On August 19th, the Federal Court in Oakland, California, began the trial of the Stanford University Board of Trustees regarding the lawsuit filed by the widow of Lee Rui, Zhang Yuzhen, and others to determine the ownership of Lee Rui’s diaries. The case is being presided over by Judge Jon S. Tigar.
The second day of the trial on August 20th saw Lee Nanyang and her three lawyers in attendance, while the 90-year-old Zhang Yuzhen did not appear in court for the second day in a row, represented only by two lawyers. The courtroom had over ten attendees, including journalists, many of Lee Nanyang’s friends, and Lin Peirui, a sinologist and retired professor from Princeton University who currently teaches at the University of California, Riverside. Lin Peirui appeared as a witness for the prosecution on Wednesday, the 21st.
The trial began at 8:30 in the morning and lasted until 12:30 in the afternoon with two breaks in between. During the trial, as the key witness for the prosecution, Lee Nanyang detailed the process of donating the diaries and other materials to Stanford University’s Hoover Institution in accordance with her father’s wishes by submitting evidence such as diaries, emails, letters, and call recordings.
Lee Nanyang’s lawyer, Mark Litvack, stated, “We believe these diaries should belong to the Hoover Institution because it was Lee Rui’s wish.” The defense had only expert witnesses testify during the trial, so we will cross-examine them during their testimonies. The lawyer also noted that witnesses are usually not allowed to be interviewed by journalists during the trial as it could be seen as interfering with the judicial process.
A lady named Mei who attended the trial commented that from Lee Nanyang’s testimony, it was evident that Lee Rui was aware of and supported his daughter’s actions. He even felt honored because he knew the Hoover Institution was a place that preserved historical documents like Chiang Kai-shek’s diaries and many other valuable historical documents. He explicitly expressed the desire to donate the diaries to the Hoover Institution and stated before his passing that he hoped this news would be made public only after his death, fearing that if the Chinese Communist Party found out, it could cause trouble for his family.
Mei also praised Lee Nanyang’s courage, believing that she was protecting extremely valuable historical materials for the people.
Longtime friends of Lee Nanyang, Mr. and Mrs. Freda Chang, mentioned that the Communist Party would do its best to block any information that is unfavorable to them. They emphasized the significant importance of these materials remaining in the United States if successful.
According to an anonymous attendee of the trial on the 19th, Zhang Yuzhen’s lawyers argued that Lee Rui’s diaries should belong to Zhang Yuzhen. They emphasized that without a formal written will from Lee Rui, it cannot be confirmed whether he intended to donate the diaries to the Hoover Institution or if Lee Nanyang had the authority to handle these diaries. The trial on the ownership of Lee Rui’s diaries at the Federal Court in Oakland is expected to last for two weeks. Moreover, the defense lawyers declined interview requests.
Before his passing, Lee Rui’s daughter Lee Nanyang donated his diaries, letters, and work notes from the Lushan Conference and participation in land reform to the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Lee Rui’s diaries extensively documented his firsthand experiences of Chinese Communist history from 1935 to 2018, totaling over ten million words.
On February 16, 2019, Lee Rui passed away in Beijing.
On March 21, Zhang Yuzhen’s lawyers wrote to Stanford University claiming ownership of these diaries and requesting their return. On April 2, Zhang Yuzhen filed a lawsuit in the Xicheng District Court of Beijing, and the case was heard on June 25. The final judgment by the Chinese court ruled that Lee Nanyang must return the original documents of Lee Rui’s materials. In May of the same year, Stanford University filed a counterclaim in California to challenge Zhang Yuzhen’s ownership claim of the diaries.
On July 12, 2019, the Hoover Institution Library and Archives opened Lee Rui’s diaries to the public and announced that his materials, including correspondence, diaries, meeting records, work notes, poetry, printed materials, and photographs, are closely related to China’s major policies, providing a unique pathway for understanding the Chinese government from Mao Zedong to the present day.