WASHINGTON (AP) -- Trials are underway in China for an American citizen and a U.S. resident who are charged with spying for Taiwan, the State Department said Thursday.

Spokesman Richard Boucher made the disclosure hours after President Bush discussed the issue with Chinese President Jiang Zemin.

The American citizen is Li Shaomin, who was formally charged in May. He disappeared after crossing the border into China on Feb. 25 to visit a friend.

The permanent American resident is Gao Zhan, an American University researcher who was detained Feb. 11.

After Bush conferred with Jiang, White House spokesman Sean McCormack said, "This administration continues to press for their fair treatment and release at every opportunity."

Bush told Jiang he is looking forward to his visit to China in October, McCormick said.

They did not discuss the Navy spy plane that returned to the United States earlier in the day.

A cargo plane carrying the fuselage and other salvageable parts of the aircraft arrived at Dobbins Air Reserve Base on Thursday, more than three months after the surveillance plane made an emergency landing on China's Hainan island.

Discussing the trials, Boucher said the United States has urged China to resolve the two cases as soon as possible. "We will continue to urge them to do that."

He said the U.S. embassy in Beijing requested permission for a consular officer to attend Li Shaomin's trial.

On another subject, Boucher said the United States is "deeply disturbed" by reports that China has further intensified its harsh repression of the banned Falun Gong [group].

"The June 20 deaths of over a dozen Falun Gong practitioners in the Laogai labor camp in Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province in China was particularly troublesome," he said.

He said there are conflicting accounts of what actually occurred in the Laogai labor camp. He described as "chilling" reports of violence and torture against these Chinese Falun Gong practitioners at the hands of Chinese authorities.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washdc/july01/2001-07-05-china-spy.htm

Posting date: 7/6/2001
Original article date: 7/5/2001
Category: News & Media Reports

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