Dissidents Called Risks to Security

Two dissidents arrested this week are suspected of endangering national security, China’s government said in the clearest sign yet that it intends to block their campaign to form an opposition party. Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao refused to say how Xu Wenli and Qin Yongmin endangered the state or to specify what laws they broke. Wang Youcai, a third activist in the campaign to set up the China Democracy Party, has been in custody for a month. Monday’s arrests of Xu and Qin and the accusations against the three men were the sharpest action Chinese authorities have taken since dissidents began pushing to establish the opposition party in June.