Introductory
Message

June 17, 1998
Press Release

Before the
Abduction

After the
Abduction

What You
Can Do

Officials
To Contact

Recent
Developments

BRING MEI MEI HOME

Recent Developments

This page is for updates on the efforts to bring Mei Mei home. Please check back to this page regularly for new information. Updates appear in reverse chronological order.

President Clinton Urged to Raise Mei Mei's Case During
Upcoming Summit with President Jiang Zemin of China

June 17, 1998: As the White House prepares for President Clinton's historic visit to the People's Republic of China on June 24, 1998, the U.S. President was urged to bring Mei Mei's case to the attention of Chinese President Jiang Zemin and to request that the Chinese government facilitate her return to the U.S. For more details, see the next entry and the Press Release of June 17, 1998.

Senators DeWine, Allard, Dodd, Jeffords and Gorton
and Representative Sanders Renew Their Requests
That President Clinton Ask President Jiang To
Facilitate Mei Mei's Return to the U.S.

May and June, 1998: Senators Mike DeWine (R-Oh.) and Wayne Allard (R-Col.) renewed their request to President Clinton to intervene on Mei Mei's behalf with President Jiang Zemin of China. Senators DeWine, and Allard were among the 21 U.S. Senators who jointly requested President Clinton's intervention in a letter dated October 28, 1997. (See below.) Senators Christopher Dodd (D-Ct), James Jeffords (R-Vt.), and Slade Gorton (R-Wash.) and Representative Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), all of whom have previously written to administration officials on Mei Mei's behalf, also wrote the President seeking his intervention with the Chinese President. All of the recent letters were timed so as to arrive while the White House is setting its agenda for the summit meeting with President Jiang Zemin on June 24, 1998.

President Clinton Responds to Mei Mei's Supporters;
Directs National Security Council to Meet with Laura Hong

May 8-13, 1998: In response to the requests of Mei Mei's supporters, President Clinton agreed to have his staff look into Mei Mei's case before the summit with President Jiang Zemin beginning June 24, 1998. One of Mei Mei's supporters who recently had the opportunity to speak to the President about her case reports that he was visibly moved by Mei Mei's story and the photos he was shown.

On May 8, 1998, Laura Hong and Senator Mike DeWine's Legislative Director, Robert Hoffman, met with Scott Busby, Director of the National Security Council's Office of Democracy, Human Rights, and Humanitarian Affairs. The meeting was held at the direction of President Clinton. From the time of that meeting and to the present day, the National Security Council has been establishing the agenda for the June 1998 summit between President Clinton and President Jiang Zemin of China.

Though Mr. Busby indicated an appreciation and concern for Mei Mei's plight, he stated that Senior Director Eric Schwartz would have to be convinced that Mei Mei's case is sufficiently important to warrant the President's involvement during the summit. Mr. Busby requested a memorandum explaining why the President should request Mei Mei's return. The arguments for involving President Clinton were marshalled in the requested memorandum, portions of which are reproduced below:

Why the Return of Rhonda Lan Zhang Is A
Matter of Grave Import to the President

In 1993, President Clinton signed into law the International Parental Kidnapping Act, 18 U.S.C. Section 1204. The statute makes it a crime for a non-custodial parent to remove a child from the United States with the intent to obstruct the lawful exercise of parental rights. The statute defines parental rights as the "right to physical custody of the child." By court order dated March 8, 1995, I [Laura Hong] was granted physical custody of Rhonda (note that I had the right to physical custody of Rhonda long before the abduction, from March 11, 1995, and that right has continued uninterrupted through the date of the abduction and to the present day). The Act clearly applies here by its terms, and the fact that the local U.S. Attorney has not enforced it sends a message that a law is a law only to the extent the local U.S. Attorney wishes it to be.
The Act by its terms applies to non-custodial parental abduction to non-Hague Convention countries, and therefore it applies to an abduction to the People's Republic of China. (House Rep. No. 103-390, Nov. 20, 1993.) For a number of compelling reasons consistent with the President's stated policy in China, it is important that China be treated as any other country. Much of the resistance faced here has been owing to the view of many in our government (including the local U.S. Attorney) that China is a nation sui generis, from which one cannot expect the same level of civilized discourse one would expect of other nations. If this notion is to be dispelled, our government must act as if it is not unthinkable to ask of China that which it would ask of any other civilized nation -- including, for example, the return of an abducted child.
The Congress, in enacting the Hague Convention, explicitly stated that the return of abducted children to their home state is of paramount importance, and that "[p]ersons should not be permitted to obtain custody by virtue of their wrongful removal or retention." 42 U.S.C. Section 1161. The rights protected by the Hague Convention include the situation when a child is in the care of foster parents. "If custody rights exercised by the foster parents are breached, for instance, by abduction of the child by its biological parent, the foster parents could invoke the Convention to secure the child's return." (51 Fed. Reg. No. 58, p. 1505.)
The return of Mei Mei is consistent with the Clinton Administration's position that the welfare of U.S. children, their right to live free of neglect and abuse and their need for stability and permanency are of paramount importance to the future of America.

