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CHINA: Reunion dinner visit ruled out for jailed ST journalist and wife Ching Cheong's wife may have to wait until at least next month to see him Straits Times Wednesday, February 14, 2007 By Vince Chong The Guangzhou prison authorities have refused to arrange a reunion dinner visit for jailed Hong Kong journalist Ching Cheong's wife. They told her that she would have to wait until next month at the earliest to see him. The Straits Times' chief China correspondent and his wife, Ms Mary Lau, have not seen each other since he was detained by mainland security officials in southern China in April 2005. Ms Lau, who lives in Hong Kong, had applied to the prison authorities to have the traditional meal with her husband before Chinese New Year on Feb 18. "I am disappointed, but it was not entirely unexpected," she told The Straits Times yesterday. Now serving a five-year jail sentence for espionage, Ching, 57, was transferred to Guangzhou Prison from Beijing on Jan 31 following his family's appeals for the move. On Monday, during one of her daily calls to the prison authorities, Ms Lau was told that Ching had to first take part in a one-month course of "si xiang jiao yu" -- or "political education" -- before being allowed any visits. "They asked me to reapply to see him in March," she said. "I will do that and will continue to write in to (Hong Kong Chief Executive) Donald Tsang to ask for help in getting medical parole for Ching." Ching suffers ailments ranging from high blood pressure and insomnia to stomach pains. China's prison regulations allow visits by family members once a month. Ching was sentenced last August for spying for Taiwan, with his jail term backdated by 12 months to the date when he was officially charged. He lost his appeal last November. About a month later, he was transferred to Beijing's Tianhe Prison -- a transit labour camp -- after having spent more than 20 months in detention.