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Subscribe to RSSThe blind Chinese dissident also asked to live in the United States with his family, after the U.S. appeared to have brokered a deal that allowed him to stay in China. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.
UPDATED: 5:36 p.m. ET -- Blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng spoke on the telephone during a Congressional Executive Commission on China hearing, asking for help to leave China with his family.
Chen told the commission he would be in a much worse situation had he not been taken into the U.S. embassy, adding that he wanted to thank Secretary of State Hillary Clinton face to face.
Speaking through a translator, Chen said he is concerned about the safety of his mother and brothers, adding he would want to find out how they were doing.
Frantic efforts to resolve the diplomatic wrangle surrounding Chen continued in Beijing Thursday after he appealed for asylum following what was described as a "change of heart" over an earlier deal.
U.S. officials said they are still trying to help the lawyer, who says he fears for his family's safety, and denied he was pressured to leave the American Embassy to resettle inside China in exchange for guarantees about his future treatment.
Chen said by telephone from hospital, where he was escorted by U.S. officials and was being treated for a broken foot, that he had changed his mind about the resettlement deal after talking with his wife, who spoke of recent threats made against his family.
In a string of interviews, he said he now wants to leave China as soon as possible. “My fervent hope is that it would be possible for me and my family to leave for the U.S. on Hillary Clinton’s plane,” he told the Daily Beast.
A senior State Department official told reporters on Thursday that officials were "trying to get full, frank and candid conversation with him," adding: "We are not there yet. If he is changing his view, we're starting from square one with the Chinese."
"When we feel that we have a clear view of what his final decision is, we will do what we can to help him achieve that," the official said.
A source familiar with the situation said Chen and his wife appeared to have had "a change of heart" about a deal, agreed on Tuesday, to remain in China after receiving guarantees about their safety.
U.S. Ambassador Gary Locke discusses the blind activist Chen Guangcheng's apparent 'change of heart' and how the U.S. is trying to help resolve the issue.
China censors 'Shawshank' as Clinton heads to Beijing amid dissident drama
"We don't know if there was intimidation or pressure from friends who think he made the wrong choice, or whether he got in the room with his wife and she was looking at a different situation," the source added.
The New York Times reported that the saga leaves Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's scheduled summit meeting in Beijing "under a cloud of confusion."
It reported that the Obama administration was "exposed to criticism from Republicans and human rights groups that it had rushed to resolve a delicate human rights case so that it would not overshadow other matters on the bilateral agenda," such as the Iranian and North Korean nuclear programs and China's currency and trade policies.
'I feel unsafe'
Chen, a self-taught legal activist, explained his change of mind: "I feel very unsafe. My rights and safety cannot be assured here," he said. His family, who were with him at the hospital, backed his decision to try to reach the United States, he added.
Blind activist: Chinese officials threatened my wife
The activist, citing descriptions from his wife, Yuan Weijing, said his family had been surrounded by Chinese officials who menaced them and filled the family home. Chen, from a village in rural Shandong province, has two children.
"When I was inside the American Embassy, I didn't have my family, and so I didn't understand some things. After I was able to meet them, my ideas changed."
Us Embassy Beijing Press Office / AFP - Getty Images
In handout photograph from the US Embassy Beijing Press office taken on Wednesday, Chen Guangcheng together with US ambassador to China Gary Locke as Chen's wife Yuan Weijing and children meet him in Beijing.
Gary Locke, the U.S. ambassador, told reporters he could say unequivocally that Chen was never pressured to leave the embassy.
Locke said Chen had two conversations with his wife before agreeing to the original deal on Tuesday. "We waited several minutes and suddenly he jumped up very eager and said 'let's go' in front of many witnesses," the ambassador said.
Clinton urged China to protect human rights but made no specific mention of Chen, whom she had spoken to on Wednesday after he left the embassy.
Blind dissident's case a 'hot potato' for US-China relations
"Of course, as part of our dialogue, the United States raises the importance of human rights and fundamental freedoms," Clinton said. "We believe all governments have to answer our citizens' aspirations for dignity and the rule of law and that no nation can or should deny those rights."
US-China relationship under pressure
Despite Chen's change of heart about staying in China, it was unclear if he would be able to travel to the United States. Having left the Embassy and the protection of U.S. authorities, his fate is now in the hands of the Chinese government.
