Chinese Defectors - Taiwanese Defectors, Chen Yonglin, Jiang Wenhao, Sun Tianqin, Justin Yifu Lin, Shi Yan Ming, Han Guangsheng (Paperback)

Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Chen Yonglin (simplified Chinese: traditional Chinese: ) is a former Chinese diplomat who sparked fears of a diplomatic incident through his defection to Australia in the summer of 2005. The episode highlighted the tensions faced by China's trade partners when concerns arise from that nation's human rights record. The episode was compared to the Petrov Affair by such observers as Shadow Minister for Immigration Laurie Ferguson and trade unionist Bill Shorten. Chen had been a university student in Beijing during the pro-democracy movement that ultimately led to the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Several of his friends were wounded in the ensuing repression by the government. He was said to have undergone political reeducation after the subsequent crackdown on dissidents, and joined the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1991. This culminated in his posting as the consul for political affairs in the Chinese consulate in Sydney, Australia. In this position, Chen has stated that he was responsible for monitoring Chinese political dissidents, especially Falun Gong, living in Australia. He also reportedly had access to highly classified information on Chinese intelligence activities in Australia. Chen has claimed that he had "gone easy" on dissidents and Falun Gong practitioners and had not reported some actions, to protest China's policies towards political dissent. He has also suggested that the Chinese government was becoming suspicious of his activities, and that as a result, he fears for his safety if returned to China. Chen remains unapologetic over his defection, insisting that he betrayed the Communist Party of China, not China. Factors contributing to the defection, according to Chen, are the torture and death of his father duri... More: http: //booksllc.net/?id=1993519