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A Chinese resident of Washington state pled guilty in federal court to charges he attempted to ship 300 Xilinx radiation-hardened programmable semiconductor devices to an unnamed Chinese purchaser. In return for his guilty plea, Yang will remain free on his own recognizance until his sentencing June 30.  Possible flight risk, eh?

“Woodinville man pleads guilty to attempted sale of banned technology to China,” (Seattle Times) March 26 at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014590785_yangplea26m.html

As China’s unprecedented crackdown on dissent continues unabated, an Australian-Chinese, Yang Hengjun, considered to be “the most influential blogger in Chinese,” has disappeared in Guangzhou after telling friends by phone that he was “having tea with old friends” – a prearranged signal that he had been arrested by Chinese secret police. The Australian Embassy is seeking information, but a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman only says “I have not heard of that person.”

A Japanese factory that produces polyvinylidene fluoride substrate for 70% of the lithium-ion batteries on earth – and all the batteries for Apple’s iPad – was destroyed in the March 11 Sendai Earthquake and Tsunami. Kureha Corp. says it was “already thinking about shifting some of our production to the States and China. We will now accelerate these plans."  A move will be a loss to Japan -- and ideally, the plant should remain there -- but if it must move, let's hope most of the operations come to the U.S. -- not to China.