GRAPEVINE

By DAVID ELLIS

The eight-line poem seemed innocent enough. Its themes of homesickness and patriotism clearly appealed to the conservative editors of the overseas edition of the People's Daily, where it appeared two weeks ago: "I miss my distant home/ Never will I give up my aspirations to serve my country." But hidden within these traditionalist sentiments, attributed to Zhu Haihong, a student studying in the U.S., was a subversive message. When the Chinese characters are read diagonally from upper right to lower left, a slap at the country's repressive and unpopular Premier becomes clear: Li Peng must step down to appease the people's anger. The secret slogan is the talk of Beijing. Meanwhile, enraged government officials have launched an investigation into the "political accident."

With reporting by Sidney Urquhart