Gao Zhan (Chinese: 高瞻) is a researcher who worked at the American University in

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

. In 2001, the government of the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

detained her for 166 days on the grounds that she was spying for

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

. At that time, she was widely regarded as a

political dissident A dissident is a person who actively challenges an established political or religious system, doctrine, belief, policy, or institution. In a religious context, the word has been used since the 18th century, and in the political sense since the 20th ...

. Upon her release through medical parole, she was scheduled to become a naturalized citizen of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, but the ceremony was quickly cancelled. The reason for this became apparent in late 2003, when Gao was convicted on charges of violating export regulations in selling

microprocessor A microprocessor is a computer processor where the data processing logic and control is included on a single integrated circuit, or a small number of integrated circuits. The microprocessor contains the arithmetic, logic, and control circ ...

s to the

Chinese government The Government of the People's Republic of China () is an authoritarian political system in the People's Republic of China under the exclusive political leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It consists of legislative, executive, m ...

. It was revealed that Gao had been under investigation since 2000, before she was detained in China. After her conviction for export of controlled technology, Gao faced the possibility of deportation following her jail sentence. Upon release from prison, her deportation was effectively cancelled.

References

External links

Freedom betrayed by spying, U.S. says, CNN, January 24, 2006
Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Chinese computer scientists {{China-scientist-stub