NO. |
Time |
Event |
1 |
Apr 1997 |
The Critical Moment 27 Pressing Issues that
Contemporary China Needs to Solve, published by China Today Publishing
Company, the first in a series of Report on Issues in China. The author
Professor Li Li of Tsing Hua University urged in the book that the highest
national leader be elected in general election and by public vote. Preface
is by Vice President Liu Ji of the Institute of Social Science. |
2 |
Aug 6, 1997 |
Economic Prof. Shang Dewen of University of Beijing filed
a proposal for political system reform, urging political reform and
election of national leader by public vote. |
3 |
Dec 1997 |
Former Vice President Li Shenzi of the Institute of Social
Science published There is need to promote political reform, too, urging
not to dwell on the concept of right of survival is the top human
rights. Instead, human rights are the privilege of citizenship and
political reform should be carried out seriously. |
4 |
Dec 22, 1997 |
Dissidents Xu Wenli of Beijing and Qin Yangmin of Wuhan
jointly announced A message to fellow countrymen, stressing laborors
have the right to form their own union. |
5 |
Dec 29, 1997 |
Dissident Xu Shuiliang of Nanjing proposed A brief
outline of reform in China, suggesting the government plan a five-year
timetable to implement freedom of speech and association and, in another 5
years, practice democracy. |
6 |
Jan 1998 |
China Today Publishing Company The Trap in Modernization
Socioeconomic Issues in Contemporary China, also a part of the series
of Report on Issues in China. Author He Qinglian analyzes corruption in
the overall fundamental system on Mainland China and recommends with
political system reform to solve economic problems and crises, otherwise
impossible to solve through economic means. The book was heavily
introduced in major US media in September and October. |
7 |
Jan 1998 |
Dissident Zhao Changqing of Shanxi announced his candidacy
for the Peoples Representative of Hanzhong City. He was later arrested. |
8 |
Jan 11, 1998 |
Former Deputy Director Fang Jue of Foozhou Planning
Committee proposed China needs change brief opinion of the democratic
people, requesting the government authorities to redress completely the
miscarriage of justice on the Tienanmen Movement and implement direct
election of peoples representative for the county level above by public
vote as well as freedom of the press and assembly. |
9 |
Feb 22, 1998 |
Wang Xizhe and et al formed Chinese Democratic and Justice
Party with temporary headquarters in New York City, USA. |
10 |
Mar 1998 |
China Today Publishing Company published Encounter An
On-the-Scene Report of the Three-Time Liberalization of Thought in
Contemporary China, also a part of the series of Report on Issues in
China. Authors Ma Licheng and Leng Zhijun unveiled the complete process
of the right and the left wings of Mainland Chinas theorists in their
encounter and criticized proposals of the left wings made since 1994. |
11 |
Mar 1998 |
Dissident Chen Zhengxiang met Spokesman Wang Bingchang of
the Chinese Democratic and Justice Party in Hong Kong and applied for
membership in the Party. |
12 |
Mar 1998 |
Engineer Lin Hai of Shanghai was arrested on March 25 on
charges of instigating to overthrow national regime. Wang is reportedly
to have supplied since January over 30,000 e-mail addresses to Great
Reference, a civil rights movement Internet magazine published in the
USA. |
13 |
Mar 1998 |
Dissident Qin Yongmin of Hubei published an open letter to
the Peoples Congress and the State Council, requesting for permission to
publish Citizens Forum, an independent publication. In the same month,
Qin founded Observation to Human Rights in China. |
14 |
May 1998 |
Fire and Ice, a collection of secretly circulated
criticisms over the years by former University of Beijing student She Jie,
was published by The Economic Daily News of Beijing. The book pointed out
the precondition for patriotism and democracy was the rights of individual
while dictatorship would lead to persecution, self-effacing, cruelty and
stupidity. The democratic theory advocated by intellectuals in Taiwan is
different from that of Mainland China where the intellectuals advocate
empty theory and meaningless doctrines. |
15 |
Jun 20, 1998 |
55 dissidents from over 10 provinces publicly elected Xu
Wenli as the representative of Anti-political Party of China. Under the
anti-politics banner, the group promotes to form a legal anti-government
party. |
16 |
Jun 25, 1998 |
Dissident Wang Youcai of Zhejiang applied to the Civil
Affairs Department of Zhejiang Provincial Government for registration of
Chinese Democratic Party. Preparatory committees in each province soon
were formed one after another. Few months later, the government began to
raid the party office and arrest and release were made. |
17 |
Jul 1998 |
Labor movement activist Zhang Shanguang of Hunan tried to
organize a protecting the interests of unemployed laborors organization.
