Keith Bedford / Reuters
Blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng, center, is helped by his wife, Yuan Weijing, right, after arriving in New York on Saturday.
Updated at 11:15 p.m. ET: Blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng arrived in the United States on Saturday after China allowed him to leave a hospital in Beijing in a move that could end a diplomatic tussle between the two countries, NBC News reported.
Chen's escape from house arrest in northeastern China last month and subsequent stay in the U.S. Embassy was a huge embarrassment for China and led to a diplomatic rift while U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was visiting Beijing for talks to improve ties between the world's two biggest economies.
A United Airlines plane carrying Chen, his wife and two children, landed in at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday, said NBC News' Bo Gu, who was on board the flight.
During his flight out of China, Chen told Gu that he had to escape because his health was deteriorating quickly. He had a cast on his right leg but said he is recovering from an injury sustained during his escape.
He said he believes China’s central government is good-willed and all the evil done to him and his family was by the Shandong authorities. He said he hopes the central government will investigate.
Blind social activist Chen Guangcheng is starting a new life of freedom in the U.S. NBC's Michelle Franzen reports.
Chen was promised he could return to China anytime he wants, he told Gu. He said his children were not happy to leave China, though.
He also said he is concerned about his nephew, charged with attempted murder for injuring officials who broke into his house on the night Chen escaped.
He expressed concern that "acts of retribution may not have abated" in his hometown. The village of Dongshigu, where Chen's mother and other relatives remain, is still under lockdown.
Chen said after going on to New York that he was gratified the Chinese government had been dealing with his situation with "restraint and calm," Reuters reported.
"I hope to see that they continue to open discourse and earn the respect and trust of the people," Chen, speaking through a translator, told reporters outside a New York University housing building in Manhattan's Greenwich Village neighborhood.
"I'm very grateful for the assistance of the American Embassy and also (for) receiving a promise from the Chinese government for protection of my rights as a citizen over the long term," he said. "I believe that the promise from the central government is sincere and they are not lying to me."
"I believe that no matter how difficult the environment nothing is impossible as long as you put your heart to it ... I hope everybody works with me to promote justice and fairness in China," he said. "Equality and justice have no boundaries."
Chen is going to study as a fellow at the NYU School of Law, the institution said Saturday.
Earlier: Blind Chinese activist Chen leaves Beijing on flight to US
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HOLY $HIT, NBC.
Breaking News: Chen Left China for US.
Breaking News: Chen arrived in US.
NEXT breaking news: Chen took a dump and changed his diaper at the airport terminal.
Jeez, NBC, start reporting NEWS.
How do we know this guy is really blind? Maybe he's faking just to get into the country and start a laundry business or a Chinese restaurant. Something to ponder..
A blind man walks into a shop with his guide dog. He puts the lead on the dog and starts swinging it around thru the air. The horrified shop manager rushes up to the blind man and yells; "what are you doing to that poor dog?" The blind man replied; "I'm only having a look around".
Hey, what do they teach a blind gynaecologist in med school? How to read lips!!
Welcome to the United States, thanks for joining the rest of the world in coming over to let us take care of you and your family. Special thanks to Hillary for not caring about the United States and China's relations. Welcome.
This reminds us of a movie - The Great Escape
This blind brother is a bit silly but a lucky man to be benefited from this political game that played by all political opportunists. He needs to open his eye and see the reality.
He is a loser, a good example of Chinese people is one who works hard, has academic achievements or is a successful capitalist. Who is he? He is fighting to against Chinese “one child policy” Wise? Who is going to pay for the food stamps for those babies? Have we had enough of those low quality human being here? Now, we Americans are not minding our own problems but wanting to feed Chinese babies?
Are we as blind as this man? Who pays for his and his family’s expenses in US? Have we gotten a piece of treasure from China? What can he contribute to the US? Wake up Americans! Do not be blind!
Welcome to America. Land of the semi free, home of a few brave but mostly neurotic.
I suppose typing welcome to america is slightly worthless considering he is blind. My bad.
