E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Carlos Barria / Reuters
Men guarding building G of Chaoyang Hospital, where blind rights activist Chen Guangcheng was reported to be staying, eat ice-cream at the entrance of the hospital in Beijing Saturday.
No matter whether China makes a rare concession to allow legal activist Chen Guangcheng to leave the country with his family, other dissidents say they don't expect a broader easing of controls.
Authorities may choose to tighten the screws on prominent critics to prevent them from taking encouragement from Chen's case to challenge the leadership.
On Saturday, Chen, who fled house arrest and took refuge in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, was believed to be still in the hospital, where he was taken to get medical care joined by his wife and two children.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton -- in Beijing this past week for annual talks -- left China Saturday, leaving Chen behind despite his reported comments that he wanted to leave the country on her plane. She apparently did not meet him in person.
A symbol in China's civil rights movement, Chen may be able to leave to study in the United States in the coming days or weeks under still-evolving arrangements announced Friday by Washington and Beijing to end a weeklong diplomatic standoff over his case.
If negotiations are successful, Chen Guangcheng's family will come to the U.S. on a student visa where he would study at NYU. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.
It was unclear if the Chens submitted passport applications, as the Chinese Foreign Ministry said they could Friday, to enable them to travel. His cell phone constantly rang unanswered.
The blind activist's flight to safety in the embassy has provided a much-needed morale boost for a dissident community that over the last year has been debilitated by the government's massive security crackdown aimed at preventing Arab-style democratic uprisings. Dozens of activists, rights lawyers, intellectuals and others have been detained, questioned and even in some cases, tortured.
Blind activist: What did he do to rile Beijing?
The turn of events for Chen, while welcomed by most activists and dissidents, is seen only as an individual victory and not likely to pave the way for improvements in China's attitude toward its critics.
"I think that after the Chen Guangcheng incident, the situation for us will just become worse and worse, because in today's society government power has no limits," said Liu Yi, an artist and Chen supporter who was assaulted Thursday by men he thinks were plainclothes police while he attempted to visit Chen in hospital.
Carlos Barria / Reuters
A woman argues with a police officer outside Chaoyang Hospital Saturday.
| Blind China activist offered US fellowship |
Liu Feiyue, a veteran activist who runs a rights monitoring network in the central province of Hubei, noted the importance of U.S. involvement in Chen's case. "This is only an individual case. Because it turned into a China-U.S. incident, the U.S. put a lot of pressure on China, which is why the authorities made a concession to allow Chen Guangcheng to study overseas," he said.
"Not all dissident cases can become international issues," Liu Feiyue said.
Chen, a self-taught legal activist, is best known for exposing forced abortions and sterilizations in his community in a scandal that prompted the central government to punish some local officials. His activism earned him the wrath of local authorities who punished him with nearly seven years of prison and house arrest.
Bill Richardson, former New Mexico governor and former United Nations ambassador, talks with Rachel Maddow about the diplomatic challenge the Obama administration faces with dissident Chen Guangcheng, and why Mitt Romney should cease politicizing the situation.
If Chen leaves, the officials who mistreated him and his family will likely not be held accountable — something Chen asked for in a video statement he made while in hiding in Beijing before entering the U.S. Embassy.
"Chen's story is not a triumph for China's human rights, unfortunately," said Wang Songlian, a Hong Kong-based researcher with the Chinese Human Rights Defenders. "Although Chen and his immediate family might gain freedom, his extended family is likely to be retaliated against. ... None of those whose violence Chen exposed, or those who beat and detained Chen and his family, have been punished."
| Blind dissident’s case a ‘hot potato’ for US-China |
There are concerns China would exact retribution on Chen's supporters who aided his escape, as well as friends who later tried to get the message out about his fears for his safety or publicly urged him to flee to the United States. Two supporters who helped him escape were detained, then released, but placed under gag orders and close monitoring.
Others, like Chen's friend Zeng Jinyan, who — at great risk to herself — publicized Chen's worries about leaving the embassy Wednesday, have since been barred from speaking to the media and placed under house arrest. Under similar restrictions is Teng Biao, a rights lawyer who repeatedly called Chen imploring him to flee the country, then published a transcript of their phone conversations online.
"They (the authorities) will certainly settle scores with them later," Teng told Chen, referring to the two supporters who aided Chen's escape.