-- Laura Kingsley Hong

21 Senators Urge President Clinton to Ask President
Jiang To Facilitate Mei Mei's Return to the U.S.

October 28, 1997: In a letter dated October 20, 1997, 21 U.S. Senators jointly requested that President Clinton alert President Jiang of Mei Mei's situation during the summit and requested President Clinton's assistance in returning Mei Mei home. In that bipartisan letter, the Senators wrote, "In order to facilitate Mei Mei's return to the United States, the Chinese government must intervene to have this United States citizen returned to the U.S. and we would appreciate you bringing this to President Jiang Zemin's attention during the October Summit." The letter brings the total number of Senators who have requested Mei Mei's return to 35.

The letter is signed by:

Mike DeWine (R-OH)
Spencer Abraham (R-MI)
John Glenn (D-OH)
Wayne Allard (R-CO)
Trent Lott (R-MS)
Alphonse D'Amato (R-NY)
Lauch Faircloth (R-NC)
Wendell Ford (D-KY)
John Breaux (D-LA)
Larry Craig (R-ID)
Bob Graham (D-FL)

John Kerry (D-MS)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Rick Santorum (R-PA)
Don Nickles (R-OK)
Pat Roberts (R-KS)
Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
Bob Smith (R-NH)
Gordon Smith (R-OR)
Fred Thompson (R-TN)
Patrick Leahy (D-VT)

President Jiang Zemin Urged to Return Mei Mei

October 27, 1997: On the occasion of his historic visit to the United States, new Chinese President Jiang Zemin was urged to facilitate Mei Mei's return to the United States. For the most recent update of the original October 27 press release, see the Press Release of June 17, 1998.

Requests for Action from Sen. Wellstone and Rep. Mink

October 10, 1997: Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN) has joined the numerous congressional leaders who have requested Mei Mei's return home. On September 25, 1997, Sen. Wellstone wrote Secretary of State Albright "...I urge the US State Department to do everything in its power to expedite Mei Mei's safe return home." Sen. Wellstone also wrote the Chinese Ambassador to the U.S., Li Dayou: "...I respectfully request that the Chinese Embassy, to the extent of its abilities, aid in my effort to seek the safe and prompt return of Mei Mei to her legal custodians."

October 2, 1997: Congresswoman Patsy Mink (D-HI), whose efforts have been ongoing, again wrote to Secretary Albright. "...I am aware of the legal and diplomatic constraints facing the Department affecting the child's return," wrote Rep. Mink. "However, I request that the State Department take the further step of encouraging Chinese authorities to cooperate in returning Rhonda home to America.... This child is in danger. I appeal to you for a creative, diplomatic solution."

Requests for Action from Sens. Gorton and McCain, FBA

September 29, 1997: We have recently been advised that in early August, 1997, Senator Slade Gorton (R-WA) wrote the Department of State on Mei Mei's behalf, and on September 23, 1997, we were advised that Senator John McCain (R-AZ) wrote the Department of State on Mei Mei's behalf.

September 18, 1997: The Honorable Dana McDonald, President of the Federal Bar Association, wrote President Clinton, Secretary Albright and Attorney General Reno on Mei Mei's behalf. Though the letters are similar to the August, 1997 letters from then-President of the American Bar Association, N. Lee Cooper, they were written after the recent letter from Senators DeWine and Allard to Secretary Albright. As such, the letters from the Office of the President of the Federal Bar Association incorporate the requests of these two Senators that the Department of State make every effort to bring about Mei Mei's prompt return and to advise the Chinese government that Mei Mei has been abducted.

