Politic-Economic-Society-Tech

China frees two US scholars ahead of Powell's visit

China yesterday freed two US-based scholars convicted of espionage in an attempt to ease tensions in China-US relations ahead of a visit by US Secretary of State Colin Powell. 
Gao Zhan, a sociologist at American University in Washington D.C., and Qin Guangguang, a published author, were granted medical parole two days after being sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on charges of spying for Taiwan, the Chinese foreign ministry said. 

Gao left Beijing on Northwest Flight 88 to Detroit Thursday morning, a US embassy official said. 

It was not immediately clear whether Qin had left, but he was expected to follow soon. 

His wife, who had returned with him to Beijing, was waiting to get her passport and US green card, which were confiscated during a house search following his arrest, a Hong Kong rights activist said. 

Both Gao and Qin had applied to be released on humanitarian grounds. Gao suffers from a heart ailment, but no mention was made of Qin's health until Thursday. 

The fact that the releases came a day after Powell met with Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan in Hanoi on the sidelines of an Asian regional forum, and that another convicted US scholar Li Shaomin was deported just before the meeting, indicate Beijing is keen to mend relations with Washington. 

On Thursday Powell said he was "very pleased" about Gao's release. But he said recently he would raise the issue of human rights with Beijing during his visit Saturday, saying it is not only the individual cases that concern the US. 

Gao, Qin and Li were among five US-based scholars and businessmen arrested during a five-month period since December, amid heightened concerns about security breaches and increased spying by arch rival Taiwan. 

The detentions, almost all of which happened in the first few months after Bush took office, strained relations, which were already tense from the collision between a US spy plane and Chinese fighter, US arms sales to Taiwan, and US plans for a national missile defence system. 

The three scholars had denied any wrongdoing and human rights groups have accused China of holding them on trumped up charges. 

source:  The Daily Star International News, July 27, 2001