Tiananmen Activist Freed, Arrives in U.S.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A democracy activist who helped organize the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests was released by China and arrived in the United States on Thursday.
It was the third time in a week that Beijing acted on a case after lobbying from Washington, in what some believe are efforts to stave off a possible United Nations resolution condemning China on human rights issues.
Wang Youcai, 37, a physicist, was given medical parole, said John Kamm, executive director of the Dui Hua Foundation, a rights group.
Kamm said Wang would be met by Xu Wenli in Providence.
In 1998, Wang and Xu were sentenced to prison terms of more than a decade for activities related to the founding of the China Democracy Party.
Wang had served a year for his role in the 1989 protests at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.
Xu was released from prison in December 2002.
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