If this poor guy thinks he'll be free here,he better get use to being monitered.No longer the land of the Free,but the Land of the Semi Oppressed!
GOOD LUCK TO THIS GUY,HE'S GOING TO NEED IT!
He's coming from China. He's used to being monitored.
that's it I am going to set up a sun glass and white cane shop in every third world nation and make a fortune...who is with me on this one
all this wasted energy for one guy that has neither harmed us or will benefit us...picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue
Why did'nt they just tell him he was in the United States when he was living in China, Duh?
Crap!! That is all we need. A blind, foreign activist. I hate all activists, American, Chinese, I don't give a damn. I just hate activists. I would like to take his ass back to China along with all our home grown activists.
I hope that this man does not need health care now where he is. Unless he is very wealthy!
Chen will be coddled by the U.S.A. But, he will be closely monitored by both China and the U.S.A.
I wonder who paid to get him here! The U.S. wanting him or China getting rid of him.
I guess they have volunteers for translation. At least he gets free housing, scholarship and medical care for himself and his family. Scholarships are really nice to get.
It seems all we have in the U.S.A. any more is vocal activists. They got Mr. President Obama elected, Wall Street and GM saved for a short time, brought us the Occupy groups and even made Facebook with no actual productivity (except for advertising and giving up all available personal info to the government or whoever pays) worth $Billions...!!!!
Wonder how much money was borrowed from China for Facebook stock.....
Now to figure out how to get paid for being an activist .... and become a billionaire .... cold fusion?
Welcome to the "land of the queer and the home of the gay". By the way, who's gonna pay for his education? My tax dollars, well, what the hell, if my taxes are going to pay to build "missile shields" in Poland, Hungary, Cze Republic, Estonia, etc. Well, it doesn't make any difference if my money is going to pay for a blind chinese "activist", his wife and two kids.
In a US presidential election year, Chen's admission into USA is as a political pawn and political prisoner of both countries. The acceptance of Chen into USA has little to do with the promotion of 'human right' policy or promotion of freedom when USA has systematically assassinated foreign vocal critics of USA as well as a few vocal disloyal American citizens living abroad.
The notion that USA is the land of 'human rights' is a piece of government propaganda. At the home front, brutal police tactics prevent Americans the free exercise of the Constitutional guaranteed freedom to assemble and reddress the government. TSA's search and seizure, FBI's GPS tracking of people's movement, and DOJ eavedropping of phone calls all violated the 4th Amendment. As further indictment of America's disregard of 'human rights,' the Federal government has ordered and condoned the torture of war prisoners at Gitmo, Abu Graib(sic), Afghanistan, Yemen, and secrety jails throughout the globe. The 6th Amendment is trashed. It would be preposterous for the American government to grant more 'human rights' to Chen when the same goverrnment denies to its own people many of the Constitutional guaranteed human rights.
For the USA, Chen is a convenient PR ploy to negotiate political concessions in the future as well as neutralize any criticism that USA does not stand up to human right seekers.
If China is so oppressive why did they let him out of the country. I've been to China, engaged to a chinese woman and lived there for a while. Freedom in america is mostly myth. Police here abuse people more than they do there. If the air quality were better, I'd most likely leave the US and live in China. The blind activist has never been to the US until now and has no idea how oppressive the US is, he may change his mind in a few years and ask to go back.
The Bigots are alive and kicking eh there Midnight?
Never heard of Braille ?
I hope the US government will have 100 police tasked for monitoring him full time if US wants to match the monitoring power of where he came from.
a very poor guy. left his mother and look for fairness from his neibor. if he trusts his central government, he should have stayed in china to help his central government. a lier.
So now what? What kind of job is he going to get to provide for his family? Or are they just going to live off the goodwill of the American Taxpayers?
Well, he will get a nice place to live (luxury) and he will get a monthly ($5,000) stipend paid by US taxpayers. He will also get a tax ID number, healthcare and social security disability (he is blind). My wife works with Iraqi transplants and they live in luxury without a care in the world.
