Excerpt: State Department Briefing Remarks on Gao Zhan
(U.S. monitoring cases of citizens, residents held in China)The United States is urging the Chinese government "at every level" for the early release based on humanitarian grounds of U.S. scholar Gao Zhan, says Deputy State Department Spokesman Phil Reeker.
Speaking at the daily State Department briefing July 24, Reeker said Gao Zhan, a permanent U.S. resident, was sentenced by a Chinese court to 10 years in prison for espionage. Reeker said he understood that she is planning to apply for medical parole.
"As [Secretary of State Powell] said, he is following it, we are following it, and we will see what happens next," Reeker said.
When queried if Gao Zhan's sentencing would have an impact on Powell's visit to China, set to take place in a few days, Reeker replied that "his party will continue to monitor the situation very carefully."
"Issues of human rights are things that we discuss regularly in our discussions with the Chinese. It is on the agenda, and so we will continue to follow these cases and others quite intensely," he added.
"There are other legal permanent residents, as well as a US citizen -- for instance, Mr. Wu Zianming -- about whom we have talked [to the Chinese government] in this capacity, and we continue to urge the Chinese government to promptly resolve the cases of those who have been similarly detained," Reeker concluded.
Following is an excerpt of the State Department transcript:
(begin excerpt)
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
Phillip T. Reeker, Deputy Spokesman
Washington, DCJuly 24, 2001
MR. REEKER: Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome back to the State Department on this fine Tuesday afternoon.
As you know, Secretary of State Powell is this evening in Hanoi, where he will be attending meetings of the ASEAN Regional Forum tomorrow. Ambassador Boucher of course is accompanying him, so I am here to take your questions.
I would be happy to begin with NBC.
QUESTION: China. Gao Zhan was sentenced today to 10 years in prison. Does the State Department have a reaction to that, and are we at all appealing for her release?
MR. REEKER: As you said, we understand that Gao Zhan has been found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in jail. We continue to urge the Chinese government at every level for her early release on humanitarian grounds. As Secretary of State Powell said today, we are following it very carefully, and we will see what happens next.
We understand from Ms. Gao's lawyer that -- or that the lawyer has indicated that Gao Zhan is seeking a parole on medical grounds, and we are engaged intensively with the Chinese on this to urge the Chinese government for her early release on humanitarian grounds, as I said.
QUESTION: The American who was sentenced about a week ago?
MR. REEKER: Li Shaomin.
QUESTION: Right.
MR. REEKER: As you will recall, the Chinese court determined that Mr. Li should be deported, and we hope that would happen soon. We are also engaged very intensively on Mr. Li's release, but I don't have any further details to offer at this point.
QUESTION: Were there other US resident scholars who were also sentenced today besides Gao Zhan?
MR. REEKER: There are other legal permanent residents, as well as a US citizen -- for instance, Mr. Wu Zianming -- about whom we have talked in this capacity, and we continue to urge the Chinese government to promptly resolve the cases of those who have been similarly detained. But I don't have any additional updates on any of those cases today.
We remain concerned about the cases of other permanent residents as well, and we urge the Chinese to resolve all of these cases rapidly.
QUESTION: (Inaudible) analyze the fact that this condemnation happens a few days before the Secretary's visit to China?
MR. REEKER: That this-- what happens?
QUESTION: This sentencing happens a few days before the visit of Secretary Powell to China.
MR. REEKER: I think I will leave the analysis to the analysts, and then to you. Obviously we have been talking about this for quite some time. We have been urging a rapid resolution of these cases. And, as I said, we continue to urge the Chinese government at every level for early release, in the case of Gao Zhan, for instance, on humanitarian grounds, and we are intensively engaged on this. We have been engaged with the Chinese in Beijing through our embassy there, we have been engaged here in Washington with their embassy, making our points very clearly.
QUESTION: On that, how will it affect the Secretary's talks in two days? I mean, will it make things more tense? Will it -- I mean --
MR. REEKER: I think I will let the Secretary address that. I think he has addressed that in the past, and his party will continue to monitor the situation very carefully. As the Secretary said, he is following it, we are following it and we will see what happens next. As you know, the Secretary is in Hanoi, as I mentioned. He will travel on then to Seoul and then to Beijing. Issues of human rights are things that we discuss regularly in our discussions with the Chinese. It is on the agenda, and so we will continue to follow these cases and others quite intensely. QUESTION: Can you elaborate on the senior official who was quoted as saying he was dismayed at the conviction? Do you have any kind of stand on her guilt or innocence?
MR. REEKER: I can't particularly elaborate. As I said, we understood that she had been found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in jail. I noted that officials with the Secretary's party had some comments on that.
We are, as I indicated, continuing to urge the Chinese government at every level for her early release on humanitarian grounds. And, as I said, her lawyer indicated she is seeking parole on medical grounds. So we are actively engaged intensively with the Chinese on this and, as the Secretary said, we will be following it very closely.
QUESTION: Do you have any comment on the fact that US officials were not allowed to witness the trial?
MR. REEKER: That is, indeed, a fact. We have discussed that before. We had requested to be allowed to attend, but no US representative was able to attend that trial. And I will remind you, of course, this is a legal permanent resident, not a US citizen. But we have expressed our interest in this. It is something we have taken very seriously. But we were not allowed to attend that trial, which is one of the reasons I can't comment on it further. We did not have access to the trial.
QUESTION: One more China question. Have there been any discussions by this building with the Chinese on reparations in the plane matter?
MR. REEKER: Not that I am aware of. That has been over at the Pentagon, where they have been reviewing that issue, and I just don't have any updates there. But last week we discussed at length that that has really been something that the Pentagon has focused on.
QUESTION: But this building would have talks with the Chinese to work out --
MR. REEKER: Once the Pentagon has made their review and made a determination of what might be reasonable cost. But I would refer you there first to see if there were any developments in that.
Are we ready to switch from China? One more?
QUESTION: Has anyone from the State Department had contact with Gao Zhan's husband at all today?
MR. REEKER: I could check in on that. I don't know the answer to that question. I would be happy to check with you on that.
. . .
(end excerpt of State Department transcript)
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