Activist: I want to leave China 'on Clinton’s plane'
Some activists say local officials who have been watching dissidents in their own jurisdictions might beef up monitoring and restrictions on them to prevent them from attempting copycat escapes into diplomatic compounds.
"One guess is that they will learn a lesson from this experience and be stricter in guarding and monitoring similar key figures and take even harder measures against them," said Mo Zhixu, a liberal-minded author and Chen supporter.
Meanwhile, Clinton faced a fresh test on Saturday as she moved on to Bangladesh where the disappearance of an opposition leader has fueled growing tensions.
Clinton will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her opposition rival, Begum Khaleda Zia, and will also pay a call on Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, whose removal from the pioneering micro-lender Grameen Bank has been criticized by Washington.
A senior State Department official said Clinton's visit would highlight growing cooperation between Washington and Dhaka on everything from counter-terrorism and U.N. peacekeeping to global health and food security.
"Her visit is an opportunity to show Bangladesh's government and 160 million citizens that America is truly Bangladesh's partner," the official said.
But the trip will also likely put fresh focus on the Obama administration's commitment to human rights after the standoff in Beijing over Chen.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
More world news from msnbc.com and NBC News:
- Prostitute at center of Secret Service scandal speaks out
- Deal nears on blind China activist as US offers fellowship
- Blind activist: What did he do to rile Beijing?
- Meet Monsieur Caramel Pudding, likely French president
- Water access spurs resentment in West Bank
- Suicide bombers kill 12, wound 110 in Russia
- Apology to journalist fired for WWII surrender scoop
Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world
Leave a Comment:
People arguing that the US should 'let China take care of its own internal affairs' don't understand the US/China relationship.
US support for human rights and Chinese dissidents is the only political leverage we have with the Chinese government. If the US doesn't apply pressure on issues like Chen, then the US not only looks hypocritical regarding individual freedom but places US foreign policy in a weaker position with China and many other countries that routinely abuse human rights.
An old saying goes "If you borrow $5000 from a bank, the bank owns you, but if you borrow $5,000,000 then you own the bank. " Well, we own the bank. Tell them if they don't release him post haste, we will quit buying all their crappy goods and poisoned baby formula and refuse to pay them any money on the loans we have.
There is a cautionary lesson in this. First don't get too involved in the affairs of other countries. That means avoiding becoming dependent on them for anything. America's forefathers warned against this and it was as true then as it is today. Unless our country is threatened by invasion we should stay out of these countries and keep our country strong by being independent and self sustaining.
China has a huge population to sustain and their one child policy is still not enough to curb their growing problems. India many of the Muslim countries parts of South America and Africa have all overpopulated the carrying capacity of their environments. Western countries have allowed their borders to be overrun with immigrants trying to escape the problem that they created. Once many of these immigrants go to western countries they proceed to have multiple births and contribute to the overpopulation again. Is it any wonder that western countries that voluntarily reduced birth rate growth have grown tired of immigrants and populations that continually push to enter their countries? Isn't it time for these countries to solve their own problems instead of blaming the west and demanding more all the while having multiple children?
The ads for feed the children are so sad but the hard truth is that without birth control the situation will overwhelm western countries. I remember when Reagan stripped the distribution of contraceptives in developing third world countries. No president since Reagan has reinstated it and now we see the result. It is only a matter of time before a virus of some sort is unleashed on the population. Ever wonder why China has so many flu's coming out of their country and how they seem to be getting progressively more deadly?
I agree with you 100%. US should not have embargoed Japan for invading China, and just let Japan do her stuff in Asia and Australia and Japan would hopefully have left us alone.
I have to ask, how is he as an "activist" really helping people in China, if he was under house arrest and then fled to the US Embassy so he can escape to the US so he can pursue his studies, it was reported ?!
So he and his Family get a free ride to the US so he can live a whole new life, so again, how is he helping his fellow *dissidents*, he is showing them, "we cant do anything except think about our own hides, *escape* to the US, like millions of illegal immigrants do, just think about yourselves man, no one else". I really do not see why this man is getting so much attention.
He will see a different kind of attention in the US if he commits a *crime* and tries to escape under house arrest.
Chen is a self taught lawyer. In the early 2000's the local government where Chen lived was conducting forced abortions and sterilizations. Chen sued the local government in an attempt to end the practice. He was imprisoned for about 7 years, then released and placed under house arrest. During that time he continued to advocate for political and health rights for Chinese people.
