Mao's Last Dancer - Li Cunxin [83]
Charles briefly explained the emergency and Judge Seals told him that he would meet him at the federal courthouse at 6 a.m. along with one of the chief justices of Texas. Charles then called his legal assistant to help draw up documents.
Then, unknown to the consulate officials, Charles made another crucial call to the US State Department. He said this was a critical matter. The US government should act. Charles knew the US State Department had internal regulations about the forcible repatriation of foreign nationals, based on previous experience, particularly when it came to communist countries.
At this point the Chinese officials became suspicious and told Charles that he could no longer use their phones. In any event, he had to leave the consulate to help draft the legal documents. There were only a few hours left until morning and he wanted to speed things along.
After Charles left the consulate the Chinese officials demanded all the other Westerners leave the consulate at once. They refused to leave until they saw me safe and sound. This irritated the Chinese even more. They cut off the phone and turned off the lights once more.
When Charles left the consulate the morning papers were already out on the streets. The headlines read: CHINESE CONSULATE HOLDING EIGHT AMERICANS HOSTAGE. He returned to his office, then went to the federal courthouse with the finished legal documents, ready for signing.
Federal Judge Woodrow Seals and Chief Justice John Singleton were there as arranged.
“There’s not much time,” Charles told them.
Once the documents were signed, Charles phoned Chase Untermeyer, executive assistant to Vice President George Bush. “Chase,” he said, “Vice President Bush’s wife, Barbara, is a trustee of the Houston Ballet. The vice president should know the Chinese consulate is holding a Houston Ballet dancer, Li Cunxin, against his will.” Charles knew the vice president would take appropriate action. Chase immediately contacted Vice President Bush.
Charles then returned to the consulate with a federal marshall to serve both court orders, one ordering the consul general to produce me, the other stopping him from removing me from the country. The handful of people waiting outside had grown. One man walked up to Charles and whispered in his ear. He was FBI. “The consulate is surrounded,” he said. “There is no way they can take Li out.”
Charles knocked on the door of the consulate, accompanied by the US marshall, trying to serve the court orders. “Go away,” said an official, “there is no one here.”
For the rest of the day Charles went to and from the consulate but he was not allowed inside. He received many phone calls both from the federal court and from Washington. The number of FBI agents outside the consulate began to grow.
Charles then received another call, from the White House. President Reagan was inquiring about the status of the case. Then the State Department called and asked Charles to go back to the consulate and tell them to reconnect their phones. The Chinese embassy in Washington was trying to contact them to give them instructions.
Charles returned to the consulate around 4 p.m. and by five o’clock he was again talking to Consul Zhang. Consul Zhang was distraught. He asked Charles once more, did he have to release me?
“Yes. If you don’t release Li, it will only get worse.”
All the major networks were outside with television cameras. In my room at the top of the consulate, I was completely unaware of what was happening.
Soon after 5 p.m. Consul Zhang returned to my room. “Cunxin, for your own good, and for the last time: will you go back to China?”
“Here is the turning point of my life,” I thought. I was prepared for the worst. “No, I won’t go back. Do whatever you like with me.”
He looked at me long and hard. Finally he said sadly, “I’m sorry you have chosen this road. I believe you will regret it later. I’m sad we have lost you to America. You’re now a man without a country and a people. There are many