"Since this is a case concerning state secrets, the trial will not likely be open to the public," Mo Shaoping, Zhao's lawyer, told AFP. "It is also unlikely that the evidence will be presented in court.

"This is the way they (the state) handle (politically sensitive) cases."

Mo said the court informed him that the preliminary date for the trial had been set for June 8, but a formal notice would only be issued three days ahead of the hearing.

Zhao disappeared into police custody in September 2004 and was formally charged a month later with "divulging state secrets", a charge that carries the death penalty. He was charged with fraud in June 2005.

His arrest has caused a diplomatic row between China and the United States, with Washington repeatedly calling on Beijing to release Zhao and respect freedom of the press and freedom of expression.

The researcher was detained days after the New York Times reported that former Chinese president Jiang Zemin would resign from his top military post at a secretive high-level meeting of the Communist Party.

In March this year, just weeks ahead of a visit to the United States by Chinese President Hu Jintao, the Beijing Municipal No. 2 Intermediate Court announced that it was going to drop the charges against Zhao.

However in April the court again announced it was resuming prosecution of Zhao and only last week revealed that the charges against him "leaking state secrets and fraud" remained unchanged.

"The case is full of violations of legal procedures, the state is not following legal procedures," Mo said.

"If they arrest you, they have to charge you and try you in accordance with legal procedures, if they don't, then they have to release you."

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