For Immediate Release

Date: December 24, 2002

Contact: Timothy Cooper

Tel: 202/361-0989

FREE CHINA MOVEMENT AND CHINA DEMOCRACY PARTY (CDP) APPLAUD RELEASE OF XU WENLI FROM BEIJING JAIL ON MEDICAL PAROLE

(Call for release of over forty other leaders of CDP still in prison,

including Wang Youcai and Qin Yongmin)

Washington, DC—Members of the Free China Movement and the China Democracy Party are celebrating the release from prison today of China Democracy Party co-founder, Xu Wenli. Having contracted Hepatitis B while serving a 13-year prison sentence for “endangering state security,” he was granted medical parole by Beijing authorities and put on a plane bound for the United States.

Xu Wenli promoted political pluralism in China by attempting to register the China Democracy Party in 1998, along with Wang Youcai and Qin Yongmin.

“We are overjoyed by the release of Xu Wenli,” stated Wang Xizhe, co-chairman of CDP and former political prisoner. “We will redouble our efforts to free the remaining CDP prisoners held by the China authorities for simply promoting human rights and democracy in China.”

“When Mr. Xu touches down on US soil, he will automatically become a major leader in the Chinese overseas pro-democracy movement. We look forward to his leadership,” stated Shengde Lian, executive director of the Free China Movement and former student leader and political prisoner from 1989 Tian An Men pro-democracy movement.

“While the Chinese authorities seize Dr. Wang Bingzhang one day and release Xu Wenli the next, the world cannot help but note the deft political craftsmanship being put on display by the Chinese authorities,” stated Timothy Cooper, ambassador-at-large for the China Democracy Party and international director of the Free China Movement. “While appearing magnanimous, they continue to repress.”

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