After six years, diplomatic lifeline allows Chinese dissident to reunite with family
GLORIA GALLOWAY

February 5, 2009

OTTAWA -- It was in early 2006 when Jiang Weiping last heard some good news. A heralded Chinese journalist, Mr. Jiang had been jailed years earlier for writing about corruption in Chinese government. His family fled to Canada a couple of years later. Facing international pressure, China released Mr. Jiang in 2006. However, authorities barred him from political activity and denied him travel documents. He has been in limbo since.

It was only two weeks ago that Mr. Jiang's patchwork path to freedom opened up. He was granted a Chinese passport. Soon after, a rare Canadian order was signed offering Mr. Jiang asylum, a diplomatic lifeline so long as he could reach the Canadian embassy in Beijing.

And so it was that, first by boat and then by land, Mr. Jiang came from Dalain to the Chinese capital, a 10-hour trip. He travelled with only a small amount of luggage so as not to arouse suspicion among Chinese officials watching over him.

He arrived yesterday afternoon, local time at the Canadian embassy. Canadian diplomats escorted him to the airport, waiting until he was on his way to Canada, where he can live for two years and apply for permanent residency.

And early this morning, his long journey was set to end in Toronto, where his wife and daughter were waiting for Mr. Jiang to step off a plane.

"We have waited for today for really long, long time," wife Stella Li said.

Since he was convicted on subversion charges in 2001, Mr. Jiang's story was heard around the world. The courageous Chinese journalist won the prestigious international Press Freedom Award, and an inaugural award from PEN Canada, which has long pressed for his release.

Mr. Jiang was convicted after exposing corruption at the local and provincial levels in China's industrial northeast. One of his stories revealed that the vice-mayor of Shenyang had gambled away $3-million in public funds. Another reported that the mayor of Daqing had used state money to buy apartments for his 29 mistresses.


Mr. Jiang, who has a serious stomach ailment, was released from prison in January, 2006.

The Chinese had reduced his eight-year sentence under pressure from international organizations, including PEN, an association that defends the freedom of expression of writers around the world. But he could not be involved in political activity in China, nor was he granted the travel documents that would have allowed him to leave the country to join his family in Canada.

"My daughter and I came here in 2004," his wife said. "And the last time I went to visit him in prison it was before New Year's 2003."

Two weeks ago, officials from PEN were having dinner with Ms. Li who, coincidentally, had obtained her Canadian citizenship that same day. She mentioned that her husband's Chinese passport might finally be returned to him.

"And then he got his passport the next day," said Marian Botsford Fraser of PEN.

The organization turned to Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, who had been aware of the Jiang case for several years. Author John Ralston Saul, honorary patron of PEN and husband of former governor-general Adrienne Clarkson, had called him about it in 2006.

"We had a long conversation about it," Mr. Saul said.

Mr. Jiang "is a very interesting man. I think he has written some very good things and got caught in the middle of something, obviously, in China. And then it was hell on wheels to get him uncaught."

Mr. Kenney, who became minister after last fall's election, found out in January that he can grant permits to allow foreigners to come to Canada in exceptional humanitarian circumstances. He decided Mr. Jiang's situation both deserved and demanded his help.

Mr. Kenney issued a special ministerial permit - just the second of its kind since the Conservatives took office in 2006 - that will allow Mr. Jiang to live and work in Canada for two years. During that time he can apply to become a permanent resident.

After confirming with Ms. Li that her husband still wanted to come to Canada, the minister signed the permit, which was transmitted to the Canadian embassy in Beijing, prompting Mr. Jiang's daring journey. Without that document, it could have taken years for Mr. Jiang to immigrate through normal channels.

"Because he is under surveillance, he didn't come with much luggage so it didn't look [to Chinese authorities] like an international trip," a Canadian official said.

Once Mr. Jiang knew he was on his way to Canada, he called Ms. Li - whom he had married in 1982 after the two met as university students.

"I feel excited. It's unbelievable," she said. "My daughter now is 19 years old and she is a second year University of Toronto student. At the time my husband was arrested, she was 12 years old. She's grown up now."

Ms. Li doesn't know many of the details of her husband's life in prison or in the two years since he was released. Although they have communicated regularly by e-mail and telephone, they were aware that they were being monitored and knew discretion was paramount.

But she is proud of the work he did for the Hong Kong tabloid Front-Line that led to his arrest. "I think being a journalist, he had to give the truth," said Ms. Li.

Joel Simon, the executive director of the Washington-based Committee to Protect Journalists, which named Mr. Jiang a winner of the Press Freedom Award in 2001, described him as a journalists' journalist.

"What he was doing was so clearly what a journalist is supposed to do," said Mr. Simon. "He was reporting on corruption and malfeasance and abuse of power. And, not only that, the central government in China had called on journalists to play this role. He was working for [the state news agency] Xinhua, and he had come across this information and he felt compelled, as a journalist, to make it public."

PEN Canada named Mr. Jiang the first recipient of its One Humanity Award in September, 2006.

"We thought that he was an exceptional journalist and he symbolized the courage of Chinese journalists who took on issues like corruption," Ms. Botsford Fraser said in explaining why Mr. Jiang was chosen. "Of course, we haven't been able to formally give it to him. But we will be doing that in the near future now that he is here in Canada."

Mr. Kenney's office has made it clear that permits such as the one extended to Mr. Jiang will be issued only in exceptional circumstances. But is the minister comfortable in his decision to help the journalist.

"He is a high-profile dissident and champion of human rights. His case has been supported by a wide array of people, including PEN Canada who identified him as one of their priority cases," said Mr. Kenney.