China's Communist Party expels a former top city official five days after Amnesty International urges Beijing to probe allegations he was tortured into confessing to corruption. Floods sweeping across southern China after torrential summer rains kill 46 more people in eastern Anhui province, bringing the total number of deaths to at least 428. July 13 China hopes Tokyo will maintain political stability after Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto announces he will resign following his party's setback in a parliamentary poll. Palestinian President Yasser Arafat arrives in Beijing to seek China's help to revive the stalled Middle East peace process. Chinese national television lifts the shroud of secrecy from the country's court proceedings with the first live broadcast of a trial.
China releases four of nine dissidents detained for trying to set up an opposition party.
July 14 Chinese police release another dissident from a group detained in a round-up over an attempt to register an opposition political party. Japanese Foreign Minister Keizo Obuchi cancels a trip to China because of the uncertain political situation in Tokyo. July 15 Yasser Arafat insists on action from Israel to revive the Middle East peace process, and says Beijing pledged financial support for his Palestinian Authority at the end of a three-day visit to China. Russian Prime Minister Sergei Kiriyenko, on his first official visit to China in his new post, talks trade with Zhu Rongji. July 16 China opposes any moves by Paris to sell arms to arch-rival Taiwan after reports that France could resume weapons sales to the island.