Wang Dan not planning to meet Lee Teng-hui
1999-03-26

People Ma Ying-jeou

TAIPEI - Exiled Chinese dissident Wang Dan, who will arrive in Taipei for an eight-day visit Saturday night, is not planning to meet Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui, Kyodo News reported, citing organizers.

Wang has not voiced a wish to meet the president, said a spokeswoman for the group that invited Wang, the Harvard Club of the Republic of China.

Another exiled Chinese democracy leader, Wei Jingsheng, met with Lee and leaders from the major political parties when visiting Taiwan in December.

Wang, who was forced into exile in the United States after being released from Chinese prison on medical parole April last year, is now studying history at Harvard University.

On Monday, Wang is scheduled to meet with Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou, a former head of the Harvard Club who holds a doctorate in law from the university. Wang will also meet Chiao Jen-ho, head of the cabinet's Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission.

Wang will deliver a speech on his experiences as a student leader, at a symposium at National Taiwan University on Tuesday. He will address another symposium at Tunghai University in Taichung, central Taiwan, on Thursday.

He will give a news conference prior to his departure April 4, the club said.

Earlier reports said Wang hopes to collect 1 million signatures in Taiwan for the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the June 4 suppression of the 1989 democracy protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

Wang was sentenced to 11 years in prison in October 1996 on charges of conspiring to overthrow the government.

He had earlier served four years in prison for his leadership role in the Tiananmen protests.