President Xi’s visit comes only days after Chinese officials arrested and jailed an American businesswoman from Texas. Chinese officials say the woman -- Sandy Phan-Gillis -- is suspected of spying and stealing state secrets. Ms. Phan-Gillis operates a service that helps set up business deals between U.S. and Chinese companies. Chinese officials detained her when she was on a trip to China in March.
Her husband, Jeff Gillis, says it has been difficult to get information about her. Ms. Phan-Gillis sent a message to her husband this week that said: “This is a political case. I hope you can lobby for an exchange of political prisoners. I know it’s not easy.” Mr. Gillis has publicly asked President Obama to bring up the case with Mr. Xi. State Department official Mark Toner says U.S. officials have talked about the case with the Chinese government.
He says "we, obviously, are monitoring this case very closely. We’ve been to visit her six times since her arrest, and we’ve raised her case with Chinese government officials on multiple occasions at a very senior level.”
The arrest of Sandy Phan-Gillis shocked the Vietnamese and Chinese communities in Houston, Texas. Although Ms. Phan-Gillis has Chinese ancestors, she was born in Vietnam and came to the U.S. as a refugee 40 years ago.
Over the years, many Texas businesses have developed relationships with Chinese companies. But the arrest of Sandy Phan-Gillis has made some of them feel uneasy now.
I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.
