China Democracy Hinges on West, 4 Dissidents Say

Four leading Chinese dissidents who fled their homeland shortly after the brutal crackdown around Tian An Men Square said Friday that the future of democracy in China depends on Western nations influencing reform through economic sanctions.

The dissidents, who made their first appearance in Southern California at a press conference at Caltech, were led by Wuer Kaixi and Yan Jiaqi, two of the best-known pro-democracy leaders from China. Both secretly escaped to Hong Kong in the days after the Beijing massacre.

“The bottom line is that we need some sanctions,” said Yan, the former president of the political department at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and one of many intellectuals on the Chinese government’s list of most-wanted fugitives.

“Whether the democratic movement can succeed is determined by whether the economic situation can be solved,” said Wan Rennan, the former director of a computer company in China who has become a leading dissident voice.

Political Group

Wuer, who was a student at Beijing Normal University, said the pro-democracy movement also hinges on unifying overseas Chinese into a single political group that can exert pressure on the United States and other Western governments to impose sanctions on China.

The four dissidents were the center of attention at a recent meeting of 600 Chinese students who gathered in Chicago to organize a pro-democracy organization in the United States.

“Inside and outside China, the movement will continue,” Wan said.

The four dissidents’ press conference at Caltech was their last stop on a nationwide trip to speak about the pro-democracy movement and meet with Chinese student groups.

Today, they will participate in a 9 a.m. pro-democracy rally at the Federal Building and a 1 p.m. lecture at USC.

After their stay in Los Angeles, the four said they intend to go their separate ways, although they will continue to work to form a unified pro-democracy organization in the United States.

As for their future plans, Wuer, who was a freshman in college when the demonstrations in China began, said he will continue his studies. He refused to answer questions about reports that he will attend Stanford University in the fall.

Yan and the fourth dissident who spoke, Su Wei, a member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and a leader of the Beijing Intellectual Union, said they intend to continue their writing and research. Yan said he is planning a book on the political future of China, and Su said he intends to write one on the fate of Chinese intellectuals.

Wan, the only non-academic in the group, said he would like to do business in the United States.