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Exiled Tiananmen student leaders gathered in Washington  yesterday and urged the mainland to bring political reform in line with the booming  economy.

It was one of the most significant reunions of the student leaders since the 1989 crackdown, and included Wang Dan, Wuer Kaixi, Wang Chaohua, Zhang Boli and 17 others who fled to the US.

Mr Wang said the overseas-based democracy movement would address social issues and inequality problems on the mainland in the future.

'A flourishing economy that ignores justice does not help China's people. We are not willing to see economic development eclipse democracy and the rule of law,' said Mr Wang.

'We will do our best to continue promoting the democratisation of China,' he told a  press conference  with fellow exiled dissidents at the National Press Club.

The 35-year-old former Beijing University history student is now studying for a  doctoral degree at Harvard University.

Mr Wang said that although the students 'took to the streets out of youthful idealism' 15 years ago, their efforts were not in vain.

'We do not regret the sacrifices that we incurred, because we believe that democracy must be won through hard work, and that any social progress requires someone to pave the way,' he said.

'Now that we are more mature, we remain ready, as ever, to devote our learning and our energies to China.'

Fellow dissident Wuer Kaixi,  now a Taiwan-based political commentator,  said the mainland's booming economy made the fight for democracy harder. World leaders and multinational corporations were eager to strike trade deals with Beijing and some had become wary of appearing too critical on issues such as democracy and human rights.

'Let me remind Prime Minister Wen Jiabao    that it was us - we students and the Chinese people - [who] pushed China for more openness. This openness and liberation has brought China to where it is today,' he said.

'In 1989 we asked the government to acknowledge the rise of private property, we asked [it] to acknowledge the market economy. And by  acknowledging [our demands] and answering to us, China had economic growth. For that, we Tiananmen Square students claim credit,' he said.

At the press conference, the brother of jailed activist Zhang Ming ,   Zhang Yu  ,  urged  the central government to release him from prison.

Zhang Ming, a former student leader from Tsinghua University, was arrested in 2002 in Shanghai and jailed for seven years for 'abuse of executive benefits' regarding the management of his company. A group of dissidents this week called for him to be retried, saying his prosecution was politically motivated.



Plea for political reform at reunion of exiled activists