Vilnius, 5 September 2000 (RFE/RL) - China's parliament leader, Li Peng, is due in Vilnius today in a visit apparently shortened by China's objection to an anti-Communist congress being held there. Lithuania said yesterday that Li was scheduled to spend two days meeting Lithuanian leaders, but when China learned of the anti-Communist congress, his visit was shortened to two hours at the airport.
The head of Lithuania's parliament, Vytautas Landsbergis, who helped arrange the congress, said he will meet Li at the airport. Li is the second most powerful person in China's Communist Party.
A conference organizer, Vytautas Zabiela, says the congress cannot influence relations between two states. He says the congress will only look into communist crimes in Eastern Europe and the Baltic states.