WHAT'S NEW, Friday, 9 June 1989 Washington, DC
1.
FANG LIZHI FOUND ASYLUM IN THE AMERICAN EMBASSY IN BEIJING
on
Monday, along with his wife Li Shuxian, a professor of physics. Fang, a prominent astrophysicist, is the spiritual father of the
student movement toward democracy in China. Fang had reportedly
eluded arrest by constantly moving until he reached the embassy.
Chinese authorities are furious at the US for giving Fang refuge.
2
. THE STATUS OF PRC CITIZENS IN THE U.S. WILL BE "LIBERALIZED"
in light of events in the People's Republic of China, according
to a statement issued by President Bush on Monday morning. Later
that day, the Congressional Human Rights Caucus wrote to Attorney
General Thornburgh requesting clarification. The letter, which
was signed by the co-chairs of the Caucus, Reps. Lantos (CA) and
Porter (IL), specifically asked for guidelines for PRC students
in the US on J-1 "exchange visitor" visas. The Administration
later announced that J-1 visas would be extended for one year. There are currently about 37,000 Chinese students in the US.
3. THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES SUSPENDS EXCHANGE WITH CHINA.
A message to Zhou Guangzhao, President of the Chinese Academy of
Sciences said, "We are shocked and dismayed by the action of the
Chinese government troops against peaceful demonstrators in
Tiananmen Square and elsewhere in Beijing, with such great loss
of life. While we earnestly hope to maintain our cooperation with
your Academy and other Chinese institutions, we must suspend all
activities for the time being. We do so in outrage and sadness."
4. IS THERE HELIUM IN THE PONS-FLEISCHMANN CATHODES?
We had
expected to reveal the dramatic results of the Johnson-Matthey
analysis today
(WN 2 Jun 89). The analysis was delivered to Pons
this week, but he has decided not to make it public until they
publish a paper sometime, according to James Brophy, Research VP
at Utah. In the meantime the tension will be almost unbearable.
5. PONS DENIED THE DOE'S COLD FUSION PANEL ACCESS TO HIS LAB
last
week (WN 2 Jun 89)
until he got the OK from the University of
Utah's lawyers. In a university run by lawyers, intellectual
property is no doubt well protected, but it must be difficult to
know whether it's worth protecting. The panel also intends to
visit Texas A&M, Stanford, Brigham Young and Cal Tech. Other
labs, including national labs, will simply be contacted by phone.
6. A GAO INVESTIGATION OF LIVERMORE IS ITSELF UNDER INVESTIGATION
by a House Subcommittee chaired by John Dingall (D-MI). Last year
a General Accounting Office report
(WN 22 Jul 88) seemed to clear
the lab of charges that the x-ray laser was oversold. The x-ray
laser has since faded into oblivion, which says something about
the GAO report, but the curiosity of the subcommittee was aroused
by the discovery that one of the three GAO auditors had been
hired by Livermore just three months after release of the report.
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