US resident sought by China for comments freed in Dubai                         

Jon Gambrell

May 27, 2021

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A permanent resident of the United States wanted by China was freed by Dubai on Thursday, taking off on a flight to Turkey after spending weeks in detention.

Beijing had sought Wang Jingyu over his online comments about a deadly confrontation between Chinese and Indian forces last year.

Activists and his supporters say plainclothes police officers arrested the 19-year-old student as he came off an Emirates flight in April at Dubai International Airport, trying to connect on to New York. The State Department acknowledged his arrest, described the case as a “human rights” concern and warned that he could have faced extradition to China.

 …“While in custody, Wang has been questioned by Dubai police for endangering national security, and has, according to his statements, been visited by both Chinese Embassy (Abu Dhabi) and Consulate (Dubai) staff repeatedly,” the rights group Safeguard Defenders said in a letter Wednesday to the UAE’s ambassador to the U.S.

… China’s influence in the UAE… has increasingly come under American scrutiny.

(ChinaAid—May 31, 2021) Prior to the AP story, ChinaAid learned Dubai police had detained 19-year-old Wang Jingyu on April 5 during his flight transfer, traveling to New York from Dubai International Airport. After being detained at Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs for 48 hours, officers escorted Mr. Wang to their station’s detention center. 

During Mr. Wang’s trip to Europe on February 21, CCP authorities noted that he published comments on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, expressing his doubts about the factual circumstances and actions of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) ‘s soldiers that passed away in the Sino-Indian border conflict. Since then, local authorities have not only monitored and targeted him, they have interrogated and pressured his parents.

As Mr. Wang faced the possibility authorities might extradite him to China, Pastor Bob Fu, PhD. [ChinaAid president], promptly contacted the US State Department. Following his request that authorities immediately intervene in Mr. Wang’s case, the U.S. government began to intercede with the White House also involved in the rescue process. Dr. Fu shared the following:

 

Do not worry, in the afternoon, after [I] urgently communicated with the White House and the U.S. State Department, the U.S. government started to intervene.

This matter is serious, …… several officials from the State Department immediately took action. The State Department and White House officials also told me that they are currently handling this matter.

At the end of April, since my arrest, in total they came here three times, the first time … officials from the Chinese Embassy in Abu Dhabi [visited me], the next two times were officials from the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Dubai asking for my signature.

[Authorities] even told me that if I did [sign], I no longer would have to go to prison.”

My lawyer, a relatively well-known local attorney, learned about the Chinese embassy in Dubai’s request to send me back [to China]. He told me that my case is a bit odd, and I should have been released quite a while ago. 

~ Gao Zhensai, ChinaAid Special Correspondent

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“Therefore I [Jesus] say to you, 

do not worry about your life, 

what you will eat or what you will drink; 

nor about your body, what you will put on. 

Is not life more than food 

and the body more than clothing? 

Look at the birds of the air, 

for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; 

yet your heavenly Father feeds them. 

Are you not of more value than they? 

Which of you by worrying 

can add one cubit to his stature? …

                                                                             ~ Matthew 6:25-27 (NKJV)

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