DATE=        JANUARY 27, 1999
TYPE=        EDITORIAL
NUMBER=      0-08167
TITLE=       EDITORIAL:  CHINA AND THE INTERNET

CONTENT=THIS IS THE ONLY EDITORIAL BEING RELEASED FOR BROADCAST 
JANUARY 27, 1999.

ANNCR:
THE VOICE OF AMERICA PRESENTS DIFFERING POINTS OF VIEW ON A WIDE 
VARIETY OF ISSUES.  NEXT, AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSING THE POLICIES OF
THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.

VOICE:

    THIS MONTH, A SHANGHAI COURT SENTENCED THE OWNER OF A 
COMPUTER SOFTWARE COMPANY TO TWO YEARS IN PRISON FOR SENDING 
CHINESE E-MAIL ADDRESSES TO AN INTERNET PUBLICATION IN THE UNITED
STATES.  COMPUTER ENGINEER LIN HAI WAS ARRESTED ON CHARGES OF 
SUBVERSION LAST MARCH AFTER SELLING THIRTY-THOUSAND ADDRESSES OF 
CHINESE COMPUTER USERS TO V-I-P REFERENCE.  V-I-P REFERENCE IS AN
ONLINE PUBLICATION RUN BY U.S.-BASED CHINESE DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS.

    CHINESE AUTHORITIES PRODUCED NO EVIDENCE TO JUSTIFY 
ALLEGATIONS OF SUBVERSION.  IF PRESS REPORTS ARE ACCURATE, LIN 
HAI WAS CHARGED AND SENTENCED MERELY FOR COMMUNICATING PUBLICLY 
AVAILABLE INFORMATION THROUGH THE INTERNET FOR PEACEFUL, 
NON-VIOLENT PURPOSES.  CHINA SHOULD CEASE ITS EFFORTS TO BLOCK, 
FILTER AND CENSOR INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS.  SUCH RESTRICTIONS 
VIOLATE THE INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED RIGHT OF PEACEFUL 
EXPRESSION.

    THE SENTENCING OF LIN HAI FOLLOWS OTHER CASES INVOLVING 
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.  IN HUNAN PROVINCE, ZHANG SHANGUANG WAS 
RECENTLY SENTENCED TO TEN YEARS IN PRISON FOR, AMONG OTHER 
THINGS, DISCUSSING PROBLEMS OF CHINESE FARMERS ON AN 
INTERNATIONAL BROADCAST OF RADIO FREE ASIA.   BEFORE THAT, THREE 
PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS WERE GIVEN LONG PRISON TERMS FOR 
ATTEMPTING TO ESTABLISH AN OPPOSITION POLITICAL PARTY.  THE U.S. 
CALLS ON CHINA TO RELEASE ALL THOSE HELD FOR THE PEACEFUL 
EXPRESSION OF THEIR POLITICAL VIEWS.

    U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS CAN REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL ONLY WITH
SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS BY CHINA ON HUMAN RIGHTS.  THE U.S. WILL 
CONTINUE TO URGE CHINA'S LEADERS TO MOVE TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF 
HISTORY WHEN IT COMES TO HUMAN RIGHTS.  AS PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON
SAID IN HIS STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS, "STABILITY CAN NO LONGER 
BE BOUGHT AT THE EXPENSE OF LIBERTY."  PRESIDENT CLINTON STRESSED
THAT IT IS "IMPORTANT NOT TO ISOLATE CHINA.  THE MORE WE BRING 
CHINA INTO THE WORLD, THE MORE THE WORLD WILL BRING CHANGE AND 
FREEDOM TO CHINA."

ANNCR:

    THAT WAS AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSING THE POLICIES OF THE U.S. 
GOVERNMENT.  IF YOU HAVE A COMMENT, PLEASE WRITE TO EDITORIALS, 
V-O-A, WASHINGTON, D-C, 20547, U-S-A.  YOU MAY ALSO COMMENT AT 
WWW-DOT-VOA-DOT-GOV-SLASH-EDITORIALS, OR  FAX US AT (202) 
619-1043.

26-Jan-99 3:30 PM EST (2030 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.