The New York Times

Tuesday, October 21, 1997

Success of Chinese Visit May Turn on Prisoner Release

By SETH FAISON

SHANGHAI, Oct. 20 - In the puzzle of how to make a China-United States summit meeting successful, the release of a political prisoner may be a central piece.

A week before President Jiang Zemin travels on his first state visit to Washington, American and Chinese officials today began to openly, if guardedly, discuss the possibility that China would allow a prominent dissident to leave prison in an effort to soften criticism of the nation's human rights conditions.

With several anti-China protests planned in cities that Mr. Jiang will visit, and with Mr. Jiang sensitive to criticism, Chinese and United States officials are eager to deflect human rights complaints that might spoil the summit meeting.

In recent years, Chinese officials have often chosen politically opportune moments to show lenience to a prominent dissident. In 1993, Wei Jingsheng was let out of jail just as the international Olympic Committee was considering Beijing's bid to play host to the 2000 Olympics, which went to Sydney in a close vote. Mr. Wei was imprisoned again in 1994.

In other cases, China has released dissidents on the pretense of allowing them to seek medical attention overseas, letting officials maintain that they were following the letter of their own law at the same time that they were offering a concession to human rights activists.

This year, one of the speculators' prime candidates for release is Wang Dan, the 28-year-old former student leader who is serving the third year of an 11-year sentence for subversion, based on some newspaper articles he wrote.

"So far, the Government has told us nothing," Mr. Wang's mother, Wang Lingyun, said from her home in Beijing tonight. "We've asked over and over for him to be released for medical reasons, but they won't say yes or no."

Ms. Wang said her son, whom she is allowed to visit once a month, had a chronic throat condition.

"I want it to be treated, whether it is here in Beijing or elsewhere," she said. "But we are powerless. All we can do is make requests, and we get no answer."

A senior United States Embassy official said at a news briefing in Beijing today that American officials had urged the Chinese to release some political prisoners, acknowledging that it could be a modest sign of success for the Clinton Administration's policy of engaging, rather than isolating, China.

"We have indicated to them that one of the most effective things that could be

done to help neutralize the human rights question would be the release of some

dissidents," the official said, speaking on the condition that he not be identified.

"We are hopeful."

A senior Chinese official, speaking at a news briefing on President Jiang's trip,

also opened the door to the possibility of medical parole for unidentified

prisoners, while couching his comments in the idea that Chinese officials would

make their decisions independently.

"We will handle each case as necessary and in accordance with the law based on

humanitarian concerns," said the official, who spoke on the condition of

anonymity. "Every year, China's judiciary department releases 10,000 prisoners

on medical parole."

"When and on what terms prisoners are released should be determined according

to Chinese laws," the official added sternly. "No one has the right to interfere."

Human rights activists, who have called for the release of hundreds of political

prisoners, argue that American officials should have made the release of many

prisoners a condition for a summit meeting.

"It's a pretty desperate situation when the United States is giving such kudos to a

Chinese leader in return for so little," said Robin Munro, director of Asia Watch

in Hong Kong.