Zhang was detained by local security force on July 21 on charges of
endangering national security. Later Zhang was formerly arrested on
August 28. |
18 |
Jul 1998 |
Prof. Shang Dewen of University of Beijing urged the
government authorities to appoint scholars and experts to draft
implementation plans for a democratic system. He suggested the setup could
be patterned after the establishment of Economic Zones by first setting
up few Democratic Zones in a certain areas to undergo the experiment. |
19 |
Jul 1998 |
Red Flag Publishing Co. published An Encounter after the
Encounter in celebration of the 20th anniversary of reform and
deregulation. The book approved the viewpoints of "Encounter", besides, it
had high evaluation of reforms by Zhu Rongji. The book pointed out that to
realize political reform, an act to protect the reform and deregulation
must be drafted, build-up of fundamental democracy strengthened, and media
supervision permitted. In addition, the book praised Dr. Sun Yat-sens
Doctrine and Three Principles of the People of the nations founding
father Dr. Sun Yat-sen. |
20 |
Jul 2, 1998 |
* Chen Zhengxiang of Qingdao was arrested on charges of
attempt to overthrow national government. He was arraigned by Qingdaos
Prosecutors Office on August 31. |
21 |
Jul 23, 1998 |
* Security authorities arrested Fang Jue (current status
unknown; rumors had it that Fang was arraigned in mid-September by Beijing
Prosecutors Office on probable charges of economic fraud and reveal of
national secrets, all serious charges that could draw heavy prison terms.) |
22 |
Aug 1998 |
Zhao Changqing was sentenced for three years in prison on
charges of disturbance of social order. |
23 |
Aug 1998 |
In a memorial meeting of the theorists on the criteria of
truth, Vice President Liu Ji of the Institute of Social Science pointed
out the strong awareness of the general public to participate in
democratic movement and concluded democratic issues would be eventually on
the agenda of study. The general consensus has indicated that market
economy is not the patent of capitalism. Now, is democracy the patent of
the capitalism?. Its time for the theorists to take up the action. |
24 |
Aug 1998 |
China Today Publishing Co. published Political China
Facing a New Era of Selection of New System. The book is edited jointly
by Editor Dong Yuyu of Guangmin Daily and Editor Shih Binghai of China
Economic Times. Originally entitled There Should be no Delay in the
Implementation of Political System Reform, the book strongly urged the
Mainland authorities to promote political system reform, including
establishment of a stronger legislative system, protection of private
property, freedom of the press, a wider range of election and enforcement
of law as well as the role of the political parties. The book contains 34
chapters with authors ranging from the old school of Dong Fujih , Wu
Jinglien and the like to promising young scholars like Liu Junning and He
Qinglien. Views expressed in the book vary greatly. Wang Huning, chief of
communist central policy research office, believes political system
reform is a self-perfection of the socialism while Zhu Huzhe, who is
former Chief of Central Propaganda Department, proposed "as society to be
principle, for society to be principle", to establish new order of
socialist democracy. |
25 |
Aug 1998 |
Intellectuals organized China Development Alliance in
Hong Kong. A seminar on current event was held in Beijing. |
26 |
Sept 1998 |
Prof. Jiang Peikun of Peoples University and former
Peoples Universitys graduate student Jiang Qisheng, and Associate Prof.
