Editing Beijing Spring (section)

===1990s===
The phrase "Beijing Spring" was also used during a more recent period of political thaw in the PRC from September 1997 to mid November 1998.  During this 'new Beijing Spring' the Chinese authorities relaxed some control over political expression and organisation.  The relatively trouble-free [[Hong Kong handover|handover of Hong Kong]] to China from the United Kingdom and the death of [[Deng Xiaoping]] in early 1997 were precursors to this brief period of liberalisation.

It was during this second "Beijing Spring" that the [[China Democracy Party]] was founded and legally registered by some local authorities. The Democracy Wall Movement dissident [[Wei Jingsheng]] was released and exiled, China signed the [[International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights]], and China was visited by US President [[Bill Clinton]] and UN Human Rights Commissioner [[Mary Robinson]] at this time.  By the end of 1998 the government had again cracked down on leading dissidents and those involved in the fledgling opposition [[Chinese Democracy Party]].