Understanding "Hostage-Diplomacy": The Release of Wei Jingsheng and Wang Dan

China recently has released two of its most prominent dissidents, Wei Jingsheng and Wang Dan, into exile in the United States. The releases corresponded to major United States-Chinese diplomatic initiatives without broader gains in allowing political dissent, causing a number of commentators to refer to them as "hostage-diplomacy."' This New Development explores what it means to think of the releases in this way and the implications for future strategic engagement with China.