In Monday’s editorial, “A Premier Opportunity,” the Staff asserted that University President Lawrence H. Summers has done nothing to advocate for the release of Kennedy School of Government graduate Yang Jianli from a Chinese prison. In fact, Summers has actively pushed for Yang’s release. In a May 2002 trip to China, Summers raised the issue in closed-door meetings with both Chinese and American officials, according to a source familiar with the trip. Additionally, in an Oct. 19, 2002 letter to Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the United States Yang Jiechi, Summers specifically cited that Yang had “not been granted access to legal counsel” and asked the ambassador “to expedite the handling of Dr. Yang’s case, and, if appropriate, move expeditiously to expel him from the People’s Republic of China so he can return home to his family.” The Staff regrets the error and encourages Summers to continue his diplomatic overtures and to amplify his efforts on Yang’s behalf publicly as well as privately.
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