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An account of Thursday's exchange between the CSN FCM report of State Department meeting An account of Thursday's exchange between the Free China Movement and the U.S. State Department July 1, 2004 (CSN) -- The Free China Movement has reported about its meeting with officials of the U.S. administration in Washington. They were represented by a sibling of Wang Bingzhang, Wang Yuhua, and Dr. Wang's fiance, Zhang Qi. Their meeting was with Susan O'Sullivan, senior advisor and Amy Archibold from the Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. The administration side expressed dismay at the recent stroke and other health threats for Wang Bingzhang, along with the PRC's keeping Dr. Wang in incommunicado detention, cut off from family members. They asked if family members in Guangdong province could visit Dr. Wang once a week. They hope for such continued contacts, and that family members will report back to State Department on any issues and status changes, since the State Department is closely monitoring Dr. Wang's case. The State Department noted that it constantly raises the issues of Dr. Wang's kidnapping, detention, the incommunicado condition of his imprisonment, and the arbitrary charges, hurried trial, and lack of due process with the Chinese government. They noted that due to the United States' introduction of a critical human rights resolution -- aimed at China in the UN Geneva forum of the Commission on Human Rights this year -- the Chinese government cut off all dialog on human rights and individual cases. As a result, U.S. concerns about human rights issues and individual cases must 'piggyback' in general and other discussions. The State Department promised to do whatever it can to help Dr. Wang in light of the new development and expressed that they favor Dr. Wang receiving care and treatment in the U.S., since none of his family members are in China. The U.S. wants to know whether Dr. Wang is receiving enough medical care and what medicine he is taking. Due to time limits that were placed on Tuesday's family visit, Wang Mei did not have a chance to elicit that specific information. In the end, the Free China Movement could cite a "very nice" meeting but little specificity in next steps. The U.S. is concerned about this alarming situation just as is the Chinese pro-democracy movement. The two sides will keep in close contact and the U.S. "will prepare a response accordingly in the way that will help Dr. Wang." Wang Yuhua and Zhang Qi were then interviewed by Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, and the push is on as FCM is reaching out to all Congressional offices for help. In following up, the State Department would like to debrief Wang Mei (the Canadian-based younger sister of Wang Bingzhang) upon her return from China. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Published by the China Support Network (CSN). Begun as the American response group in 1989, CSN represents Americans who are "on the side" of the students in Tiananmen Square -- standing for democratic reform, human rights, and freedom in China. For dissident news; to support a stronger China policy; or get more information, see http://www.chinasupport.net. (07/01/2004) |