China Frees a Protest Leader, Drops Charges Against Unionist

China made several conciliatory gestures Friday on matters of concern to the United States, but at the same time it called on Communist Party members to enhance their “cohesion and combat capability” against unspecified foes.

In a move apparently linked to Secretary of State James A. Baker III’s recent visit here, Wang Youcai, a Beijing University postgraduate student and a leader of the 1989 Tian An Men Square pro-democracy demonstrations, was paroled Friday, the official New China News Agency reported. Wang, 25, was serving a four-year sentence for his role in the demonstrations.

Authorities also announced that charges are being dropped against Han Dongfang, who organized an independent labor union in support of the protests. Han, 27, was already released conditionally on bail in April, seriously ill with tuberculosis, after 22 months in prison.

Both actions had been expected since last week, when officials told John Kamm, a Hong Kong-based American businessman and human rights activist, that these steps would be taken.

In separate action that comes as the latest sign of warming relations between China and Israel, Premier Li Peng said Friday that Israel’s security should be guaranteed, according to China’s official news agency.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen on Thursday told an American Jewish delegation that China and Israel may soon establish diplomatic relations, according to Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. Earlier this month, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Arens paid a secret visit to Beijing, according to unofficial reports from Israel.

Li’s comments Friday came in a message of congratulations to the Palestine Liberation Organization on its international solidarity day. The message expressed support for “the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people” but also said that “the sovereignty and security of Israel should be respected and guaranteed.”

China’s Communist Party concluded a five-day plenary meeting of its 175-member Central Committee on Friday, issuing a communique that emphasized agricultural development and political control. The communique reaffirmed support for senior leader Deng Xiaoping’s basic policies of the last dozen years but did little to advance any new ideas.

The plenum had been widely expected to approve the promotion of at least two leaders, Vice Premiers Zou Jiahua and Zhu Rongji, to the policy-setting Politburo. But there was no mention of personnel changes in the communique or in any reports Friday by the New China News Agency. The significance of this was not clear, but it could reflect inability by the top leadership to reach a consensus on Politburo-level changes.

The communique said the Communist Party’s 14th National Congress will be held in the fourth quarter of next year. The last party congress was held in the fall of 1987. Such meetings, which elect a new Central Committee and Politburo, are normally held every five years. There had been some speculation in the Hong Kong press and elsewhere that next year’s meeting might be held early.

The communique stressed that between now and next year’s party congress, China will continue to emphasize market-oriented reforms, opening to the outside world and preservation of a strict Communist Party dictatorship.

In an oblique acknowledgment of either suspected or open dissent within the party, the communique also declared: “It is essential to run the party strictly and make earnest efforts to promote the building up of the party’s ideology, organization and working style. . . . “

In discussing agricultural development, the communique stressed plans for increased state investment and more effective use of science and technology.

HUMAN RIGHTS -- CHINA

DISSIDENTS -- CHINA