They have already "questioned" him, where he was doubtless warned to keep his mouth shut if he knows what's good for him. He will now be utterly ignored, unless he continues to make trouble, in which case he will be detained.

This is not big at all. The CCP can crush this man anytime it wants -- and after his SARS relelations, he already has plenty of enemies -- sure, the foreign media will bitch and moan, the US and Eurpoe will express their concern and . . . nothing. The CCP was willing to run tanks over God knows how many students to retain power. Anyone who thinks they won't crush one old doctor if they think it necessary, is deluded.

This time, Conrad, I'm going to defer to Adam again. His basic drift I agree with - twice this guy has outmanouvered the CCP. Yes they could crush him like a bug, but these days Hu & co. are more worried how they play in the sticks. The peasant issue is getting good airplay after the survey published recently pointing about what a bad deal they are getting.

I don't think the CCP are going to turn around and say "Golly, you're right, we screwed up and Tianamen was a mistake." I'm sure they told the good doctor to shut up or else; the interesting thing is what the good Doctor does next. It's not going to bring the CCP down. But it will be another chink in the armour, and that armour's sporting a lot of chinks these days.

The CCP will not and cannot admit error at Tianamen. Certainly not while Jaing retains power, and proably not for a long time thereafter. Indeed, were it necessary to retain the CCP monopoly on power, the current regime wuld do precisely the same thing.

So, how has the doctor "outmanuvered" Beijing? What has he accomplished? He had a letter published. Bid deal. Beijing has decided, for the moment, it poses no threat and it is in its best interests to let this particular high profile figure off with a stern talking to. Nothing will change and, if the doctor presses the issue to the point where Beijing thinks it might accomplish something, he gets crushed, period, end of story. Adam thinks this is significant beacuse, as usual, Adam focuses on form over substance. There is no substance here. Nothing changes. It's a futile gesture and a distraction. The far more important story was the recent conviction and life sentence of Hong Kong resident and British subject Chan Yu-lam for espionage, which was intended to send a very clear message to the SAR.

Conrad I think the main point is the good doctor was able to do this at all without suddenly disappearing. I agree that it will have no impact on the CCP. It is a small part of the gradual chipping away at the CCP's control over a country that has outgrown them. It's the very form that makes this interesting; the substance is important too but only a side-issue.