CHANGING OF THE GUARD
Elaine Chao's ties
to Chinese leader
Expert: Bush's Labor nominee
'family friend' of Jiang Zemin
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=21327
By Jon Dougherty
� 2001 WorldNetDaily.com
President-elect George W. Bush's choice to head the Labor Department, Elaine
Chao, and her father have extensive personal ties to communist China's
President Jiang Zemin -- contact described as "regular" and "deep,"
WorldNetDaily has learned. According to an Asian affairs expert who spoke on
condition of anonymity, Chao -- whom Bush selected to head the Labor
Department after his first choice, Linda Chavez, withdrew from consideration
over charges she harbored an illegal alien in 1992 -- allegedly characterized
as "racist" the findings of a May 1999 report on Chinese espionage, released
by a select committee chaired by Rep. Christopher Cox, R-Calif. The Sino
expert told WND the relationship with Jiang stems from Ms. Chao's father,
James S. C. Chao, who attended college with the Chinese president before
fleeing for Taiwan in 1949, in advance of the communist government takeover
of the mainland. "They have continued a sort of university friendship ever
since," the expert said. Chao's father resides in New York City and, years
ago, founded a ship brokerage and agency business, Foremost Maritime Corp. --
a lucrative shipping firm that ships goods from the U.S. to China and much of
Asia. "To do this would require one having friends in high places," or
"Guanxi" (the Chinese term for political connections), the source told
WorldNetDaily. "The real story here is that Ms. Chao's father -- and most
likely herself -- has been a family friend of the leaders of communist China
for practically all of her life." When asked if Chao has had any contact at
all with Jiang, the expert said, "Absolutely." And, the source added, "it's
kept very quiet, but it's probably regular contact." If confirmed, said the
Asia expert, "she would come into [Bush's] Cabinet with a more intimate
relationship with the president of China than with the president of the
United States." "During the furor of the Cox report, she was out there,
leading protests against it and criticized it as 'racist,'" the source said.
Calls were made to the Bush transition team headquarters for comment but were
not returned. Also, WorldNetDaily contacted the Heritage Foundation for
comment without success. A spokesman from Cox's office told WorldNetDaily he
had never heard of Chao's criticism and denied any knowledge of her or her
father's connection to Jiang. Ms. Chao, 47, a Taiwanese immigrant, is the
former chairman of the Heritage Foundation's Asia Studies Center Advisory
Council and a distinguished fellow at the conservative think tank. She once
served as deputy secretary of the Transportation Department under the
president-elect's father, President George Bush, and also served as
chairwoman of the Federal Maritime Commission. She became director of the
Peace Corps in 1991 and led the United Way of America from 1992-1996. Married
to Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Chao is said to be on the fast track to
Senate confirmation.
