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CNN Live At Daybreak

Sentenced in China: Gao Zhan Found Guilty of Espionage

Aired July 24, 2001 - 08:04   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Ten years in a Chinese prison -- that is the sentence for a sociologist based in Washington. Gao Zhan has been convicted of espionage.

The case could complicate Secretary of State Colin Powell's visit to China, which begins Saturday.

Details now from Jaime FlorCruz, our new Beijing bureau chief.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAIME FLORCRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: China's legal system picked up unusual speed in Beijing's first intermediate court. It took just three hours to find Gao Zhan, a U.S.-based sociologist, guilt of spying for Taiwan.

After the trial, her lawyers conferred with anxious relatives. They claimed the state failed to produce enough evidence to convict. Gao was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Gao's conviction comes only a week after the same court found Chinese scholar, Li Shaomin, guilty of similar charges. Because Li is a U.S. citizen, he is awaiting deportation.

The crackdown is driven by China's domestic politics.

JEROME COHEN, GAO'S U.S. LAWYER: At a time when leaders are vying for the top positions, nobody wants to be seen as too soft on the outsiders. Everybody wants to be seen as protectors of national sovereignty, protectors of state secrets.

FLORCRUZ: The Chinese court accused Gao of helping Li collect information for Taiwan.

BAI XUEBIAO, GAO'S DEFENSE LAWYER (through interpreter): The court thinks that Li Shaomin is a representative of the intelligence agency, and Gao Zhan got an assignment for that intelligence agency. She clearly explained herself in court to rebut the prosecution's charges.

FLORCRUZ: But court officials were apparently unconvinced.

Although a U.S. permanent resident, Gao is a Chinese citizen and must serve her sentence in China. Gao Zhan's hopes lies on medical parole. She suffers from heart ailments, and Beijing could let her out of China on medical grounds just as it released dissidents in the past. Beijing is hoping to keep U.S.-China ties on the upswing ahead of U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's visit this week. That doesn't leave much time for setting the right tone.

Jaime FlorCruz, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Gao's husband and son were also detained in China but were released, and they are back in the United States. We are going to speak with her husband at the half-hour.

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