Activities by Representative Barney Frank on behalf of Dr. Yang Jianli

Jianli Support Group


05/08/2002 Rep. Frank and Reps. Wolf, Smith, and Lantos wrote to Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Yang Jiechi, after first receiving word of Yang Jianli’s detention in China.
06/28/2002 Rep. Frank and eleven other House members wrote a letter to Chinese Ambassador Yang Jiechi.
07/02/2002 Rep. Frank’s foreign policy aide raised Yang Jianli’s case with the Chinese Foreign Ministry during his trip to China.
09/09/2002 Rep. Frank and the entire Massachusetts Congressional delegation sent a letter regarding Yang Jianli’s imprisonment to Secretary of State Colin Powell.
09/19/2002 Rep. Frank, with 26 other members of Congress, wrote a letter to Chinese President Jiang Zemin.
10/17/2002 Prior to President Jiang Zemin’s visit to the U.S., Reps. Frank, Cox, and Capuano held a press conference on Capitol Hill urging the Chinese authorities to release Yang Jianli.
11/07/2003 Rep. Frank spoke at the opening of the Third Ethnic Group Leadership Workshop held by the Foundation for China in the 21st century in Newton, MA.
12/09/2002 Rep. Frank sent his foreign policy aide to accompany Christina Fu, Dr Yang’s wife, to a Congressional Executive Commission on China’s Roundtable “Open Forum: Public Perspectives on Human Rights Practices in China,” where she gave testimony on Yang Jianli’s case.
02/20/2003 Rep. Frank’s office held a Congressional staff meeting on Capitol Hill to hear about Yang Jianli’s case, presented by Christina Fu and her lawyer Jared Genser.
02/21/2003 Rep. Frank, with 10 other members of Congress, wrote a letter to Secretary Hu Jintao urging him to intervene for the release of Yang Jianli, in conjunction with Secretary of State Colin Powell's visit to Beijing.
03/28/2003 Rep. Frank wrote a letter to the Chinese Ambassador after learning of the two break-ins at Yang Jianli’s home and office.
04/11/2003 In the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Frank with 11 other original co-sponsoring House members, introduced resolution H.Res.199 calling for Yang Jianli's release.
04/24/2003 Rep. Frank attended the candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C., marking the one-year anniversary of Yang Jianli’s detention.
04/24/2003 Christina Fu and Rep. Frank gave an interview to the BBC at the candlelight vigil.
04/29/2003 Rep. Frank wrote a letter to Christina Fu reassuring her that he will continue to do everything he can to free Yang Jianli from the unjust imprisonment he is suffering.
05/09/2003 Rep Frank, with three other House members, sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to all House members urging them to cosponsor H.Res.199.
05/16/2003 Rep. Frank with five other House members sent another “Dear Colleague” letter to all House members urging them to cosponsor H.Res.199.
05/28/2003 Reps. Frank and Cox sent a letter to President Bush before he met Chinese President Hu Jintao in France.
06/04/2003 Reps. Frank, Cox, and Capuano -- along with Jared Genser, Professor Jerry Cohen, and Christina Fu -- held a press conference and announced the ruling of the UN's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and urged the Chinese government to release Yang Jianli.
6/10/2003 Rep Frank with five other House members sent a third “Dear Colleague” letter to all House members urging them to cosponsor H.Res.199.
6/12/2003 Rep Frank’s office issued a press release: “Frank Welcomes House Committee Action on behalf of Yang Jianli,” after the House International Relations Committee approved H.Res.199 on June 11, 2003.
6/23/03 Rep Frank received a letter from Condoleezza Rice in response to his May 28, 2003 letter to President Bush: “On Behalf of President Bush, I thank you for your letter describing increasing bipartisan concern about the detention of Dr. Yang Jianli. The President shares your concerns. It is unacceptable for Chinese authorities to hold Dr. Yang, a U.S. legal resident, without access to an attorney or his family. The Bush Administration has repeatedly raised Dr. Yang's case at senior levels with the Chinese Government and will continue to do so until he is reunited in the United States with his family. President Bush applauds your continuing efforts to highlight Dr. Yang's case and press for his early release.”
6/25/2003 Reps. Frank, Cox, Capuano, Lantos, and Smith all voiced support on the House floor for H.Res.199, which later passed unanimously by a roll call vote of 412-0.
7/18/2003 Rep. Frank sent a letter to Ambassador Yang Jiechi to request a meeting with him to discuss Yang Jianli’s case.
8/01/2003 Rep. Frank spoke to a Time magazine journalist in Beijing regarding Yang Jianli’s case.
8/03/2003 Rep. Frank gave an interview to the BBC a few hours before Yang Jianli’s trial.

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Source: "yangjianli.com".