Court hears appeal by senior journalist Gao Yu

A Beijing court yesterday heard the appeal of a 71-year-old Chinese journalist imprisoned on a conviction of leaking state secrets, but made no immediate ruling, the journalist’s lawyer said. Lawyer Shang Baojun said he could not discuss yesterday’s closed hearing on Gao Yu’s case by the city’s high court, but he said the court will announce its ruling on Thursday. Gao was convicted in April of sharing with an overseas news magazine a document detailing the Communist Party leadership’s resolve to aggressively target constitutionality, press freedoms and groups that seek to change society but operate outside the party. The magazine, Mingjing News, has said Gao did not provide the document. Foreign governments and human rights groups have denounced the verdict again Gao as politically driven and urged authorities to release the elderly journalist, who is in poor health with heart problems. Shang said Gao’s health appeared to be stable at yesterday’s hearing, and that the lawyers would wait for the ruling on the appeal before deciding if they should apply for medical parole.

Authorities try to register estimated 13 million undocumented

Chinese authorities are trying to register an estimated 13 million people who are without documents, most of whom were babies born in violation of the country’s strict family-size rules. China had announced weeks earlier it will loosen family planning restrictions to allow all couples to have two children, instead of one. The registration campaign described in a statement from the Public Security Ministry dated Saturday was reported by Chinese news media this week. A national law says all newborns must be registered, but many Chinese regions require local officials to withhold registration documents for children born in violation of one-child rules until their parents pay fines to family planning officials. The ministry said it is seeking input on how to deal with the estimated 13 million undocumented. It remains unclear whether any amnesty from fines will be considered. Without registration documentation, a Chinese person has no access to public education, subsidized health care and employment that offers proper benefits.

Gov’t to add civilian facilities on S. China Sea islands

China is to build new civilian facilities on some islands and reefs of the South China Sea, said a Foreign Ministry spokesperson yesterday. “This is aimed at fulfilling China’s international responsibility and offer better public goods and service for countries in the region,” said spokesperson Hong Lei at a routine press briefing. He said China will build necessary defense facilities on some islands, adding the construction will be moderate and has nothing to do with militarization. “The construction will not target any country nor impede navigation and overflight freedom enjoyed by other countries in accordance with international law,” Hong added. China has built two lighthouses on South China Sea reefs, which ensure the safety of ships, and completed a land reclamation project on some of the Nansha Islands in June, he added.