China Boosts Spying On Dissidents Officials Anxious That Visit By Gore Will Go Smoothly

Several prominent Chinese dissidents say police have stepped up surveillance of their activities before Vice President Al Gore’s visit this week.

Ren Wanding, Chen Ziming and Yang Qing - who are among the few dissidents not currently imprisoned - were told to stay home. Their families report increased police monitoring and harassment, the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democrat Movement in China said Sunday.

China often tightens security before important visits and events. Angered by allegations it tried to influence U.S. elections by channeling money to the Democratic Party, the Chinese government is anxious to ensure that Gore’s visit, which begins today, proceeds smoothly.

On Sunday, the state-run media continued a campaign to rebut the allegations, portraying them as a plot by Taiwan to spoil improved SinoU.S. ties.

“Beware of conspiracies to ruin China-U.S. relations,” said a commentary in the Communist Party mouthpiece, the People’s Daily, which described the accusations as “absurd.”

While in Beijing, Gore is expected to discuss the controversy, which has inflamed anti-China sentiment in Congress and complicated prospects for renewing low tariffs for Chinese imports to the United States, known as most-favored-nation status.

China-U.S. relations sank to their worst state in more than a decade a year ago when U.S. aircraft carriers were positioned off Taiwan after China, which regards the island as a renegade province, tested missiles near its shores to discourage support for independence.

Closer links were cemented at a meeting between President Clinton and Chinese President Jiang Zemin in the Philippines in November. If Gore’s trip goes well and ties keep improving, Jiang is expected to visit Washington later this year, and Clinton to visit China in 1998.

Gore is to meet Jiang and Chinese Premier Li Peng before leaving for South Korea on Friday.

The sister of veteran dissident Wei Jingsheng, now serving a 14-year jail sentence for subversion, appealed to Gore to raise her brother’s case with Chinese leaders during his visit.

Wei’s family says the 46-year-old dissident is suffering from neck pain so severe he can barely hold his neck erect, but prison officials have not allowed him to get a medical examination, Human Rights in China said.

“Please raise these demands on Wei Jingsheng’s behalf with the Chinese government: Immediately release him and, before his release, allow him to get outside medical attention,” Wei Shanshan said in a letter to Gore, according to the New York-based group.

Like Wei, most dissidents are in exile or behind bars, but the Chinese are leaving nothing to chance.