"This means that Wang has been set free and his case no longer exists," said Wang's lawyer Huang Guosheng.

Huang pointed out that ending a case this way violates the standard legal procedure, and by withdrawing the charges the court will be saved from facing its legal responsibilities.

According to Huang, standard procedure dictates that the court proceed with the trial and declare Wang's innocence based on the evidence. "The court downplayed the wrongful conviction," Huang said.

He said that by taking this action, the court could be saved from embarrassment. In addition, in the event Wang was found innocent, certain people involved in his case would have had to face certain consequences, but that would no longer be the case once the charge was withdrawn.

"Both my family and I are still waiting for the court to declare my innocence. I can't accept it if I don't receive a verdict from the court," Wang told the Global Times Monday.

Wang said that local officials told him that some higher ranking officials are working on his compensation.