The Chinese authorities, who last month unexpectedly dropped a state secrets case against a jailed researcher for The New York Times, have started an investigation period that could lead to reinstating the charges against him by early May, his lawyer said on Monday.

The possibility of resuming the case undercuts speculation that withdrawal of the case last month was intended as a prelude to releasing the researcher, Zhao Yan. The timing also means that a final decision on how to proceed with the politically delicate case will be delayed until weeks after President Hu Jintao has returned from his visit this week to the United States.

Until now, prosecutors and other Chinese officials have

refused to clarify the status of the case or even take telephone calls from the defence team. The new investigation period was disclosed Monday afternoon after one of Zhao’s defense lawyers reached a prosecutor on the telephone for the first time in weeks. The prosecutor said that in late March, days after the withdrawal of the case, the authorities had initiated a new

six-week investigation.

At the end of that period in early May, investigators will decide whether to reinstate the charges. Technically there is still a chance that Zhao will be freed. But Mo Shaoping, the lead defense lawyer, said he also spoke Monday to a person in a higher office who indicated that the prosecution against Zhao would probably be “resumed.” Zhao, 44, has been jailed for 19 months on charges of fraud and disclosure of state secrets to The Times. He has denied the charges, and The Times has said Zhao did not provide the newspaper with any state secrets. On March 17 a Beijing court granted a prosecution request to withdraw the case. The move prompted speculation that Zhao might be released, possibly in a good-will gesture in advance of President Hu’s trip.

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