Chinese Police Surround US Embassy
(AP | Beijing | March 12, 1994)
Dozens of police swarmed around the American embassy and staked out the homes of dissidents as US Secretary of State Warren Christopher pressed China's leaders Saturday to improve human rights.
One of two dissidents picked up by police in Shanghai on Friday, just hours before Christopher's arrival, was released this morning. There was no word on the second dissident, one of at least 15 activists detained in a police sweep over the past two weeks.
About three dozen police were stationed around the US ambassador's residence in Beijing Saturday. Another dozen were outside the main embassy a few blocks away. Typically, only a few guards are stationed at either location. The extra officers seemed there as much to keep Chinese away as to protect Christopher, who was meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen on the other side of town.
Christopher was trying to convince Chinese leaders that Beijing must end political persecution or lose its low-tariff trade benefits with the United States. Police were stationed outside the homes of several activists, including Xu Liangying, a reknown scientist in his 70s who issued an appeal Thursday for respect of human rights and the release of political prisoners.
Two police officers guarded the door to his apartment Saturday, and four more were stationed downstairs at the entrance to the building.
"They don't allow our friends to come in," said his wife, Wang Laidi, a historian who also signed the appeal. "They're concerned we'll have contact with Christopher."
Christopher has said he has no plans to meet with dissidents. But that hasn't stopped authorities from taking precautions to make sure he doesn't. Two American journalists who visited labor activist Liu Nianchun's home Friday were detained for six hours by police, who demanded they explain their relationship to Liu, a source said. Other important dissidents have left Beijing in recent days and do not appear likely to return during Christopher's visit.
They include China's most famous dissident, Wei Jingsheng, and Wang Dan, who topped the police most-wanted list of student leaders from the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement.
The two said they left voluntarily, but they may have been pushed to go to keep them from meeting Christopher. Sources said police were stationed outside Wei's office and Wang's home Saturday. Other officers were at the home of a relative of Zhai Weimin, a 1989 student leader detained last Sunday and reportedly sent to his hometown in Henan province.
In Shanghai, activist Yang Zhou returned home after spending the night at a local police station. There was no word about Wang Fuchen, a member of the China Study Group on Human Rights, who was taken from his home Friday by two plainclothesmen. The local police station had said Wang would be held in a hotel for several days, sources said. The Chinese government routinely detains dissidents during politically sensitive times, such as the annual legislative session that began Thursday and visits of important foreign leaders.
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