Unveil ‘Symbol of Hope’ : Fugitive Chinese Student Leaders Appear in Paris

Two fugitive leaders of China’s pro-democracy movement appeared in public today for the first time since the uprising was crushed by troops in Beijing last month.

Wuerkaixi and Li Lu, wanted by China for inciting rebellion, emerged under heavy guard at a ceremony to unveil a replica of the Goddess of Democracy statue erected in the Chinese capital’s Tien An Men Square during mass demonstrations.As the two appeared at a Paris science center, surrounded by a group of 10 plainclothes bodyguards, a crowd of about 50 people gasped in surprise and cheered loudly.

Li, who said he helped build the original goddess torn down on June 4 by Chinese troops, said: “The statue is a symbol of hope for Chinese people. Now that I have seen it again, it is like seeing more hope for China.”

Beijing has protested to France about harboring the dissidents, saying they are plotting to overthrow the Chinese government.

French Culture Minister Jack Lang arrived earlier than the students at the unveiling. His appearance with the dissidents was likely to infuriate Chinese authorities further.

The French government has supported the Chinese students who built the statue reminiscent of a major French gift to the United States, the Statue of Liberty.

In Beijing, Communist Party leader Jiang Zemin today told Chinese officials they must work harder to counter Western “rumors” about the crackdown on pro-democracy protesters last month and Premier Li Peng promised that Chinese students abroad who participated in protest rallies will be welcomed back to China and not punished.

Jiang and Li were speaking at the end of a six-day conference of 151 ambassadors and other diplomats who were called back to Beijing to discuss Chinese foreign policy in the wake of political turmoil at home.

Many Western nations are allowing Chinese students to extend their stays because of fears they face persecution if they return to China. More than 2,000 people have been reported arrested for joining protests.

“Because they were far from the motherland and influenced by the Western media, they didn’t understand the true situation and participated in protests and said some extremist words,” Premier Li was quoted as saying about students living abroad.