January 9, 2002

[...]Hong Kong businessman Li Guangqiang today sits in a mainland jail awaiting trial for the crime of smuggling Bibles into China.

[...]On Monday, the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush notified Beijing that it was "concerned" about Mr. Li's detention.

This case is significant for a couple of reasons. First, it reveals Beijing's growing disrespect for the legal rights and protections of Hong Kongers, who supposedly have freedom of religion. This situation will get more complicated as interaction increases and Hong Kong residents travel to the mainland more frequently. Second, in light of the continuing brutalization of Falun Gong, it shows that Beijing has no immediate plans to clean up its human-rights problem just because the outside world is doing more business with China.

[...]