The U.S. government is pressing Beijing to release an American engineer accused of bribery and espionage. The move comes just weeks before President Bush makes an official visit to China. U.S. Ambassador Clark Randt sent a letter to China's Foreign Ministry complaining about the poor treatment and protracted detention of Fong Fuming.

Mr. Fong, a 67-year-old electrical engineer, has been in Chinese custody for nearly two years. He is said to suffer from heart and back problems and has been denied his glasses for much of his pre-trial detention.

The Chinese-born U.S. citizen is accused of paying thousands of dollars in bribes and obtaining secret documents about the Chinese electric power industry. Mr. Fong once worked in China's power industry, but was representing foreign firms at the time of the alleged crime.

Mr. Fong has had two brief hearings in Chinese courts, but has not been either convicted or acquitted.

The U.S. side has complained that Chinese officials violated international practices by holding Mr. Fong for months without indicting him. His lawyer says China broke its own laws by missing deadlines for handling Mr. Fong's case and for issuing rulings in the matter.

Sino-U.S. relations have been warming since September's terrorist attacks on the United States, and Mr. Fong's relatives say that gives them hope he might be released. President Bush is set to visit Beijing later this month, and Mr. Fong's supporters apparently hope China will release the U.S. citizen as a good will gesture.

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