Ding Zilin of Peoples University jointly proposed Declaration of Freedom
and Citizens Rights and Declaration of Social Justice and Citizens
Rights, stressing the true goal of modern democratic movement is to
establish the political system which can ensure the individual freedom of
citizens from violation, appeal to the Communist for accommodating the
public opinions, acknowledge citizens legal right of protest, gradual
deregulate party formation and publication of newspapers, and implement
election by public vote so as to establish an effective power-balancing
mechanism and monitoring organization. |
27 |
Sept 1998 |
Dissident An Jun of Henan applied for organization of
Observation of Corruptive Behaviors. |
28 |
Sept 5, 1998 |
* National Security Bureau in Beijing arrested Shih
Binghai (whose whereabouts is still unknown). |
29 |
Sept 7, 1998 |
Dissidents Leng Wanbao and An Fuxing of Jilin filed an
application for Association for Promotion of Economic and Social Rights,
a human rights organization to the Department of Civil Affairs of Jilin
Provincial Government. |
30 |
Sept 10, 1998 |
Dissidents Xie Wanjun and Liu Lienjun of Shandong filed an
application for registration of Preparatory Committee for Chinese
Democratic Party in Shandong to the Department of Civil Affairs of
Shandong Provincial Government. Later the duo were arrested, released
several times and under administrative detention. |
31 |
Sept 11, 1998 |
Dissidents Chen Zhonghe, Lu Xinhua and Ren Qiuguang of
Hubei filed an application for registration of Preparatory Committee for
Chinese Democratic Party in Hubei to the Department of Civil Affairs of
Hubei Provincial Government. (Later the trio were detained by the
authorities.) |
32 |
Sept 14, 1998 |
Dissident Wang Wenjiang of Eastern Three Province filed an
petition with the Civil Affairs Department of the State Council for
establishment of the Preparatory Committee in the Eastern Three Province
of Chinese Democratic Party. Later he was detained by the government
authorities. |
33 |
Sept 15, 1998 |
* The authorities convened an emergency teleconference of
security, safety and civil affairs chiefs to get ready for suppression of
party-forming activities in the private sector, requesting related
departments to take control of the counter-government activities. |
34 |
Sept 18, 1998 |
Dissidents Yao Zhenxien, Zhou Jihe, Han Lifa of Shanghai
filed an application to the Civil Affairs Department of Shanghai City
Government for establishment of the Preparatory Committee in Shanghai of
Chinese Democratic Party. Later the trio were detained by the government
authorities. |
35 |
Sept 21, 1998 |
Scholar He Defu of the Institute of Social Science, Kao
Hongming, who works in service trade, and unemployed laborer Wang Zixin
announced the candidacy for representative for the Peoples Congress in
the county-level in Beijing region. Later they were detained for violation
of Election Rules. In December Kao and Wang renounced their candidacy and
He was tortured. |
36 |
Sept 23, 1998 |
Dissidents Ren Wanding, Zu Wenli, Yao Zhenxien and Qin
Yongmin and et al. totalling 120 of 18 provinces jointly wrote to
President Jiang Zeming, Peoples Congress, and State Council, urging
speedy enactment of Political Party Law. |
37 |
Sept 25, 1998 |
Dissidents Mao Guoliang, Wang Youcai and 25 others of
Zhejiang Province jointly wrote to Jiang Zeming, Zhu Rongji and Vice
Chairman of the Peoples Congress Tien Chiyun, demanding the trio to
follow up the spirit of the Political Reform of 1898 and proceed boldly
with political reform, including abolishing the illegal rules and practice
against Citizens Rights and Political Rights Protocol signed with the
United Nations, vindicating 6-4 movement, liberating political prisoners,
liberalizing news, and diversifying politics. |
38 |
Oct 1998 |
Deputy Director Yang Fan of Economic Research Division,
Institute of Social Science, published in Strategy and Management magazine
an article entitled The Economic Crisis China is Facing and the
Anti-crisis Measures, suggesting speedy socialist democracy and legal
construction as well as aggressive promotion of political system reform. |
39 |
Oct 5, 1998 |
* The Mainland authorities signed up the Citizens Rights
and Political Rights Protocol sponsored by the UN. Ratification of the
protocol is subject to the approval of the Peoples Congress. Generally
believed that the clauses of freedom of assembly, gradual abolishment
of death penalty, and freedom of movement will be reserved. |
