April 1, 2016
Background:
A British husband, Peter Humphrey and his American wife Yi Yingzengwho both work for GlaxoSmithKline. In 2014 GlaxoSmithKline’s China subsidiary had some problems and they were sent to China.
But what they didn’t know was that there were changes in Chinese law that made what they normally do in China, illegal. They were arrested and were sentenced to prison in China in 2014.
The Chinese-American wife is the daughter of a close friend and classmate of Martin Packard (’49 PhD Stanford) who worked for Varian Associates a pioneer of Silicon Valley. The mother of Steve Jobs worked there as a bookkeeper. There was no one else to help the couple so Martin tried to help. He contacted both the American and British governments. But neither British nor the American government could help citing sovereignty issues.
After trying the British & US governments to no avail, Martin sought help via WAIS, I volunteered to help and got them out as I promised.
The couple’s ordeal is posted in a series of WAIS posts a selection of which is on my blog. If you’re interested to read the summary of the WAIS posts regarding that episode.
For this, Martin Packard met with my son and I to discuss the “Rise of Silicon Valley” a presentation he should have made in the 2015 WAIS Conference. But his medical condition has prevented him from making the presentation.
During our Nov. 28, 2015 lunch, my son and I found out that Varian Associates developed the following big-ticket items:
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The Bar Code
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The GPS (using 26 or so satellites)
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The atomic clock and other equipment used in the Apollo program.
But the more interesting discussion was about the rise of Silicon Valley as told by Martin Packard Stanford PhD ‘49 who was there at the very beginning. I asked five (5) questions about Silicon Valley, the answers to which should be of great interest to those who wish to be part of the next Silicon Valley.
On 9 AUG. 2014 a Chinese court sentenced British investigator Peter Humphrey and his American wife Yu Yingzeng prison sentences of two and a half years and two years, respectively, for illegally obtaining private citizens’ information, for work related to GlaxoSmithKline.
WAIS POSTS
JULY 08, 2014
- Trial of Yu Yingzeng and Peter Humphrey (Martin Packard, USA, July 08, 2014 3:27 am)
https://waisworld.org/go.jsp?id=02a&objectType=post&o=86417&objectTypeId=74147&topicId=10
My interest is personal, as we have known the family for perhaps 40 years. I worked with Yingzeng’s father at Stanford in 1946. He returned to the Beijing University. Yingzeng was born in China but was separated from her family, which was dispersed during the cultural revolution. After Nixon and Kissinger established relations with China, we began to host
AUGUST 09, 2014
- Verdict in Yu Yingzeng and Peter Humphrey Trial (Martin Packard, USA, Aug. 09, 2014 3:07 am)
https://waisworld.org/go.jsp?id=02a&objectType=post&o=87428&objectTypeId=74710&topicId=10
A Chinese court has given British investigator Peter Humphrey and his American wife Yu Yingzeng prison sentences of two and a half years and two years, respectively, for illegally obtaining private citizens’ information, for work related to GlaxoSmithKline.
AUGUST 10, 2014
- Yu Yingzeng and Peter Humphrey Case (Bienvenido Macario, USA) Sun, Aug 10, 2014 at 4:46 am
https://waisworld.org/go.jsp?id=02a&objectType=post&o=87454&objectTypeId=74726&topicId=10
I would vigorously support the humane treatment of Peter Humphrey and Yu Yingzeng while serving their respective sentences, as well as seek the application of the whole year’s incarceration from July 10, 2013 to Aug. 8, 2014 to their sentence, if not partial probation.
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The couple won’t be out until after Aug. 2016 if time spent in jail prior to conviction is not considered service of sentence. In this case Yu Yingzeng and Peter Humphrey would have spent three (3) years in jail.
JUNE 20, 2015
Excerpt: “I am happy to report that Yu Yingzeng and her husband Peter Humphrey from the UK have been freed after more than two years in Chinese jails. Yu Yingzeng had a month of her two-year sentence to serve. Peter Humphrey had seven more months of his two-and-a-half year term remaining.”
Yu Yingzeng and Peter Humphrey Freed (Martin Packard, USA, 06/20/15 6:25 am)
https://waisworld.org/go.jsp?id=02a&objectType=post&o=94542&objectTypeId=78454&topicId=10
Martin Packard’s Birthday Party March 9, 2014
Above: Orlo K. Steele (left) with WAIS editor John Eipper. Then a major O.K. Steele was the executive officer of 2d battalion 5th Marines during the Battle of Hue, (31 January 1968 – 2 March 1968) the longest and bloodiest of the Vietnam War. O.K. Steele graduated from Stanford in 1955 with a B.A. in Political Science.
