US Secretary of State Colin Powell said Wednesday that several cases involving US-based scholars detained in China were on their way to resolution on "humanitarian grounds".
"I am pleased that several of those cases are now on the way to resolution on humanitarian grounds," Powell said after meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan in Hanoi.
"You will see that in a quite obvious way in the next 24 hours or so."
Powell said he would leave it up to China to give full details of the cases. But he appeared to be hinting that US-based sociologist Gao Zhan, who was jailed for 10 years on spying charges Tuesday, could soon be headed home.
The United States and Gao's lawyer have been pushing for her release on humanitarian grounds as she has recently suffered heart problems.
Powell had said previously that he hoped the cases of the US-based academics would be resolved before he arrived in Beijing on Saturday on the penultimate leg of an Asian tour -- HANOI (AFP)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