40 |
Oct 5, 1998 |
China Development Alliance convened its first membership
meeting in Beijing. Close to 100 members attended. |
41 |
Oct 15, 1998 |
Dissidents Liu Xienbing and others of Sichuan filed an
application to the Civil Affairs Department of Sichuan Province for
establishment of the Preparatory Committee in Sichuan Province of Chinese
Democratic Party. The application was turned down. |
42 |
Oct 20-21, 1998 |
* The Mainland authorities convened an "International
Seminar on Human Rights in the 21st Century", inviting human rights
scholars and experts from all countries of the world to attend, but
refusing participation by members of Amnesty International, Asian Human
Rights Observation and Mainlands private Chinese Human Rights
Observation. (The objective of international propaganda is greater than
its substance.) |
43 |
Oct 22, 1998 |
Dissidents Ceng Ning and Wei Deng Chung and others of
Guizhou announced the setup of the Preparatory Committee in Guizhou
Province of Chinese Democratic Party. |
44 |
Oct 26, 1998 |
* The authorities raided China Development Alliance and
arrested its members. |
45 |
Second half of Oct 1998 |
* The authorities sentenced Chen Zhengxiang to 7 years in
prison on charges of disclosure of national secret. |
46 |
Second half of Oct 1998 |
Dissident Wang Bing of Henan announced establishment of
the Preparatory Committee in Henan Province of Chinese Democratic Party.
|
47 |
Second half of Oct 1998 |
Application for establishment of Protection Committee for
the Interests of Chinese Citizens filed. |
48 |
Second half of Oct 1998 |
* News Publication Bureau of the State Council prohibited
publication of Political China Facing a New Era of Selection of New
System on the ground that part of the contents has serious problems.
The book was published by China Today Publishing Co. |
49 |
Second half of Oct 1998 |
* The authorities began to retrench the extent of freedom
extended to the press, launching a large-scale cleansing program toward
some media that the government believes are getting out of control.
Meanwhile, the government also started tracking and clamping down on
sensitive authors and publishing houses. |
50 |
Nov 2, 1998 |
The authorities arrested Wang Youchai. |
51 |
Nov 4, 1998 |
* The authorities announced the latest Regulations
Governing Administration of Social Organizations Registration, Provisional
Regulations Concerning Administration of Private Non-business Registration
and Provisional Regulations Concerning Administration of Business
Registration. The new regulations stipulate that setup of social
organizations requires recommendation of competent authorities and a
capital outlay of $100,000. Unless approved, operation of the social
organization can meet the fate of government clampdown at any time. |
52 |
First half of Nov 1998 |
* Communist Central Politburo passed a resolution calling
for intensifying to attack counter forces. |
53 |
Nov 8, 1998 |
National Preparatory Committee of Chinese Democratic Party
applied to the State Council for registration. |
54 |
Nov 9, 1998 |
Zu Wenli announced the setup of the Preparatory Committee
in Beijing and Tienjing of Chinese Democratic Party. |
55 |
Nov 11, 1998 |
Dissidents Xie Changfa and et al. of Hunan announced the
setup of the Preparatory Committee in Hunan Province of Chinese Democratic
Party. |
56 |
Nov 12, 1998 |
* The authorities arrested in Guangzhou dissidents Zhang
Lin and Wei Quanbao of New York. The two were sentenced at the end of
December to 3 years in labor camp. |
57 |
Nov 16, 1998 |
* The State Council issued a notice stating the
governments determination to eradicate by law activities of overturn,
instigation and/or sabotage by counter forces and elements. |
58 |
Nov 19, 1998 |
* The Civil Affairs Department convened a meeting,
stressing the governments determination to get rid of illegal social
organizations. |
59 |
Nov 23, 1998 |
The authorities raided Research Institute of New Strategy
of China Development, an organization closely related to China Development
Alliance. |
60 |
Nov 23, 1998 |
Premier Li Peng, while interviewed by German "Commercial
News", revealed there was no room for new parties or social organizations
in Mainland China since they deny the leadership of communist party. |
61 |
Nov 28, 1998 |
Dissident Kao Hongming of Beijing applied for the
establishment of Religion Freedom Observation organization. |
62 |
Nov 30, 1998 |
* Government authorities arrested Zu Wenli and Qin Yongmin.
