Dissident's release unlikely, says wife
DISSIDENT Wang Juntao was unlikely to be paroled soon in spite of the recent releases of several activists by the Chinese authorities, his wife said yesterday.
Hou Xiaotian believed Wang's chance was slim although it was understood China was keen to present a better human rights image to the International Olympic Committee, which will decide on Thursday the host city of the 2000 Olympic Game, by releasing some prominent dissidents.
Time was running out and the Beijing leadership must have weighed its decision in releasing the dissidents, Ms Hou said.
Ms Hou arrived in Hong Kong last week after she was issued a passport in July by Beijing to leave the country - about a month before labour activist Han Dongfang was expelled from China when he returned from the US.
Speaking at a book signing ceremony in Kowloon yesterday, Ms Hou stressed she would not engage in activities that would invite retribution from Beijing.
The ceremony, which was held to promote a book jointly authored by Wang and his colleague Chen Ziming, was a ''business activity'' and was not sponsored by the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China which was branded subversive by Beijing, Ms Hou said.
- DANIEL KWAN
