February 7, 2003

The Honorable Liang Baohua

Governor

Jiangsu Provincial People's Government

68 Beijing Xi Lu

Nanjing, PRC 210024

Dear Governor Liang:

I am writing to request information about the recent detention of a constituent of mine, Mr. Charles Li, an American citizen and businessman from Menlo Park, California. I am very concerned about Mr. Li's current status and ask that you personally look into his case and keep me informed of the charges and circumstances surrounding his arrest.

Mr. Li, also known as Li Xiangchun, was detained on January 22, 2003, at the Guangzhou Municipal Airport. On January 24, 2003, he was transferred to the Yangzhou Detention Center in Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province, where he currently is under investigation for the alleged crime of sabotaging television and radio broadcasts. In interviews with American consular officials, Mr. Li has denied these allegations and believes he is being held as a political prisoner.

While I understand that no formal charges have been filed at this time, I ask that Mr. Li be accorded all his rights under the laws and regulations of the People's Republic of China, China's Consular Convention with the United States, and international law. In addition, I would ask that all information regarding his arrest be released to the public in China and the United States immediately.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

Sincerely yours,

Diane Feinstein

United States Senator

Cc: Ambassador Yang Jiechi

Category: Persecution Outside China