BEIJING, Nov 18: China today dismissed as ``baseless'' reports that the release of Wei Jingsheng, the country's best-known democracy activist, was a trade-off between Beijing and Washington in the wake of a successful Sino-US summit.

In its first reaction after Wei was released from a labour camp and allowed to seek medical assistance in the United States on Sunday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Shen Guofang said Wei's release was decided by China's judicial department and not by the foreign ministry or other departments.

Shen also said that Wei's release has ``no direct bearing on the visit of Chinese President Jiang Zemin to the United States last month'' while addressing a foreign ministry briefing here today.

Asked if the incarcerated student leader Wang Dan would also be released from prison, Shen replied that the judicial department of the Chinese government would decide all matters according to rules. Wang, 28, received an 11-year sentence last year for subversion.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.