If you are ignorant about an issue, then you should get off your butt and spend a few minutes on google doing research.
But then again, you are probably a Chinese government plant spouting propaganda and misinformation.
the article says people TORTURED so whats new the U.S. does it all the time JEFFERY MANNING, GITMO detainees! and those we don't know about! we have enough problems, again they are trying to take our eyes off the ball. wake up stupid americans!
We cannot solve the mexican problems, how in the hell can we solve China's. Keep China's problems in CHINA!
The central powers might need to put up a false front of democracy so people feel like they had a say in politics.
They would rig the outcome, of course, because it's China.
Hmmmm......... seems like they really are learning a few things from the west.
There is one way in which the Chinese Government has ALWAYS had it all over American Government; THEY have the patience to wait, take in the totality of a situation and see a task through to fruition even if the problem is multi-generational. Here in the USA everything is "get it done and move on"; Just remember the tale of the Tortoise and the Hare.
That's the difference between the Russians and the Chinese. The Russians (Kruchev) said, the Americans will sell us the rope that we will hang them with. The Chinese don't need to buy the rope as they will wait and watch us hang ourselves
Friends of Chen will be told he left China to study abroad. People outside of China will be told he is studying abroad but does not wish to disclose his location for privacy concerns. Either way he will disappear. China wins, freedom of speech loses, and the USA will abandon him and act as if it's just business as usual in dealing with China. When you lay with dogs you start to smell like dogs. Our government is taking on China's Taint in the policies we are adopting to take away women's rights and allowing oil and big business to have preferential treatment while taking away our voice as a nation.
Saturnsrim......Don't tell me........you drive a Prius? Are one of those big oil OWS people? This article is not about big oil so spew your libtard rhetoric on other posts that that discuss Capitalism.
trilliondollar
Spoken like a true republican comunist.
All said, his suggestion as to what will happen IN CHINA, seems a realistic appraisal of business as usual with the government over there. There are Chinese who could say much the same thing.... It might go along with when news came out in the west of there being no bread on the street's of Moscow; some Russians were like "so, when was there ever bread on the streets in Moscow?" and how/why Russians themselves can be some of the biggest cynics when it comes to politicians and their own leaders. They learned through experience....
And on that front, I remember hearinng an interview someone had with a Soviet defector in the 1980s. He was commenting on when he first came to the US with his son after escaping and heard on our news that "the US and Soviets want to be friends" with talk of Glasnost and what not. He said he turned to his son and said
He then explained that since then he had lived in the US long enough, that he now understands a few things. And the first thing is that the media pundit wasn't a KGB agent, she was just stupid ;)
/rofl
you had the opportunity to come to America and you turned it down. Sorry, offer is now gone. Get lost.
China just completed the 4th 5 year plan. That's 20 years of consistent strategic planning. Yes, they have corruption. So does everywhere else on Earth, just depending on what any particular system calls it. Here its called 'Superpac funds'.
In the U.S., planning consists of telling people whatever they want to hear before an election, then wrestling a deal out of the corporations that own this system and it's leadership, and then passing some useless law that costs a lot, suits the big money donors, and does little or nothing for the good of the country and its general population.
We don't really have any plans. Our leadership has the desire to grab power and keep it as long as possible regardless of how much of a mess they make or how badly they plan and execute our country's future.
Chinese Dissident: Part 2. "No Comment"
I have a phrase for Mitt Romney...and other Presidential candidates who want to score points BEFORE having ALL the facts: "No comment."
He criticized the Obama Administration's handling of the Chinese dissident when he has about as much Foreign Policy experience as a pancake!
Remember when FOREIGN POLICY was the Republican's "Litmus Test" for President. Foreign Policy was so big an issue, a question about "the Bush Doctrine" torpedoed Sarah Palin? John McCain was being touted as a MAVERICK?
So Mr. Romney: If YOU were negotiating with China on Chen, what would YOU do?
Would you JEOPARDIZE any chance to negotiate trade and other agreements with China OR would you support the dissident AND further annoy China who's already smarting over its loss of face...and lose potential co-operation?
Grab Chen and bomb Tiananmen Square to force the Chinese to co-operate?
IF it's true that China will let the dissident leave and to "study" New York University, then BOTH China and the U.S. CAN SAVE FACE!
