dictionary

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- One of the attorneys for Gao Zhan, a U.S. permanent resident indicted in China for espionage, tells CNN he believes a Chinese court is anxious to start a trial as early as next week.

"I feel the court is very anxious to get this resolved quite soon," said Bai Xuebiao, a defense attorney for Gao. Bai said he was "certain that there will definitely be a trial."

A source told CNN he believes that a trial is indeed imminent and could happen anytime in the next two weeks. Observers say Beijing might try to bring Gao Zhan to trial ahead of a visit by Secretary of State Colin Powell set for July 28.

According to the indictment against Gao, she is charged with espionage. Her attorney said he thinks the court is preparing a verdict involving a lesser category of espionage under Chinese law which would identify her as having carried out tasks for a spy organization as opposed to being an actual member of such an organization.

LEGAL RESOURCES Latest Legal News Law Library FindLaw Consumer Center Select a topic Bankruptcy Discrimination Divorce Estate Planning Landlord-Tenant Personal Injury Taxes     COUNTRY PROFILES At a glance: China Provided by CountryWatch.com

Bai and a colleague from the Chinese law firm representing Gao met Thursday with the presiding judge at Beijing's First Intermediate Peoples' Court. The court went over the state's evidence with the lawyers and presented the official indictment.

Bai said he would spend the weekend preparing the defense before a scheduled meeting with Gao Zhan on Monday.

Bai in an interview with CNN last week established a link between Gao Zhan's case and that of Li Shaomin, who was convicted of spying last week and ordered deported. More details of that link have emerged since then.

Jerome Cohen, who is representing Gao's family in the United States, told CNN in an interview that the case of Li Shaomin and Gao Zhan, both sociologists, are factually linked.

"She (Gao Zhan) needed help and advice about where she could turn for getting a fellowship to sponsor her Ph.D. dissertation research. He (Li Shaomin) introduced her to a Taiwan foundation. That foundation provided her support. So the case has a factual link," said Cohen.

In an interview with The New York Times, Cohen said that Li asked Gao to help him collect documents about China's analysis of Taiwan. According to Mr. Cohen, Gao was not aware that the documents she procured for Li were considered state secrets.

Li was accused of collecting the materials for Military Intelligence Bureau of Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense, which triggered both his own and Gao Zhan's arrest.

"The interesting question is, why weren't they tried together," said Cohen. One obvious reason the two cases have been dealt with separately is that Gao is not a U.S. citizen, say observers. As such there is no legal mechanism to deport her.

"But there are many ways in which the court can decide. If it decides that she's guilty, there are many ways that they can say her sentence should be suspended or that the time she has already served is sufficient," said Cohen. Gao has been detained since February.

Meanwhile, the whereabouts of Li Shaomin was unclear five days after a Chinese court handed down a guilty verdict for espionage and ordered him to be deported from China. He hasn't turned up either in Hong Kong, where he is a resident, or the United States where he is a citizen.

One source tracking his case told CNN he expected Li's deportation to take effect any day now while Li's father in Hong Kong had not heard from his son and had no idea where he would be deported to. CNN is awaiting a response from the Chinese court handling Li's case.