The Democracy Party of China (DPC; ) is a political party that started in the People's Republic of China, and was banned by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The history of the DPC and its foundation date is unclear because it has many historical paths under different groups of founders. According to western sources, it is generally recognized to have assembled in 1998 by democracy activists and former student leaders from the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. History Foundation While the earliest date listed for its founding is 25 June 1998, the group registered the party on 28 June when US President Bill Clinton was visiting China. Wang Youcai, one of the main activists during the 1989 Tiananmen protest along with Wang Donghai and Lin Hui went to the Civil Public Affair Hall of Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province to officially register the party. Their registration was declined. Communist Party response The next day on 29 June, Wang was arrested by the state police at his home. He was charged with creating opposition against the Chinese government. His trial began on 18 December, and as he had no lawyer defence, his trial lasted only a few hours. He was quickly sentenced on 21 December to 11 years of imprisonment and three years of deprivation of political rights for subversion. He was released from prison and exiled in 2004 under international political pressure, especially from the United States. On the same day, Xu Wenli, a 55-year-old member was also sentenced to 13 years for overthrowing the Communist party. On 24 December 2002, Xu was exiled to America on grounds of medical parole. On 22 December, Qin Yongmin was sentenced to 12 years in prison for harming state securities. Li Peng, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress at the time proclaimed, "If a group is designed to negate the leadership of the Communist Party, then it will not be allowed to exist." The Communist party declared the DPC an illegal organization, followed by a crackdown in Beijing in 1998. After the sentencing on 23 December, the Supreme People's Court then declared that, "anyone who knowingly publishes, prints, copies, or distributes material containing incitement to overthrow state power and the socialist system or split the country" could be tried for crimes. Such charges could result in life sentences for film directors, computer software developers, writers and artists, and media and publishing