THAT is "Diplomacy", Mr. Romney.
conlibe
Hmmm...I believe it was Nixon and Kissinger who "opened" Communist China to the West and essentially founded Wal Mart and other Big Box Stores. But, it was Clinton who granted Most Favored Nation trade status to them. Neither Party has been willing to stand up to the both the Chinese Communists and Big Capitalism in the West, who salivate at the prospect of selling everything from Kentucky Fried Chicken to Boeing commercial jets to what is potentially the largest consumer market on the planet.
While few would want to return to the days of the Cold War, perhaps it is a good time to begin exercising additional diplomatic pressure toward moving the Chi-Coms a bit closer to democratic-capitalism and to wake them up regarding the global menace, who lives next door to them, North Korea.
Ehh, I like pancakes but not Mitt.
YEAH! A Blind Activist -- He'll do a lot of good here?
Why don't we give Free Education to All Activist?
Better Yet Give Them All Amnesty!
This is a Real Vote Getter?
Funny how our government will spend millions to make America look good to the rest of the world but won’t do crap for its own people. And I don’t mean more welfare I mean more jobs that pay equal to our current RIP-OFF economy.
What does "pay equal to our current RIP-OFF economy" mean? I get the rest.
Oh yea and that fat guy eating the ice cream his human rights don't look abused
Yeah. I wonder why we helped Europe. Germany and Italy did not invade us. It was just Poland, Cech, etc. It was none of our business at all. And Africa and Asia were way out of our interest. We should have just trade wuth Germany, Italy and Japan, sell them the weapons we gave to China and Europe, and just got rich.
Who cares we have our own problems here in the U.S. We have to stop policing the world.
the us has just got too say no sometimes. lol.. why must all these descendants say they want to come to the us all the time?? why not some place like France,Spain,etc...lol. but we take them all.lmao!
As a present or ex-Marine, you should understand that Embassies are considered "sovereign territory." If a dissident reaches an embassy, it is the equivalent of reaching that country's soil. We have a long tradition in respecting the rights of individuals and their requests for political asylum.
Remember thanks to rich American job creators (the Filthy Rich) Closing all the factories and laying all their employees ,Remember downsizing in the early 90’s China now has a 1% and 99% just like America so I guess we Americans have done allot for the Chinese People we should Proud.
chinas success is due to systematic continuity.
the fact is that china's action is always a counter action against the western ways. but its always towards restoring its foundation that has made it into one of the most successful countries in the history.
personally, i think that china will outlive america, because history has shown and proven that countries like ours will inevitable self implode - whether we like it or not.
Please...Chinese history in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries wasn't so good for the average Chinese citizen...who went from exploitation by a feudal system, to exploitation by the West, and then to the terrorism of Maoist Communism. Things ARE now getting better, but I don't think you can point to "continuity" as the cause. Continuity does not necessarily mean stability or wide spread human progress.
well, it will either be continuity or evolution that determines whether a country can survive.
evolution however, does not guarantee success and longevity. a country is only as good as its government.
and unfortunately, a government can evolve into chaos, i.e. the opposite of continuity.
of course war will always help restore continuity, but its short lived.
also, history has shown that continuity can also be restore by an invading country that replaces a dysfunctional government with their own successful one.
ultimately, what ever the issues are that threatens china, it will overcome them and survive - even if it has to build another great wall.
hell, by comparison, with all our combine intellect and resources and machines, we can't even build a silly fence to defend our own borders.
A wage that you can survive on. Not one that you need to skip paying a bill just so you can buy Groceries.
Ah...OK. The pendulum swings back and forth. Since the industrial revolution, the American worker was first exploited by the "Robber Barons," who were eventually overcome by an alliance between government and organized labor. Then, much of organized labor became corrupt and exploited the American worker as well. That created, in turn, an anti-union environment, allowing the return of the Robber Barons, who had learned a thing or two about "sophisticated exploitation" as opposed to the former blunt force of the Pinkerton' Detective Agency.
The "match" is almost over. Why should someone pay you more than what they absolutely must pay you in order to get you to work?
Capitalism isn't charity...charity comes AFTER someone has made a pile of money and begins to seek redemption for the sins of competition (if not the exploitation of their employees, the competitors they beat along the way to their fortune). It's a good system...but it also has its flaws.
P.S. The "fat guy eating ice cream" is today's Chinese equivalent of the Pinkerton Detective Agency. Ten to one they are not their to protect the dissident from those getting in, but to prevent him from getting out.
