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CNN Live Event/Special
Freed American Scholar Gao Zhan Speaks Out
Aired July 26, 2001 - 16:01 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.
(AUDIO AND VIDEO GAP)
XUE DONGHUA, GAO ZHAN'S HUSBAND: ... for their support. My employer, EDS, has a tradition to rescue people from the hostile areas around the world. They gave me very strong support. And I also give thanks to the American people and our community. The food and the drink you put by my door have really touched my heart. I was moved to tears when I enjoy your food with Andrew.
I thank all of you, our media friends. You have demonstrated to the world with your persistent coverage. You are the king without a crown. Without your help, this would not come true.
Now, with Gao Zhan's arrival, we can finally see that we have won the battle. But our goal is the victory of the war. We have to remember those scholars who are still in prison, just like we are in prison with them. I want to emphasize that we need to continue our effective rescue effort to win Xi Zarun (ph), Liu Yaping and Wu Jianmin's release.
Finally, I have to give my special thanks to my family lawyer, Jerry Cohen (ph), for his professional and powerful assistance on this case. He is one of the best in Chinese laws.
With that, it is my great honor and privilege to introduced to you my dear wife, Andrew's loving mother, my family's all-time hero, Dr. Gao Zhan.
(APPLAUSE)
GAO ZHAN, FREED SCHOLAR: Well, basically, I just don't know what to say.
I'm happy to be here. Very excited to be reunited with my family, with my kid. It's harder for me to be separated from my family than for me myself sitting there, be put into absolute isolation in a Chinese detention facility there.
I'm very grateful to the U.S. government, to President Bush, to Secretary Powell and to the Congress and to all the people who have contributed to the efforts in rescuing me.
My time in China was very difficult to me. But I -- at time being, right now, I have hard time talking about it. Right now, I'm overwhelmed by the excitement in seeing my family back here.
And I believe that you will see my story in my article or in my book...
(LAUGHTER)
GAO: ... which are prohibited by the Chinese government.
Before I departed Beijing, I was warned not to talk about anything, not to talk about my time, my experience in China in any form, which includes meeting you guys here, writing articles, writing books in the future.
But with America standing behind me, with these fine people standing behind me, I'm not scared.
Thank you all. Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
QUESTION: Dr. Gao, can you talk about your reaction to Beijing being named as a host city for the Olympics, what is your reaction to that?
GAO: Well, I...
XUE: Well, if you give my permission, I'll answer that question. I guess, today is a mostly happy day for our family. We don't want to talk about political issues here. This is our family reunion. Please understand.
QUESTION: Say a little bit about the moment when you grabbed Andrew and saw him for the first...
GAO: Well, let me finish with that question. That day was a very special day for myself, also. At 10:00, I was called out of my cell and at that moment, right at the announcement of Beijing's sponsorship for the Olympic Games, I was formally accused of being a spy for Taiwan. That's very special moment for me, also.
QUESTION: How were you treated by the Chinese?
GAO: Well...
SEN. GEORGE ALLEN (R), VIRGINIA: Gao, let me say one thing. First of all, I'm glad you're violating your rules of parole right off the bat and meeting with a free press -- something that is missing in China.
Do note that Donghua's parents still live in China. Gao Zhan's parents live in China. That's a question I want to know as well. Let's just make sure that no one is threatened in China by answering. It's a great question. It's one a lot of us want to know.
But the one I think most people want to know is the previous question, which is the reunification of a family, and if you could, as a mother, just answer that question of...
GAO: It's a bittersweet time for me. I mean, on the one hand, I'm very happy to be here speaking to you guys. On the other hand, I'm very concerned about my families back there. For any of my actions here, they might be the ones who take the consequences. So I've been very careful in selecting the words that I'm using. As you guys can see, I'm trying to not make any more trouble for my family back there.
CHEN: Gao Zhan, the permanent resident of the United States, but held by China for five-and-a-half months, accused as a spy, convicted as a spy, released earlier today on medical parole by the Chinese, has returned to the United States, as you just saw her there, speaking with reporters at Dulles Airport, right outside of Washington, talking with a great deal of emotion about her time in China and the circumstances under which she was released.
She noted that before she left China earlier in the day, she was warned not to talk about her experiences there, but saying that feeling the strength of America behind her, she says she is not scared. Started to do just that, talking more about her experience, was a bit interrupted by those around her and acknowledged that she was concerned for her family, who remains in China that might suffer the consequences of her continuing to talk to the U.S. media.
But she said that she was not scared and she said she would be publishing at least an article or a book about her experience in China, even though that was certainly prohibited by the Chinese.
Gao Zhan speaking with reporters in Dulles Airport, right outside of Washington. Of course, we expect to hear more in the hours and days to come about her experience there.
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