US lawmakers urge China's president to grant scholar paroleRadio Australia News More than 100 lawmakers in the United States have written to China's President, Hu Jintao, asking him to grant parole to a noted US-based Chinese scholar, imprisoned for alleged spying and illegal entry. The letters by the 21 senators and 85 members of the House of Representatives, concerning Yang Jianli, have been delivered to the Chinese embassy in Washington. Yang Jianli fled to the United States following the 1989 Tiananmen democracy protests and was arrested in China when he tried to secretly sneak into the country using his friend's passport in April 2002. He will be eligible for parole on October 26, after serving half his five-year sentence. The letter from the US lawmakers urges the Chinese president to grant parole to Dr Yang as soon as he is eligible. The letter says granting Dr Yang parole would not only show a commitment to justice within China's legal system, but would also help strengthen bilateral ties. Dr Yang, an American permanent resident, has been one of the most high-profile dissidents in Chinese custody with US Vice President Dick Cheney raising the case during his visit to China earlier this year. 07/10/2004 15:07:03 -------------------------- |