Subject: CND Live Report from USSR (No.1), Nov 24, 1990

From: Bo Xiong <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 24 Nov 90 22:36:31 -0500

*  *	*   C H I N A	 N E W S    D I G E S T   *  *	*

			     November 24, 1990

	+-+-+-+- ( China News Digest,  US Section Service ) -+-+-+-+

           First Live Report of the IFCSS Delegation in the USSR

                  by CND Reporters Weihe Guan and Fang Wu
                       by telephone from Gorky City
             (Nov. 24, 11:15pm Moscow time, 3:15pm EST in US)

     I. Activities and Schedule of the Delegation:

     Since the Delegation arrived in the USSR on Nov 21, 1990, they have not
had a sleep on the bed yet. They visited many places during the day, and
travelled at night on the train.

     Invited by the Youth Committee of the Supreme Soviet and the National
Youth Program, the Delegation spent the first two days visiting Moscow and
Leningrad. They visited the Red Square and other historical places on Nov. 21
and 22.

     Nov. 23 was a busy day for the Delegation; they went back to Moscow and
audited the meeting of the Supreme Soviet by special permission. They saw
Mr. Gorbachov on the platform. On the same day, they also had meetings with
the representatives of the Council of Moscow City, the representatives of the
Youth Committee and Education Committee of the Supreme Soviet and the
representatives of the 'Democratic Union', an opposition party in the USSR.

     At these meetings, the Delegation learned that on the June Fourth
anniversary of this year, there were 3,000 people who participated in the
demonstrations in Moscow and Leningrad to commemorate those Chineses who died
in the Massacre last year in Beijing.

     The Delegation arrived in Gorky City today (Nov 24), visited some
universities, and talked to the students and faculty there.  During the next
few days, they will visit more people in the city, including workers and
peasants, to have a first hand observation of the Soviet society now
undergoing the greatest transition in its history. They are going to stay in
Gorky City till Nov 27, and will be back in Moscow on Nov 28 to board the
plane back to US at 1:20pm (Moscow time). They will arrive at the JFK Airport
in New York at 3:35pm EST the same day. A press conference is scheduled on
Nov 27 to summarize their visit to the USSR.

     At the end of the telephone reporting, Mr. Liu Jijie of the IFCSS
Headquaters, asked us to relay the greetings from the Delegation to all
Chinese students in the US through CND broadcast.

     II. Diplomatic Troubles of the IFCSS visit to USSR

     After arriving in the USSR, the Delegation learned that the Foreign
Ministry of the Chinese government had sent a diplomatic note to the Foreign
Ministry of the USSR on Nov 2 to block this visit. As a result, the Delegation
got a message from the Foreign Ministry of the USSR to notifying them that if
they were found to be engaged in political propaganda against the Chinese
government, they would be deported within 24 hours.

     On Nov. 22 the Chinese Foreign Minister, Qian Qisheng arrived in Moscow
for a meeting with his Soviet counterpart. In Moscow, Qian pressed the Soviets
to take more actions against the Delegation.

     But the hosts of the visit were not scared. One of the representative in
the Supreme Soviet, Mr. Bogdanov, who was elected from the Gorky City, invited
the Delegation to his City.  He told the Delegation that Gorky City was the
city where Dr.  Sahkarov had spent his eight years in exile. "There is a
special meaning for your visit to the Gorky City. We want to keep the Sahkarov
spirit alive", as he told the Delegation. His assistant said: "We know that
someone is trying to prevent us to be friends, but they won't succeed".

     The Delegation will visit universities, military schools, farms and
factories to meet Soviet people in all walks of life in Gorky City.

     II. A Side Story in Gorky City

     Although there is far greater political freedom in the Soviet Union than
in China today, many things are still done in the similar way as they were in
China in the early 70's when China was first opened to foreigners after the
Cultural Revolution. This was the impression by one member of the IFCSS
Delegation.

     At first, the Delegation was treated like a tourist group and their
schedule was full of sight-seeings. But when the Delegation explained more
about the foundation and activities of IFCSS to the host, more meetings and
talks with all kinds of the Soviet people were arranged. On all occasions,
they were treated very well by the hosts and the local officials, like the
Chinese did to our 'official' foreign guests.

     Today, in Gorky City, after a pleasant meeting with a group of students
in a teahcer's college for foreign language in the city, the Delegation
invited the students to their hotel for dinner. But to their surprise, the
Soviet students were blocked out of the dinner party!

     One member of the Delegation, Mr. Li Sanyuan, was quite upset and went to
talk with the officials in charge of the dinner party.  Finally he led the
Soviet students into the party and explained the reason: "I did so, because
back in china I had the same experience as they today."

     The Soviet host also explained their reasons: "First, nice food like
today's is not easily available and not common to the ordinary people. The
second consideration was security....". So, afterwards, there were no more
misunderstandings, and the party went on well.

                                        Transcribed and written by

                                        Gang Xu ([email-masked])

                                        Text polished by

                                        Young Chul Kim ([email-masked])

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