U.S. officials appeared no longer to be with him on Thursday, with the dissident saying he had still not had an opportunity to explain his change of heart to the U.S. side.
"I hope the U.S. will help me leave immediately. I want to go there for medical treatment," Chen said from the hospital, where a pack of camera crews and reporters was waiting outside, kept away from the entrance by a few police.
Chen, 40, is a legal activist who campaigned against forced abortions under China's "one-child" policy. On April 22, he escaped 19 months of house arrest, during which he and his family faced beatings and threats.
Us Embassy Beijing Press Office / Reuters
An handout photo from US Embassy Beijing Press office shows blind activist Chen Guangcheng making a phone call as he is accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke, Wednesday.
Chen's dramatic escape from house arrest and his flight last week to the U.S. Embassy have made him a symbol of resistance to China's shackles on dissent, and the deal struck by Beijing and Washington would have made him an international test case of how tight or lose those restrictions remain.
Now, however, his change of mind throws not only his own future into doubt but also raises questions about the wider U.S.-China relationship.
Reuters, The Associated Press, NBC's Kristin Wilson and msnbc.com's Alastair Jamieson contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
He's a Chinese citizen in China. America has no right nor responsibility for anything about him or his family. He is using the US as a tool to further his agenda. He is purposely interfering with US/China relations for personal reasons. Leave him there he is not our problem. As was mentioned in an earlier post he will be a PR nightmare for China, they should let him quietly go away.
Yeah, China cares about their PR... That's why the "Free Tibet" thing moved on so quickly. They altered their position DRASTICALLY when threatened with PR...
Of course, they ALWAYS do! The PR angle is a good one!! Look how quickly North Vietnam and Cuba folded when faced with bad PR! DUDE! YOU are a GENIUS!!
And the leaflets, etc. that we dropped in the Mid-East during our recent war... Now THOSE made a HUGE difference!! Shortened our war to "not yet finished"!! Yeah, definitely! This PR threat will work...
Spot on! That is exactly what he is doing and our idiot government is playing right into it.
"I feel very unsafe. My rights and safety cannot be assured here," and this holds true for EVERY Chinese citizen. Unfortunately, the Communist Chinese government have outlawed the private ownership of guns so the Chinese people can not rise up and overthrow their government as the Americans did in 1776. Yep, if you want to totally control a group of people, disarm them first, and then you can do what you please with them. America must let this man and his family into the U.S.. Maybe Eric Holder can implement another "Fast and Furious" scheme to get guns into China so the people can fight for their freedom. This man could do much in helping the Chinese people to finally decide to become a free people.
Sounds like he is calling the shots. "I want" so he will get. Wow!
You mean the Chinese Government might be entirely behind this ruse?
China may be staging this to draw attention away from the land/sea grab in the South China Sea...
The Chinese Navy is standing toe to toe with the Philippines Navy...
Date: Friday Apr. 20, 2012 6:34 AM ET
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines on Friday accused China of escalating the countries' 10-day standoff in the disputed South China Sea by sending a third patrol vessel to a shoal where both sides claim sovereignty... Read more: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/World/20120420/south-china-sea-standoff-120420/#ixzz1toHjyV00
Oh give me a break, this guy sees away to get a free ride to the USA with his family and get a free education (did you miss the part where he said he wanted to become a lawyer). Not on my dime. How would we like it if China stepped in and took one of our citizens because they felt "mistreated", on second thought that might not be so bad. It is another country's affair we need to keep our nose out of other country's business. It is his country let him deal with them and them with him. He wanted to be an activist now he does not want to pay the price. Whah Wahh.
I am beginning to smell a large Chinese rat here.
1. The guy is "blind" yet somehow he was able to climb a fence/wall/whatever with guards all around.
2. Somehow he was able to arrange transportation on the spur of the moment to Beijing several hundred miles away.
3. He was not stopped along the way even after his guards realized he had disappeared and in the amount of time it took to drive a couple of hundred miles highway patrols were unable to find him.
4. They (he and his driver) simply drove into Beijing up to the US Embassy and asked for asylum.
5. The timing of this escapade could not have been worse for the US, coincidence - pardon me while I doubt that very much.
