Guangdong Provincial High People's Court rejected the appeal despite pressure from the US State Department and Congress.

Wang Bingzhang, 55, was sentenced by a court in the province, in southern China, after a one-day trial behind closed doors in January.

WANG BINGZHANG Jailed twice during the Cultural Revolution Permanent US resident Founded two political groups Click here for profile

The US-based Free China Movement said Wang's sister, Wang Mei, attended Friday's appeal and confirmed it had failed.

Wang was convicted for "violent terrorist activities" and was paid by Taiwan's espionage organisations to collect "state secrets", China said.

It was one of the first major political trials to be held since a new party leadership took over in China last year.

Wang, an active member in several overseas Chinese dissident and political groups, has denied the charges.

Missing in Vietnam

As a permanent US resident, Mr Wang's case attracted the attention of the US State Department and Congress, which have called for his release.

China said in December it had arrested Wang in the south of the country - he had disappeared in Vietnam six months earlier.

Friends and rights groups have accused Chinese agents of kidnapping him from Vietnam, where he had planned to meet Chinese labour leaders, and taking him to China.

Two other activists - Yue Wu and Zhang Qi - who were arrested with Wang, were cleared of all charges and freed.

Wang Bingzhang was jailed twice in China during the Cultural Revolution.

He moved to North America in 1979, founded the magazine China Spring, and organised the Chinese Alliance for Democracy in New York.

He made headlines in 1998 for sneaking into China and getting expelled.