Beijing
A Chinese dissident who is a permanent U.S. resident was tried for espionage in Beijing this week. Yang Jianli fled to the U.S. after participating in the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy demonstrations. He earned doctorates from Harvard and UC Berkeley, and his wife and children are American citizens. Last year, he was arrested after he returned to China using a friend’s passport to assist demonstrating workers. “It was a last-minute decision,” his wife, Christina Fu, said. “He really wanted to be in China to help the workers ask for fairness.” U.S. officials were not allowed to attend the closed trial, which ended without a verdict being announced. Earlier this year, another U.S.-based dissident, Wang Bingzhang, was sentenced to life in prison on similar charges.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
'Time-honored political tactic: Throw your wife under the bus'Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
-
Best non-alcoholic spirits for summer cocktailsThe Week Recommends As hard liquor takes a backseat for many, the ingredients for the perfect mocktail are dryly delicious
-
Will Biden's tariffs hinder China's EV dominance?Today's Big Question Climate change goals and American jobs in tension
