Harry Wu, a Chinese-American who spent two decades in China's prison camps and documented their abuses, was convicted Thursday of spying and leaking state secrets. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Unless the government decides to expel Wu immediately, the harsh sentence is sure to further damage Sino-U.S. relations, already battered by disputes over human rights, trade, nuclear proliferation and arms sales.China said Wednesday that its ties with the United States were at the lowest ebb since they were established in 1979.
The Wuhan Intermediate People's Court, which tried Wu, said he would be expelled from China. But it was not clear when that would happen. Under law, Wu should serve his term before being expelled, a court spokesman who gave his name as Mr. Yang told The Associated Press.
The United States has called for the human rights activist's immediate release on humanitarian grounds.
"The U.S. is seeking further clarification on the expulsion sentence," deputy White House press secretary Ginny Terzano said in Jackson, Wyo., where President Clinton is vacationing.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Chen Jian, speaking at a briefing, would not say when Wu would be expelled. "I think that decision is up to the relevant authorities," Chen told reporters.
In Milpitas, Calif., Wu's wife, Ching Lee, said: "We continue to believe that it would be in the best interest of China, the U.S. and Harry that he be expelled immediately and returned home."
The trial was not open to foreign reporters and was not announced in advance. The official Xinhua News Agency said the trial was held Wednesday and the verdict announced Thursday morning.
U.S. Embassy spokesman Robert Laing said Wu and his attorney decided not to appeal. A consular official attended the trial, he said.
Wu, 58, immigrated to the United States in 1985 after 19 years in labor camps for criticizing the Communist Party. He returned repeatedly to investigate China's prison conditions and expose them in the Western media.
The White House was hoping for leniency for Wu to mute congressional critics who do not want first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton to attend the U.N.-sponsored World Conference on Women next month in Beijing. The first lady has yet to decide whether to attend.