|
63 |
Dec 1998 |
* Communist Central organized a Provisional Guiding Task
Force for Rehabilitation of National Affairs. Led by Jiang Zhemin in
person, the mission of the task force is to strengthen social stability
and repel foreign infiltration. |
64 |
Dec 1998 |
* Communist Central Office issued a directive to local
leading cadre, requesting regular detailed reports on local labor turmoil,
underground organizations and all other anti-central government
activities. |
65 |
Dec 1, 1998 |
* The State Council approved the notice of the Public
Security Department and armed police concerning use of armed equipment in
the fight against antagonistic forces, antagonistic elements in their act
of violent sabotage and armed rebellion. |
66 |
Dec 11, 1998 |
* The authorities arrested Wang Ce, chairman of Freedom
and Democracy Party, on charges of sponsoring criminal activities of
endangering national security and crossing national border without
permission. Wang is an overseas democratic movement activist. |
67 |
Dec 11, 1998 |
* The Judgment Committee of the Supreme Peoples Court
passed Interpretation of application of laws in judgment concerning
criminal issues on illegal publications. The interpretation clearly
pointed out that any publications published, printed, copied, issued, or
broadcast on contents instigating, dividing or sabotaging national unity,
or instigating the public to overthrow national regime or socialist system
shall be dealt with for instigation to divide the country or to overthrow
the national regime in accordance with related provisions in the criminal
law. |
68 |
Dec 18, 1998 |
* At the Communist Central 20th Anniversary of Reform
Convention, Jiang Zhemin indicated factors that destroy social stability
must be eradicated during the budding stage and warned the infiltration
activities of overturn and separation by antagonistic forces both at home
and abroad. |
69 |
Dec 21-22, 1998 |
* Government authorities sentenced Wang Youchai, Qin
Yongmin and Xu Wenli respectively to 11, 12 and 13 years in prison on
charges of instigation to overthrow national regime. |
70 |
Dec 23, 1998 |
* At the National Working Conference of Law, Jiang Zhemin
pointed out stability is an overwhelming principle that no one is
supposed to forget at any time. He demanded law enforcement agents to
strictly enforce the law against crimes of all sorts, criminal, economical
and national. He advised law enforcement agents to raise self awareness
and ability of resisting sabotage activities and infiltration by
antagonistic forces. This is, added Jiang, the most successful
experience in maintaining political and social stability in Mainland China
and that it must be upheld. |
71 |
Dec 23, 1998 |
* The Civil Affairs Bureau of Beijing banned China
Development Alliance from holding seminar on discussions on current events
for the second time. Peng Ming, the person in charge, was warned not to
hold any forum in his personal name. |
72 |
Dec 27, 1998 |
* The authorities sentenced labor movement activist Zhang
Shanguang to 10 years in prison on charges of endangering of national
security and illegal supply of information to overseas organizations.
|
73 |
Second half of Dec 1998 |
* Bureau of Media and Publication issued a notice to major
media, requesting to add positive reports of accomplishments made by the
current leaders, avoid negative reports and to select reports of features
concerning analysis of current economic situations and political structure
reform. |
74 |
Second half of Dec 1998 |
*The authorities dismissed the CEO of Guangdong and Hong
Kong Message Daily on the ground of promoting capitalist liberalization.
