US-Based Chinese Activist Tried in Beijing for Espionage

VOA

A U.S.-based Chinese activist has been tried in Beijing on charges of entering the country illegally and spying for Taiwan.

Yang Jianli, a Chinese citizen with permanent U.S. residency, was tried at Beijing's Number Two Intermediate People's Court Monday. The trial was closed to the public, including Mr. Yang's relatives and U.S. embassy officials.

Details of the charges against Mr. Yang are sketchy. Western news reports indicate he is accused of spying for Taiwan's Nationalist Party. The charges against him are said to involve $100 grants he gave four people to fund various projects in China.

Mr. Yang was detained in April 2002 after allegedly entering China using a friend's passport in an attempt to observe ongoing labor unrest. He pleaded innocent to both charges during the three-hour proceedings. A verdict is expected in about six weeks.

Mr. Yang is founder and president of a Boston-based institute, the Foundation for China in the 21st Century, which promotes democracy in China.

The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have passed resolutions demanding that China release Yang Jianli.

Human rights Activist Frank Lu, who heads the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy in Hong Kong, says the spy charges are absurd. Mr. Lu says the closed trial is a discouraging sign that human rights are not improving in China.

Some information for this report provided by AFP, Reuters and AP.

--------------------------
Source: "VOA".