China has effectively freed two US scholars who were convicted of spying for Taiwan in a move designed to pave the way for US Secretary of State Colin Powell's upcoming visit to Beijing.

China today expelled a US-based Chinese sociologist convicted of spying for Taiwan, a US official said.

A US-based Chinese sociologist has been convicted in Beijing of spying and sentenced to 10 years.

A Chinese court has convicted an American business professor of spying, and ordered that he be expelled.

A US-based political scientist whose detention in China has caused a diplomatic uproar in Washington has been formally arrested on spying charges.