Week of April 28, 2000

SUMMARY: April 25th marked one year since 10,000 member of the Falun Gong staged a surprise sit-in in Beijing, catching the attention of the Chinese government. Falun Gong members remembered the one-year anniversary with small protests in Tiananmen Square. Banned, since July 1999, police were prepared for another challenge from the group that has been labeled "an evil cult" in China. At least 100 Falun Gong members were detained on Tuesday. According to the Falun Gong, the group has between 70 million and 100 million followers. They claim an estimated 35,000 members have been arrested in the past year and 5,000 sent to labor camps. According the Chinese government, less than 100 members of the Falun Gong have been imprisoned; the government believes that the number of Falun Gong members in China is closer to two million.

SUMMARY: After traveling to Turkey, Israel and Egypt, Jiang Zemin stopped off in South Africa for a 4 day visit. This was the first trip to South Africa by a Chinese head of state since the two countries established diplomatic relations Jan.1, 1998.

The two countries are expected to sign a number of cooperation agreements involving agriculture, taxation and shipping. Jiang also planned to discuss how China can assist Mbeki’s African renaissance project, which is designed to improve the dire conditions of poverty, disease and conflict that has afflicted the continent.

On Tuesday, Jiang and Mbeki pledged to use their countries?influence to assist other developing nations. Jiang, at a dinner, said that both China and South Africa "shared the same goals in safeguarding the rights and interests of developing countries in the face of big powers (which) indulge in interfering in other countries internal affairs and pursuing hegemonism and power politics."

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The U.S. and China This Week

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Last updated: 21 April 2000