Gao Zhan
Encyclopedia
Gao Zhan is a researcher who worked at the American University
in Washington, DC. In 2001, the government of the People's Republic of China
detained her for 166 days on the grounds that she was spying for Taiwan
. At that time, she was widely regarded as a political dissident.
Upon her release through medical parole, she was scheduled to become a naturalized
citizen of the United States
, 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
s to the Chinese government
. 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. It was subsequently revealed however that Gao had cooperated with
the Central Intelligence Agency in a spying attempt against a Florida man during the period before
her trial. Upon release from prison, her deportation was effectively cancelled and she was placed
in protective custody. To date, she has given no media interviews regarding her smuggling activities
or her involvement with the CIA.
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
in Washington, DC. In 2001, the government of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
detained her for 166 days on the grounds that she was spying for Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. At that time, she was widely regarded as a political dissident.
Upon her release through medical parole, she was scheduled to become a naturalized
Naturalization
Naturalization is the acquisition of citizenship and nationality by somebody who was not a citizen of that country at the time of birth....
citizen of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 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
Microprocessor
A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...
s to the Chinese government
Government of the People's Republic of China
All power within the government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three bodies: the People's Republic of China, State Council, and the People's Liberation Army . This article is concerned with the formal structure of the state, its departments and their responsibilities...
. 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. It was subsequently revealed however that Gao had cooperated with
the Central Intelligence Agency in a spying attempt against a Florida man during the period before
her trial. Upon release from prison, her deportation was effectively cancelled and she was placed
in protective custody. To date, she has given no media interviews regarding her smuggling activities
or her involvement with the CIA.