Welcome to America suckers!!!!!
Bob Fu, an activist himself and founder of ChinaAid, who called attention to Chen had better be Chen's financial sponsor, since Chen can't support his own family. My bet is that the U.S. taxpayer will unwittingly be paying some part of Chen's support. I just don't get how he'll study in the U.S. if he and his family don't speak English.
Since ChinaAid is supposedly a Christian-based entity, the Chinese churches across the country are probably helping support ChinaAid. Now that Chen's family will be living in one of the most expensive cities in the world and will require medical insurance, interpreters and basic living necessities (such as transportation which is not free to the blind in the U.S.), the Chinese churches will need to send more money to ChinaAid or ChinaAid will need to decrease the number of covert religious missions to China to incite dissention in China's rural communities.
He will live off the taxpayer and start a group for Chineese just like the Latino organizations are doing!! While the taxpayer supports them and send money back home to bring more Illegals to the US.
Why shouldn't he live off the American taxpayer when bigamist Mormon men can?
He's just gonna live off the taxpayer. You don't think Hillary and the Big O are payin do ya? I mean, out of their own pockets. <Sarcasm Inserted>
Green card holder actually has to live in the country (pay tax) for 5 years to qualify for public benefit. Oh wait, this is Chen we are talking about. He'll get citizenship tomorrow and live off you and me.
China is more friendly to blind people. They use special tiles on every, i mean every sidewalk where you can feel your way while walking. The money is different sizes so blind people know they aren't being cheated. lol the man just has no idea what america really is like and he'll wish he had stayed in china in not too long of time.
Great, another illegal alien and his family (who has not paid into the system) on social security disability and welfare.
Oh, he's legal, Hillary said. That's the end of it. Anyone caught moving the "Dissident's" furniture around or swapping dogs, you going go to jail.
HOw can he tell where he is? maybe by the smells, Does he get to go to the G8 to help the PRez!
Is he now going to be an activist here in the states?
Yes for Chineese Illegals:::::
It looks like the United States did China a favor. We should send them a bill.
We'd have to borrow it from them, or print it. Hea, stranger things have happened.
7 deleted, john do'h banned, beginning a string of calling Guangcheng a 'chink'. Don't post racism, folks.
Well, he will get a nice place to live (luxury) and he will get a monthly ($5,000) stipend paid by US taxpayers. He will also get a tax ID number, healthcare and social security disability (he is blind). My wife works with Iraqi transplants and they live in luxury without a care in the world.
Welcome to America suckers!!!!!
No no no no. You misunderstand. The US Taxpayer will not foot the bill, he will be paid and cared for by the Money that the US Government borrows from that very same Chinese Government, all in our name.
They aren't the suckers, we are! We never get any answers about who pays for this and it is most likely us, as you say, paid by U.S taxpayers. Yet our own people can't get a college education. Our citizens, whose parents have paid in should get benefits, not people who haven't paid into the financial systems.
Finally got old enough to agree with my mother!
Hope he's happy with the choice and that he soon forgets about his family back home being marginalised and tortured for his selfish wishes.
Bet a lot of his attention will be going to be getting his extended family over here (at US taxpayers expense).
other dissidents had a factor in it...
washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/negotiations-over-dissident-chen-guangcheng-offered-rare-glimpse-into-how-chinas-leadership-operates-us-officials-say/2012/05/19/gIQAxPtsbU_story_1.html
This is a strange world; Hussein and Hillary have created a very strange country.
Where do you get such a Idea, just because they give billions to Countrys who hate us while raising our taxes ???? They are also the ones who want to disarm the US and give wepons to Israel::::::
Hillary was put on the spot by this guy's dramatic so-called plotted "escape" to the US Embassy. She and her staff did the very best they could.
As long as they are happy, were happy Wakani. <More Sarcasm>
BREAKING NEWS-
Imported Chink being set up in Trump Tower, will do activist work part-time. Attending Yankees game with family.
Developing....
