International Herald Tribune, July 12, 1995

Beijing - An American human rights activist is guilty of speaking into China and stealing state secrets, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Tuesday, but his case needs further investigation.

"The evidence is irrefutable" the spokesman, Shen Guofang, said of charges filed against Harry Wu. "It constitutes a crime"

Using Mr. Wu's birth name, Mr. Shen said: "Wu Hongda deliberately sneaked into China by using aliases and illegally obtained China's state secrets and passed them over to overseas organization."

He declined to spell out what state secrets Mr. Wu been accused of stealing or the precise charges against him, saying such matters were the province of judicial agencies, not the Foreign Ministry. But he said public security and judicial authorities would publish more information aboout the case.

"Our judicial department will, according to developments, publicize his crimes at an appropiate time." Mr. Shen said.

Convictions on espionage charges in China can carry the death sentece.

Shrugging off demands by the United States that China free Mr Wu, Mr. Shen said the Chinese-born activist was arrested in Wuhan because that was where some of the alleged spying took place. He said the charges did not apply to the visits to Chinese prisons Mr. Wu made on previous visits.

Whether his trial is public or secret will depend on what kind of secrets investigators detrmine Mr. Wu stole, Mr. Shen said.

But he added that Mr. Wu would be tried as an American citizen, saying that Chinese and foreigners alike were subject to China's laws inside the country.

Mr Wu was born in China and spent 19 years in labor camps. He emigrated to the United States in 1985.

He was arrested June 19 while trying to enter northwest China's Xinjiang region from Kazakhstan. On previous return visits to China, he has documented human rights abuses in its penal system.

An official at the U.S. Embassy here, Arturo Macias, met with Mr. Wu for 30 minutes Monday but was not allowed to discuss details of his case. They were permitted a glass partition and were monitored by officials.

The embassy has asked for a follow up meeting, but Mr. Shen said he did not know whether such a request had been formally made. A Chinese- American consular agreement allows for such a visit within one month.

Mr. Shen said Mr. Wu's arrest did not "have a lot to do" with the chill in U.S.-Chinese relations. Beijing and Washington are fighting over trade, missiles sales, human rights and the recent visit to the United States by the president of Taiwan.