Chinese officials have finally spoken out on their dealings with dissidents trying to establish the China Democracy Party. They claimed that Xu Wenli, was suspected of "activities damaging to national security". The US has denounced China's detaining those "peacefully exercising fundamental freedoms". Those arrested are expected to be tried under China's vague State Security Law. Obtaining lawyers for their trials became virtually impossible forcing some of the dissidents to defend themselves. President Zemin said that economic reforms would continue but would not be a prelude to multiparty democracy. China did release ailing Liu Nianchun from prison work camp and exiled him to the US.