Congressional Leaders Request Action

A growing number of Senators and Representatives have taken an interest in bringing Mei Mei home to the United States. This group is both ideologically and geographically diverse. We thank them for their efforts on Mei Mei's behalf to date and are confident that they will bring Mei Mei home and will persuade President Clinton to assist them in doing so.

THE SENATE:
Sen. Spencer Abraham (R-MI):	Joint letter to the President.
Sen. Wayne Allard (R-CO):	Requests to State Department, Justice Department, and Chinese Ambassador to the US Li Dayou; joint letter to the President; renewed request to the President.
Sen. John Breaux (D-LA):	Joint letter to the President.
Sen. Paul Coverdell (R-GA):	Requests to State Department.
Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID):	Joint letter to the President.
Sen. Alphonse D'Amato (R-NY):	Requests to State Department; joint letter to the President.
Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH):	Requests to State Department, Justice Department, and Ambassador Li Dayou; joint letter to the President; renewed request to the President.
Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT):	Requests to State Department; letter to the President.
Sen. Lauch Faircloth (R-NC):	Joint letter to the President.
Sen. Wendell Ford (D-KY):	Joint letter to the President.
Sen. John Glenn (D-OH):	Requests to State Department; joint letter to the President.
Sen. Slade Gorton (R-WA):	Requests to State Department; letter to the President.
Sen. Bob Graham (D-FL):	Joint letter to the President.
Sen. Rod Grams (R-MN):	Requests to State Department and Justice Department.
Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC):	Requests to State Department.
Sen. James Jeffords (R-VT):	Requests to State Department, Justice Department and Ambassador Li Dayou; letter to the President.
Sen. John Kerry (D-MS):	Joint letter to the President.
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA):	Requests to State Department.
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ):	Requests to State Department.
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT):	Requests to State Department; joint letter to the President.
Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS):	Requests to State Department; joint letter to the President.
Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI):	Requests to State Department.
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ):	Requests to State Department.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY):	Joint letter to the President.
Sen. Don Nickles (R-OK):	Joint letter to the President.
Sen. Charles Robb (D-VA):	Requests to State Department and Justice Department.
Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS):	Joint letter to the President.
Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA):	Requests to State Department; joint letter to the President.
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL):	Joint letter to the President.
Sen. Bob Smith (R-NH):	Joint letter to the President.
Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR):	Joint letter to the President.
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA):	Requests to State Department.
Sen. Craig Thomas (R-WY):	Requests to Cleveland U.S. Attorney Emily Sweeney and Chinese President Jiang Zemin.
Sen. Fred Thompson (R-TN):	Joint letter to the President.
Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-MN):	Requests to State Department and Ambassador Li Dayou.
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI):	Requests to Justice Department.
Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R-MN):	Requests to State Department.
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH):	Requests to State Department and the President.
Rep. Robert Matsui (D-CA):	Requests to Cleveland U.S. Attorney Emily Sweeney and State Department.
Rep. Patsy Mink (D-HI):	Requests to Cleveland U.S. Attorney Emily Sweeney and State Department.
Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT):	Requests to Cleveland U.S. Attorney Emily Sweeney and State Department; letter to the President.

LINKS:

Main Pages:
Introductory Message
June 17, 1998 Press Release
Before Mei Mei's Abduction
After Mei Mei's Abduction
What You Can Do
Officials to Contact
Recent Developments

Documents and Photos:
Mei Mei's Birth Certificate
Police Report on the Kidnapping
Ohio Warrant Against Sue Chen
December 13, 1996 Court Order
June 26, 1997 Court Order
Large Picture of Mei Mei
Large Picture of Sue Chen

CONTACT INFORMATION:

        LAURA HONG           TOM KOVACH          LAURA HONG                 

Home:   (216) 932-8934       (216) 932-8934      4900 Key Tower             
Or:     (216) 397-9596       (216) 397-9596      127 Public Square          
Work:   (216) 479-8554       (216) 479-8714      Cleveland, Ohio 44114-1304 
Page:   (216) 948-7035       (216) 506-7528                                 
Mobile: (216) 973-2935                           meimei@kurilec.euclid.oh.us

The URL of this page is: http://ebni.com/meimei/recent.html

Please direct e-mail about Mei Mei to: meimei@kurilec.euclid.oh.us

If you have any advice, comments or bug reports about the
design of this page, please direct them to: tim@kurilec.euclid.oh.us

This page was last revised on June 17, 1998.