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TIME: Almanac 1993
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TIME Almanac 1993.iso
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070990
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0709003.000
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1992-08-28
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WORLD, Page 38World NotesCHINASaving Face All Around
For almost a year, the status of Fang Lizhi has been the No.
1 impediment to improvement in U.S.-China relations. Last week
the two sides settled on a deal that allowed the dissident
astrophysicist and his wife Li Shuxian to leave the U.S.
embassy in Beijing, where they had been trapped since the June
1989 crackdown. They headed for Cambridge, England.
The deal was a classic face saver. Fang acknowledged that
in opposing a political system of class struggle he had
violated China's constitution. He made a vague promise not to
engage in activities contrary to China, though not necessarily
contrary to its leadership.
The timing of Fang's departure was probably linked to next
week's summit of the seven leading industrial countries.
Beijing wants them to lift their partial ban on loans. Another
motive: the Capitol Hill debate over whether to restore China's
most-favored-nation status.