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Monday, February 10, 2003

World Roundup
From Herald Wire Services

A Chinese court convicted U.S.-based dissident Wang Bingzhang on spying and terrorism charges early today and sentenced him to life in prison, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

Wang, 55, was arrested after police said they found him tied up in a temple July 3.

However, pro-democracy activists suggested he was abducted in Vietnam by Chinese agents after he secretly met with Chinese labor leaders in Hanoi.

Wang was convicted by a court in the southern city of Shenzhen of "espionage, [and] organizing and leading a terrorist group," Xinhua said in a two-sentence report. It didn't give any details of the case or evidence against Wang.

The U.S. Embassy in Beijing and the Chinese Foreign Ministry said they had no immediate comment on the case.