6. Now he is back in Chinese Authorities hands and yet he is being allowed to demand flight back to the US "on Clinton's aircraft" (China would allow this to happen only if it suites their purpose).
Too bad we can not get the truth here - and yes WE CAN HANDLE THE TRUTH it is lies we cannot tolerate.
China is playing us like a violin!
There was nothing that strange when he got help from his supporters. As reported, he was not alone when he escaped from his home, a much easier situation than Shawshan Redumption's one.
Cellisis you might be right but the timing of events and the availability of help and the apparent bumbling of the Chinese authorities (which doesn't happen all that often), etc. sounds like the kind of planning that went into Seal Team 6's take out of OBL. I for one remain skeptical.
As pointed earlier in one of the post, why America ? There are other countries.
His case for asylum is weak, the chinese government already offered him and his family safe heaven. We should just take it at that and be done with this distraction. There is no credible threat to his safety.
If he truly believes in what he is fighting for, the battle is in China, not in the USA or other country unless the main reason is he wants to have more kids.
United States is being played....SUCKERS
While we may not agree with the action of the Chinese this is an internal matter within a sovereign country.We need to start respecting the sovereignty of other countries. Just because we have run operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan doesn't mean we have the right to stir up unrest in other countries. How do we feel then the Mexican Drug Cartels violence spills over into our country? We are targeting private citizens inside the borders of other countries. Recently the US government said it had the right to hunt and kill US citizens abroad. This from a country that until that time didn't even admit that we used assassination as a tool against certain people.
So, the man thinks Ms. Clinton should provide him with free air-taxi service? I suppose it's touching that he apparently thinks of the United States as a country which is so dedicated to the principle of individual liberty that he could simply wander into the U.S. Embassy and all would be well. Evidently no one's bothered to inform him that the United States is currently busily engaged in stripping away the personal liberties and rights of its own citizens, which makes the piteous declarations issued first by Mr. Bush and now by Mr. Obama concerning how the rights of various oppressed peoples overseas are being violated seem all the more cynical when one stops to think about it.
Next stop U.S university's to give paid speeches . Do i hear the first bid of one hundred thousand per speech. Pathetic. Lets not forget the free home, set-up bank account with plenty of money and last but not least free educations to any Ivy League college to any of his relatives choice. The American dream .
P.S the American dream is no longer set for our own. You wait and see this joker will be in high demand on close to every major university (paid of course) for his so-called trials and tribulations of his mother ship China. Look out all you vegans and sock heads your next super star will be on tour soon.
This is a story that has been staged for the press. Chin is not our problem. Our problem is that MSNBC treats this story as though it were our problem.
Bill MSNBC is one of ALL news services carrying this story- check the other news URL's and watch television. Don't shoot the messenger look behind the scenes and find out who is manipulating this story or is a a collusion between China AND the US Government. Does anyone know? I doubt it.
Let them keep him. He is chinese. He is there citizen. He stood up for a good cause and did the right thing. I will give him that. However, he knew what would happen. He knew where he was living. He knew how bad it was. Like I said, I give him kudos for seeing all that and standing up to them. I am also reminded of a couple of phrases, "Dont let your mouth write checks that your butt can't cash." "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time." I think he changed his mind because he did not become the hero that he thought. He assumed he would be one of those that got so popular the government wouldn't touch him. Because they don't want to make him a martyr. Of course, the best laid plans of mice and men. I am reminded of a story where a chihuahua is walking along side a Pit Bull. They walk past the zoo and the chihuahua goes ape and starts barking and growling at the tiger pacing behind the large gate of his cage. Then he runs over and hides behind the pit bull. Then they walk off. A little ways down the street the tiger came running up and mauled the little dog to death. When in heaven the little dog walked up to the gates and heard a voice, "You may ask any question you want, my son." Any question? Any question at all, the little dog thought. Secret of the universe? Meaning of life? Hours, days, weeks he thought and thought. Then the little dog looks up and says, "Who opened the damn gate!?" If they give in to what he wants it won't be pretty. First China will hate us. Which is nothing new, but still. Diplomacy. Second. Every wing nut, wack job "activist" will be calling on us to save them after they shoot thier mouths off. Whether thier cause is just or not.
