World

China Accuses Scholar Of Spying

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

March 29, 2001 / 1:04 PM EST / CBS

A woman being detained in China on charges of spying is drawing the attention of the U.S. State Department.

The accused spy is a scholar based in Washington, D.C. and American officials are calling for her release. CBS News Correspondent Barry Petersen reports from Beijing that the Chinese are not backing down from their arrest of Gao Zhan. If anything, the charges against the Chinese-born academic may be escalating.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman repeated allegations that Gao has confessed to spying for a foreign country, though he refused to say which one.

"She accepted a mission from an overseas intelligence agency," Sun said. "That's all I can say now."

Gao's husband, Xue Donghua and five-year-old son Andrew were also detained for a month and then were allowed to return to the United States.

Xue Donghua, is to be sworn in as a U.S. citizen Friday in a ceremony on Capital Hill. Andrew is already a U.S. citizen.

That neither swayed nor impressed the Chinese.

"The fact is that Gao Zhan is a Chinese citizen. I believe on this point no other country has the right to interfere," said spokesman Sun Yuxi.

Xue Donghua told CBS News Early Show Co-Anchor Jane Clayson that his wife isn't a spy and it's "unacceptable" that they've had no contact with her since February 11th when they were all detained.

"We were in Beijing International Airport, about 100 yards away from the checking counter," Xue recalled. "And a group of plain clothes people approaching us and happened all of a sudden…and they just separate us and forced us into different cars, and blindfold me and drove to an unknown place."

He said he was interrogated extensively. His wife was taken some place else as was his son. He wasn't reunited with his son for 26 days.

"He is only 5. He can only tell me he was crying and crying every day. He could not sleep…he ask[ed] for mom and dad and he-- it was a terrible, terrible experience for a 5-year-old."

U.S. diplomats have formally protested China's failure to inform them of Andrew's custody in violation of a treaty requiring notification whenever an American is detained.

Xue said since the ordeal his son is "adjusting."

Even if Gao Zhan is made an American citizen, there is no guarantee the Chinese government will recognize that and that U.S. officials at least visit her and see how she's doing.

Why does Xue Donghua think she has raised their suspicions?

"Well, I think her research topic is very sensitive," concerning issues like Taiwan-China relations, he said. "We can only guess that that's the trigger."

Xue said he is "very much concerned about her safety now…I'm trying my best to get her out of there."

Gao has been to China many times, and to Taiwan twice, said Xue.

"It is impossible she would receive funding for anything other than academic research,"/b> Xue said.

Gao's situation came up in conversations last week with President Bush and then again with Secretary of State Colin Powell, when China's vice premier visited the United States.

"The President Bush and General Colin Powell, they raised the issue. And I think they're very, very helpful," said Xue. "But right now, things looks like going to the wrong direction. Right after the U.S. Administration raised the issue to the Chinese…they put a quick and heavy charge on her and that -- that situation troubles me."