There is no benefit to bring in that activist and cause more conflicts with the USA's largest creditor.The American regime wants to confront China instead of paying them back their astronomical loans.Perhaps it is comfortable since the Chinese will end up financing his benefits through buy more American debt. It is adding more burden on the budget. That money is already used by supporting many handicaps, including psychotic veterans with chopped legs arms or with substance abuse. The decaying USA is becoming a nation of political theater and parasites.
This guy and his family will have a Chinese Restaurant within 3 months. It's the American way ...
Now that he's here we should put him on a plane and send him back to China. We could always tell him we're sending him to california for a vacation. He won't know the difference. If we leave him stay here in the U.S. he will send for the thousand or more of his "Extended family" and we will have to support them too.
Good idea. He won't know cuz he's blind, unless... HE'S NOT. Then we'd have a chink in the armour of our plan to fool the the chink.
Tarzan, your extended family of apes awaits you on your tree house. they insist you bathe B4 climbing up
I bet the ACLU has already hired him. Just their caliber of human being. We already know who he is voting for in November whether his is a citizen or not.
He is a manipulator who cannot be trusted. His next manipulation will be applying for citizenship.
USA should help its own citizen illegally blocked in China for 4 years come home!!!
USA should help its own citizen illegally blocked in China for 4 years come home!!!
www.change.org/petitions/help-my-father-dr-zhicheng-hu-come-home
I suddenly feel like some good ol Chinese food. Maybe I'll run into this piece of freeloading scum and I can send him into the ocean.
You are pathetic
Pathetic is an understatement! Racist, Ignorant, Hateful, Jealous, and has no real life! Yup,that just about covers it.
...and, how can you get into law school without having the pre-requisites--if someone studied a first aid book could they then get into medical school?
I'm curious as to how he is going to "study law" (clearly lacking an undergraduate degree) while not having a command of English. NYU's international program makes clear that if they don't have workable skills - they will have to take English classes. He speaks through a translator. My guess is he'll spend at least a year in English classes. Then...since legalese is a language all to itself...well nuff' said?
Do most fellowhships cover living and medical expenses for families attached? My husband was a private fellow and the "living expenses" covered tuition, books and about half the apartment rent.
Sounds like john do'h has a lot of pent up anger. His boyfriend needs to show him some TLC tonight and give him a BJ.
Welcome to the page of narcissistic, xenophobic, Republican Fox News watching voters. Pay no mind to these ignorant and insecure Americans and embrace the rest of the great country we live in ; WELCOME MR. CHENG!
As you can tell, these shallow people fear anyone different from them. They compound their ignorance by not knowing about your achievements and the suffering you've endured to claim your rights to enjoy the freedom they take for granted and deny others. Best of luck on your new endeavors at NY University. I trust you'll meet better and more educated and progressive Americans than you may in this rag. I also hope students and faculty at NYU learn from your fascinating travel through life.
Again, WELCOME and thank you for honoring us with your presence in our land.
Willard Mitt Romney must be cursing the day he lambasted our President and superb Secretary of State for the way they were negotiating with Chinese authorities to secure a safe future for Mr. Chen. I guess he'll now try to get credit for this new Obama triumph in foreign affairs, just like he's claiming credit for saving GM and Chrysler. This man has neither shame, nor character
Who wants to bet that the Chinese government sent him here just to screw with him... he thought he was going to Shanghai.. not be shanghaied.. XD
Tired, you've hit the nail on the head and Uncle Sap got snookered again. Chen is just one more foreign immigrant in the USA now. In China he's out of sight (hey, no pun), out of mind just as the Communist authorities there intended.
yet another fine triumphe of this administration. Obama 2012
I can already hear the crowing and chest-thumping coming from the White House regarding the release of Chen, the Chinese activist and dissident. I believe that his release has nothing to do with any diplomatic maneuvers by the Obama administration. To the Chinese, Chen had become radioactive and they wanted to get rid of him ASAP. His world-wide broad-casted dissident views on forced late term abortions and other human rights violations did not sit well with the Chinese. I do fear for his extended family left behind, however. They surely will face severe repercussions.