Obummer better be careful. If China calls their bonds, this country is toast.
I finally saw a string of aware people speaking up. Made me fuzzy inside. So I must go now before that's ruined.
I'd like to go to Amsterdam, have Mrs. Clinton pick me up after she gets done playing taxi for the blind guy.
He is in no way our responsibility...not an American. If they bring him here on her plane, just because he wants them to I will lose all respect for the current administration.
I'm not against allowing him into America, but let his supporters get him here
So, Chen refuses asylum at the US Embassy, walks out on his own (as reported by the BBC) and now wants to fly away with the US Secretary of State. Before this whole thing became an issue via a few Twitters and Facebook posts, no one knew who Chen was, or what his cause would be. If Chen and his family were under "house arrest" where did he get the designer clothing and sunglasses? What if this entire matter was created by the Chinese Government to embarrass the Secretary of State?
I doubt they would have to work very hard to embarass her.
Let's see what the "Chinese Sell-Out" Clinton will do now. Backed by her Coward Boss Hussein, they will actually have to take a stand and make a real decision, they can't run from, hide from or Blame on someone else. But we know they will try their hardest to do just that.
Talk about confusion. There is probably confusion everywhere she goes as everybody wonders what she is doing there.
1 chinese out of 3 billion chinese demands a free ride to the US on Hillary Clinton's plane because of how his government treats him? Why is this an issue? Sounds like an insatiable appetite for things made in china. Believe you me no one will remember Chen next month. By the way, is he the holder of a US passport? And remind me: what did he promise to contribute to the US?
The US needs to concentrate on real issues affecting US citizens and stop interfering in domestic issues of sovereign countries. And shame on the GOP trying to make political mileage from this.
This person had the opportunity to request asylum while at the embassy.
Why now does he specifically ask to be flown out of China on Clinton's plane?
Sounds like a way to stoke the US-China conflict to me.
This dude sounds a bit loony to me. One minute he want to leave then he wants medical help and will stay now he want a kiss and hug from Hillary. It's just crazy.
I agree with GA Girl. There's something off about this guy. I have taught Chinese for many years and have spent a lot of time in China. This guy strikes me as someone suffering from a loud personality disorder. His behavior is not logical by western or Chinese standards. I wonder about details of his back story. Maybe it was not only his objection to the behavior of local officials, but the way he made his points that got him into trouble.
Please do not interpret this to mean that I do not believe bad things are done in some places in the name of the One Child Policy. However, I can tell you that the Chinese people I know are not cringing in fear of something their government might do to them. They know their system and they work it, just like we do ours. The Chinese people I have met are eager, fun, like a lot of the same things we do, enjoy spending time with their families and work hard to provide for them.
I know several families that have more than one child. Some paid fines; some didn't receive ration books for their second child (Ration books are a thing of the past. They helped people supplement their food buying.) to some nothing happened at all. When I asked, they just shrugged and said nothing happened. Sure, I think the average Chinese would prefer to have another child or two, but they don't seem to obsess about it, and some younger couples I know don't want children at all.
The Chinese don't love their government (who does?), but they do love their country. They are very invested in its future. Most of them would look at Mr. Chen and think he was a bit crazy, not because he objects to what his local government has done (most Chinese people would be horrified if what he claims is true), but because instead of working the system to change things he has made himself spectacle, endangered his family and embarrassed himself, his family, his country and out country. By Chinese standards, weird.
Classic case of cold feet and regret. Just wish he'd have asked for asylum when he first went, then there would be no problem. Now he's making everyone a little irritated with him.
Here we go: http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/chen-guangcheng-ignored-hillary-clinton_643110.html
'ole thunder thighs is more interested in what's on the buffet table.
Ok I am confused, he was under house arrest where he recieved beatings and his family was threatened daily, was he at his house with his family? And then he escaped from that house and left his family behind? It sounds like he was protesting a good cause but every country has its laws if he was breaking China's who are we to get involved in any of this? And now he wants a free ride to do what in this country?
Well at least he is certifibly blind.
If he be wanna kiss Hillary gotta be blind.
Wonder if he has a cigar? Big one?
Nasty comments and inferences just negate anythng intelligent you might have to say on this topic.