INS to Interview Alleged Diplomat Fleeing China
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service officials said Tuesday they plan to interview a man who says he is a former Chinese diplomatic aide who was stripped of his post for pro-democracy activities.
INS spokeswoman Virginia Kice confirmed on Tuesday that the agency has received an application for political asylum from Liang Xiang Dong, 27, who said he was an aide to the Chinese ambassador to Bolivia. Asylum decisions usually are made within six months, she said.
At a Los Angeles news conference on Monday, Liang said that he fled from the custody of Chinese government officials who were escorting him back to Beijing in July. He said he escaped in New York and made his way to Southern California.
U.S. and Chinese officials have not confirmed his account, and a Chinese consular official in New York said it was untrue.
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