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American Morning
China May Put U.S. Scholars on Trial
Aired July 05, 2001 - 09:31 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: There are questions this morning about U.S.-connected scholars who are being detained in China on espionage charges.
For the latest, we turn to our Jeanne Meserve, who is in Washington.
Jeanne, good morning.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Daryn.
China is officially denying it will put two U.S. scholars on trial today. A Chinese Foreign Ministry says the cases of Li Shaomin and Gao Zhan are being processed according to law, but refuse to set a trial date. They were taken into custody in February, when they tried to leave China and return to their homes in the United States, suspected of espionage.
David Ensor, our national security correspondent joins us now.
David, what have you learned?
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Jeanne, U.S. officials say they are unable to confirm some reports late last week that the Chinese might put the two, and perhaps even others that have American connections that are of Chinese origin, on trial starting today and might find them guilty and expel them on Monday, July 9 -- no way to confirm that. U.S. officials say they hope it's true, but they're not able to prove it.
In the meanwhile, the husband of Gao -- the lady who you mentioned just a moment ago -- is trying to keep up the pressure and talking about his concerns about his wife.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
XUE DONGHUA, HUSBAND OF DETAINEE: Since we lost contact with her, since February, we don't have any information about her health, her psychological status. So that's the thing that's worried me most, her health, because the Chinese Foreign Ministries keeps saying that she's confessed, which troubles me most, because, according to Chinese history in some other cases, that whenever they say that someone confessed, which means behind the scene, there might be some torture or forced confession. (END VIDEO CLIP)
ENSOR:: There is also a history, though, of the Chinese government finding people guilty and then expelling them. Harry Wu comes to mind, in 1995. There have been a number of other cases. So Jeanne, this is a possibility, though we can't confirm whether it's going to happen.
MESERVE: Would there be some logic in the Chinese trying to settle this case, dispense with this case now, quickly?
ENSOR: It's been a major irritant to U.S.-Chinese relations, which, after all, have been in somewhat uneven shape since the Bush administration started. There was the spy plane; we're all seeing that returned. The Chinese and the Americans would like to put some of the irritants behind them.
And there is the July 13 vote by the International Olympic Committee. Now both U.S. and Chinese officials say that's got nothing to do with this, but there might be the feeling in Beijing that they'd like to get this matter out of way before that vote.
MESERVE: David Ensor, thanks so much for the latest on that
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