P.S. "not there," not "not their."
It's not Chinese against its government, but Chinese against its corrupt culture. With corrupt Chinese culture the free democracy means total chaos on the earth. The first thing Chinese do in America is bribing their boss. It will take another thousand years for Chinese to metamorphosize or impossible forever.
not the american taxpayers problem..unless your obama!! president of the world!! i DID NOT VOTE FOR HIM AS PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD...ONLY THE UNITED STATES AND I AM SO OVER HIS BS !MY FRIEND AN NEIGHBORS STILL DO NOT HAVE "JOBS" SO WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT SOME DUDE FROM CHINA!! Clearly Obama cares !!! hope for Obama, Chen can vote in November because I want OBAMA OUT!!! I once elected Obama as president for the United States... NOT THE WORLD!!
This is an inappropriate intervention on the part of the Hilary Clinton, Obama and the US government. Giving this guy sanctuary in the US interrupts the natural social evolution that eventually will lead to some form of democracy for the citizens of mainland China. The roll of the US should be to apply economic sanctions; not to spit in the faces of the Chinese government. It makes no sense to remove from China those who may have a potential affect on productive change.
The rules of international diplomacy treat embassies as "sovereign territory" of the country they represent. Reaching the U.S. Embassy SHOULD HAVE BEEN as good as reaching California. That's the difference.
You are right about being patient about the slow, largely pacific, evolution of Chinese society...but occasional reminders about the need for them "to get on with it" are, IMO, essential to OUR national interest in supporting their inclusion in the global economy. Otherwise, trading with them and moving American jobs to China makes a mockery of our own values.
But this will help China remove a problem and that is what we do in this Country..Look at the countries Cuban WET FOOT DRY FOOT POLICY ...we take their problem citizens.. give them SSI (social secuirty), free housing and medical coverage paid by the government/tax payers and WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS GOAL OF GIVING FREEDOM FOR THE OPPRESSED HERE IN THIS COUNTRY!! SO OPEN UP YOUR WALLETS AMERICA... THE WORLD IS FULL OF OPPRESSIVE GOVERNMENTS AND PEOPLE WHO WANT TO COME HERE FOR OUR GENEROSITY THAT INCLUDES FINANCIAL SUPPORT!! If you are an unemployed American you are OUT OF LUCK!! You need to be Chinese or Cuban!!
Please...that's like saying my annual $50 contribution to the American Cancer Society won't cure cancer, so why give anything?
Hillary's decision not to take Chen back on her plane or to even meet with him, which on the surface might have seemed cold or even removed, was actually a shrewd and absolutely needed, high level diplomatic move on her part!
She was not going to fall into the trap of allowing this to become just another "photo op" for news desks around the World, and fodder for Fox News and the other screaming meemy hard right mags like the Globe in this country, which had she done so would certainly have ended up further complicating our relations with China, driving an even deeper wedge between the Chinese government and the U.S. than now already exists.
No, she was looking further down the diplomatic road than all these flag waving Right Wing critics of hers would have liked to convince you she should have done.
So congratulations Hillary and to all the Obama Cabinet; your handling of this has been exactly on target!
Which is another way of saying: You don't spit in the face of your banker.
Hillary and Obama's decision just makes them look hypocritical to the American public... Are we about humanitarian issues OR about the future of America business...the mixed message does nothing to make me feel the Obama Administration has a clue..If this guy and his family come to the United States then is the American public expected to take in ALL CHINESE DISSIDENTS?? This is what we do under the Cuban Wet Foot Dry Foot policy and it has cost the American public millions of dollars!! I am over the generosity of our politicians.. I want a government that thinks of American interest FIRST!! I am not about changing the WORLD...OUR DAYS AS A SUPER POWER ARE OVER THE DAY WE SOLD OUR SOULS AND BECAME DEBTORS TO CHINA!!
We are about both. That's one reason the Presidency is a tough job.
Blame it on Cheng the guy you help to get whatever he wants, and leave you behind.
Try get into the US embassy, in the name of human right, to see if the US will help you like they help CHeng
Wish you best luck
we as americans need to mind our own business
Don-3223716, If we shut our eyes and allow injustice to occur around the world, injustice here in America will only grow worse. Our sensitivity to the suffering we see around us, whether it be animal protection, child protection or human rights violations of any other kind, can only be dulled, even lost, if cold hearts are allowed to have their way.