The daily was instructed to undergo an in-depth review and repentance.
Meanwhile, one of the Guangdong Provincial Commissioners was appointed to
station at the newspaper to continue the review process. |
75 |
Second half of Dec 1998 |
* The authorities ordered Culture Daily of Guangzhou to
cease publication as of Jan. 1999 on the ground of press restructuring.
Culture Daily has had more than 100 issues in its five years of
publication. It was rumored that daily had offered intellectuals space for
publication of theories and self-examination articles. Their comments on
current events had made the authorities believe excessive. |
76 |
Jan 1999 |
Ma Licheng and Leng Zijun published Loud Voice Five
Voices in Current China, stressing the importance of democratization and
political system reform. The book further points out reform is not the
capitalist liberalization and criticizes the thought of nationalism
prevalent on Mainland China. |
77 |
Jan 1, 1999 |
* At the New Years party of the National Chinese Peoples
Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Jiang Zhemin expressed handling
of internal and other social contradictions should take top priority and,
to be specific, be correct. The government, added Jiang, is determined
to eradicate all sorts of sabotage activities by domestic and foreign
antagonistic forces. Factors that affect social stability of mainland
today include dissension from domestic and foreign antagonistic forces,
deterioration of social security, and internal contradictions among
people. |
78 |
Jan 3, 1999 |
Dissident Yao Tienxiang of Gansu announced establishment
of China Laboror Observation organization. |
79 |
Jan 8, 1999 |
Dissident He Gewei of Henan announced establishment of
China Environmental Protection Observation organization. |
80 |
First half of Jan 1999 |
* Central Propaganda Department drew a larger line
limiting the scope of freedom of speech, and restricting media to discuss
political reform, report of news publication legislation, the dark side of
justice, news of unemployed laborors, petitions of farmers and their
difficult living conditions. Reports of criminal cases were reduced to a
tenth of the then volume. In addition, media were not permitted to report
speeches or articles made by dissidents of capitalist liberalization of
the June Fourth Tienanmen Incident, including those now residing in Hong
Kong and Taiwan. |
81 |
First half of Jan 1999 |
* Central Propaganda Department held a concentrated
political training program for nation-wide editors of periodicals and
stipulated No Employment Certificate, No Work. The Central Propaganda
Department also planned to appoint full-time political supervisory
specialists selected from among each level of party office the Propaganda
Department and Bureau of Media and Publication to station at designated
newspapers. |
82 |
First half of Jan 1999 |
* The authorities ordered China Today Publishing Co.
(publisher of "Encounter" and "Political China"), Economic Daily
Publishing Co. (publisher of "Anthologies of Liberalization"), and Red
Flag Publishing Co. (publisher of "An Encounter after the Encounter") to
cease publication temporarily. In the same move, two senior editors of
China Today were ordered to write self-repentance report. |
83 |
First half of Jan 1999 |
* The authorities banned the Anthologies of Liberalization
published by Economic Daily News Publishing Co. and prohibited discussions
and promotion of Encounter and Political China. |
84 |
Jan 20, 1999 |
* The First Middle-level Court in Shanghai sentenced
engineer Lin Hai to two years in prison on charges of instigation to
overthrow national regime. |
85 |
Jan 21, 1999 |
* At the Nation-wide Meeting of Propaganda Ministers,
Jiang Zhemin pointed out the center topic for 1999 was to maintain social
and political stability, and strictly observe the partys political and
propaganda discipline. In major propaganda ground as is in the
broadcasting means, mistakes should not be allowed. Report of partys
media workers must be pragmatic, keeping the overall situation in balance.
Unity and stability should be the ultimate goal and no sensational effect
should be sought after. |