Huanqiu Shibao, or Global Times, a state newspaper under People’s Daily, published a commentary that denounced Gao Zhisheng as a pawn that the West uses in its political battle with China.

The commentary labeled Gao as the "Western touted ‘rights attorney’" and said that he had written three open letters to the top leaders of China, asking that China stop the "persecution" of Falun Gong.

It stated, "Gao’s wife and two children live in the U.S. The Western media has provided a large amount of support for him. [All these] make his interest in Chinese society different from the majority of attorneys."

"The West concentrates the focus of China’s human rights on a few political dissidents and heaps cynicism on China’s large-scale improvement of its citizen’s rights. Gao Zhisheng and others, in fact, have become a lever that the West uses in its political combat with China. They all know this well and have thus collaborated with [the West.]"

The article further warned Gao to stay away from politics; otherwise he will be a "target of sanctions under the law." "In any society, politics and law are very close to each other. If a person combines his individual actions together with actions that challenge national security and the fundamental political system, he is very likely, sooner or later, to cross the legal red line."

Source: Huanqiu Online, August 5, 2014
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/shanrenping/2014-08/5099388.html