followed. Four additional companies were incorporated in Atlanta, but never conducted any kind of business. Most of the companies listed the same officers and the same address on East Paces Ferry Road. Wang's companies in Atlanta devoted themselves mostly to importing guns from China and reselling them to dozens of American distributors. But Dynasty bought a lot of commercial property across the country. …. All of the companies were dissolved by the summer of 1996 soon after Ma's gun smuggling indictment, according to Collins, who remains on good terms with his former Chinese employer. ….After several years of discussions, Poly and Keng signed an agreement in Beijing in 1986. Poly would export from China AK-47 assault rifles and SKS semi-automatic rifles to Keng Firearms, which would sell the guns to PTK, the joint venture between Wang's Poly and Keng in Atlanta. PTK then would sell to American distributors. …."
Atlanta Constitution 8/15/99 Rebecca Carr "…In Atlanta federal court, the Kengs and Poly tangled over shipments and legal issues involving their partnership. The court fight soon turned nasty, involving two of the city's biggest law firms --- Long, Aldridge & Norman representing Poly and Alston & Bird representing the Keng family. Court records show a flurry of unusual legal actions….. After much haggling with Poly, Stephenson and his partner, Peter Bassett, went to Beijing in the spring of 1991 to depose Ma and a handful of others. On the third day of their visit, the lawyers said they were accosted by three men at the top of the escalator at the China World Hotel. They warned: "We know who you are, where you are and what you are doing. Watch your step. Beijing is a small place." Stephenson and Bassett were so rattled that they immediately returned to their hotel room and called the U.S. embassy. No answer. They left and walked to the lounge of the Shangri-La Hotel, where they sat in a stunned daze for hours, thinking about what to do next. The men who had accosted them knew too much --- their names and businesses --- to be mere street thugs…..Stephenson and Bassett say their suspicions about the incident were confirmed when a year later they learned from the American Embassy in Beijing that a high-ranking Chinese official had --- the day before their arrival in China --- sent a letter to the embassy, objecting to their taking depositions of potential witnesses…. A few days later, Stephenson told Atlanta federal Judge Charles Moye in court documents that "individuals have been threatened with punishment in the event (Poly) learns of their involvement." He said it would be impossible to call future witnesses, some of them employees of Wang, because he feared that the Chinese government might "subject individuals in China to the danger of retribution." …."
Atlanta Constitution 8/15/99 Rebecca Carr "…Stephenson said Poly abruptly dropped its suit after he started tracing millions of dollars of Dynasty's money to a "mail drop" in the Cayman Islands. Much of that money, Stephenson alleged, accumulated in offshore accounts through an illegal "dual billing" practice to hide gun sale profits from China's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations. "They were shipping money from Dynasty to an insurance company in the Cayman Islands, ostensibly for insurance premiums," Stephenson said. "We are talking about a mail slot in a bank. . . . They were expensing these premiums for tax purposes, so they didn't show their full income on their business activities here." …. "
Atlanta Constitution 8/15/99 Rebecca Carr "… And evidence of espionage continues to grow….. In 1988, Poly asked PTK officials to place a shipment of high-tech computer equipment in brown paper and ship it in unmarked wooden crates to China. Company documents indicate that company officials were asked to draft documents that would conceal the equipment, making it appear that it was actually radio equipment. Memos turned over to investigators show that Poly officials in Beijing wrote memos to Poly employees in Atlanta instructing them in Chinese to ship $19 million worth of militarily sensitive high-tech radar equipment through a state-owned shipping line….. "
Atlanta Constitution 8/15/99 Rebecca Carr "…Wang first caught the eye of congressional investigators when he visited the White House on Feb. 6, 1996, with Charlie Trie, a former restaurateur and friend of the Clintons from Arkansas…. When news of Wang's trip to the White House first surfaced, President Clinton went out of his way to say that it was "clearly inappropriate" for a Chinese arms dealer to appear at the White House. At the time, Clinton aides said they had no prior knowledge of Wang's gun dealing background, nor did they know of his close ties to the Chinese army. But Collins said he gave top White House aides detailed information about Wang at a private White House luncheon in early May 1994. Collins was asked to speak to a small gathering of business leaders at the White House luncheon after escorting Deng Xiaoping's son, Deng Zhifang, to some of America's premier corporate centers. At the gathering, Collins said, were former White House Counsel Thomas "Mack" McLarty and former senior aide Mark Middleton, who later became a target of the campaign fund-raising probe…."
Atlanta Constitution 8/15/99 Rebecca Carr "…After the lunch, Collins said, Middleton called for more details about Wang. Collins said he told Middleton that Wang is the son of former Chinese Vice President Wang Zhen and that his companies were connected with the Chinese military. "He grilled me and grilled me. . . . It's hard to believe that they didn't know who he was," Collins said. If White House aides didn't know then who Wang was, they soon would learn. Wang's visit drew sharp criticism from lawmakers, including some Democrats, who said it was an example of the lengths the White House would go to raise a campaign dollar. If the White House had simply reviewed Poly's annual report, it would have found that the report lists its defense system sales….. However, Wang used Poly to arm Third World countries and funnel American military technology back to China, internal company records and interviews show. "Wang's Poly Group is Communist China's worst worldwide proliferator of deadly weapons, having brokered the sale of cruise missiles to Iran and nuclear weapons to Pakistan," Cox explained. Congressional investigators believe that Poly also sold M-9 nuclear-capable missile technology to Syria and arms to both sides of the Iraq-Iran war in the 1980s. Burma was another customer. …"
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