Mr Bunten
LO FU
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1. We spoke. You might be interested in a little of the background on Lo Fu (or Luo Chengxun, Lo Shing-fan). He had worked in Hong Kong for the Hsin Wan Pao, mainly as Editor in Chief, since 1951 and was a member of the CCP (maybe still is). He was well known for his daily column under the penname Yang Zhu and his writings on US China relations were considered to be pretty authoritative. he seems to have got into trouble in May 1982 when he was recalled to Peking from Hong Kong. and according to Chinese sources quoted by the International Herald Tribune in November 1982 he was under investigation on allegations of spying for the United States.
2.
No official word of his fate came until 1983 (possibly May) when it was reported that he had been sentenced to 10 years for passing state secrets to US agents. Later that year in November 1983 he was reported to have been released on parole (probably into house arrest) after having made a full confession. He was able to visit his son Luo Haixing shortly before his (Haixing's) release from prison in 1991.
3. Lo Fu was obviously a long term resident in Hong Kong, and presumably had a residence permit. But such information as we have suggests he was Chinese citizen. I can find no trace of agitation on his behalf from Hong Kong, such as there was for his son Luo Haixing. Lo the elder seems to have been released (formally) very near the end of his term. Indeed in view of the fact that he was first detained in 1982, and that the period of detention prior to trial often counts towards the eventual sentence, it does not seem to be a particularly magnanimous gesture by the Chinese authorities to release him at this time. If the Chinese were intending to make a gesture it would appear to be more for the Americans' benefit than for Hong Kong's
RF Wye
Far East Section
Research & Analysis Dept
OAB 2/125 210 6219/6216 25 January 1993
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Dr Bristow Smith FED
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