Fang Lizhi

As a Chinese student studying here, I am greatly disturbed by the incident of Prof. Fang Lizhi, the prominent Chinese dissident astrophysicist, being blocked by the Chinese police from attending President George Bush’s banquet on his invitation (Part I, Feb. 27; editorial, “The Missing Guest,” Feb. 28).

The obviously politically motivated obstruction not only violates Prof. Fang’s basic human rights, it may also alarm and alienate many Chinese students here. Largely identified with Fang’s honest and outspoken ideas, hundreds and thousands of them have signed letters to support him. Now his humiliation clearly sends a chilling signal to those of us who plan to return that political freedom and tolerance are still very limited there. If these students choose to speak their minds as Fang is doing back in China, it is very likely that they will face the same threat of jeopardizing their career and even personal freedom.

ZUOYUE WANG

Santa Barbara