I don't think this is a totalitarian state - this is a state that can't control its local authorities. Either Beijing is turning a blind eye to them (unlikely, with the world watching) or they can't do anything. I've heard there's been a push towards decentralization within China, but this seems like it's gone to an extreme.

Wonder if there's the possibility of China breaking into multiple independent states down the road, if the central government can't even get these thugs to listen.

Yes, well, it's also possible that the Chinese central government wants us all to think that it's a bunch of local thugs; but why would a bunch of local thugs care about what can only be perceived as an affront to the central government? Most local thugs are concerned with their own turf and just want the big boys to leave them alone. Unless they are obeying instructions. China has the power to control its internal affairs; lord knows they spend enough $ controlling the press, the internet, elections, etc. The local thug contingent exists because the central government finds it useful to have extralegal operatives in a local venue. So, this offensive conduct is on the plate of China, Big C, as far as I'm concerned, and for shame, for shame.

Joe from the Bog: "I don't think this is a totalitarian state - this is a state that can't control its local authorities. Either Beijing is turning a blind eye to them ... or they can't do anything. I've heard there's been a push towards decentralization within China, but this seems like it's gone to an extreme."

Now, the problem with your theory, Joe, is that a large part of the problem is Beijing. And it is the Beijing central government that is holding Chen's nephew and, now, his brother. It is the Beijing central government that was holding Chen and attempted to, once again, imprison him to keep him quiet.

For all of the technological and commercial advances put forth by private businesses in China, Beijing is still operating on a small, backward mentality. The central government is stuck in 1972 and cannot see the world has, for the most part, advanced beyond the dark ages. There are very few countries still clinging to the "old world" communist ideas. Of course, with China being one of the originators of the communist ideal of government has wandered so far afield from the concept of government of the people they cannot even remember what the origin of communism was all about. Now it is just about global power and domination - both of the world they see as their enemies and of the people they are supposed to care for and protect.

And the only way for that to change is internally. The people of China must speak out against the injustices. Of course that's working so well in the United States right now ... NOT! And, if our own government does not start policing itself better, we may well be the next world focus on government abuse of the people. (The United States is no stranger to that kind of treatment of its own people, dating back to its earliest years, the nation has lied to the people, stolen from the people, and abused the people for its own gain ... even to the point of killing its own people. So we are not exempt from such human abuses, we just do it more quietly.

I want to agree with you Joe, but there is too much history to the contrary there. Remember the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution? The Great Leap Forward (Only for millions is was a leap into starvation)... Tienanmen Square (and all of the blood shed) Sadly most Communists, though they have some profound ideas worth listening to, have a hard time sharing power and playing nice.

Freedom is rare, fragile, and harder then the Dickens to create and keep. But it is the dream of our species (and many others) and worth it. Peace.

So What! In truth we have more concerning problems then a law breaker from China. Some body should have shot him years ago. We wouldn't even have this discussion today. In fact he would have been forgotten. In truth what is human rights? I would really would like to know.

No matter how long I live I'll never understand the chinese customs toward family, such as boys being more important than girls, etc. I find it equally hard;to understand how this man thought his family would be better off once he left the country. How could you leave your love ones behind to be punished for a situation you made worse by speaking out. This is not to say he was wrong for speaking out. I feel strongly that he was wrong for leaving his family behind to deal with the backlash of his actions. They, his family, probably decided his life was more important than theirs. If this man truly believed all would be well with his family once he was out of the picture; he is blind in more ways than one.

Perhaps, Tralfaz, you should explain the oriental concept of saving face, a life lost is a small reguard of life, and why having a female child is viewed as a burdon rather than a celebration. Why their view point of life and death is so much different than ours. A majority of our countrymen don't know anything about the oriental viewpoint.

Yeah, like knowing his family would be persecuted didn't stop Chen from saving his own azz. Sorry, I just don't have much sympathy for someone who would throw his family under the bus to save his own life.

With the path America has chosen: draconian laws, courts, expanding wars on terror, drugs, or what ever "crime" your brethren are "guilty" of and, of course, the real reason behind America's record setting arrest, conviction and incarceration rate, that poster child of "privatization": the Prisons for Profit system, this is a preview of what's to come in the US.

But don't be surprised if we pass China in their brutality. After all, we hold the record for the incarceration rate worldwide as well as are far and away the leader in launching murderous wars in other countries and military occupation around the globe, America takes pride in its horrific acts, which is justified by vague (but often nonsensical) association with buzz words like "terror" and "societal danger" and other alarmist propaganda the fearful, raging, thoughtless masses eat up and happily scapegoat and persecute others over, preferably their different looking neighbors.

Come on, America! Your education system is collapsing, as well as the middle class, the constitution, the American Dream and everything else that once made us the envy of the world. Why not go for broke? Let's beat China at this, too! Let's throw everyone you disagree with in jail! We can BEAT China at this! We're number # 1! USA! USA! USA!

zfkynn - issues much? or prescription ran out before you could get to the store?

you beat me to it,well played sir !

That doesn't mean anything to them.

I don't think he can "see" his brother being blind and all that.

In China or Vietnamese, even if you don't physically see them, you can still hear about them through relatives.

Yeah, because here in America, we don't have relatives.

I think you failed to understand how closely relatives in Asia compared to in US. How many cousins do you have? I have around 72 cousins, most of the time I didn't know about them, but my mother keeps track of them.

If you do something, rumor will spread faster than you think. The society is based mostly on community, you know your neighbors, their sons/daughters, theirs whole family and even their relatives. That's the kind of relationship I am talking.

I agree with you he took advantage of Clintons vist and said forget my family I am going to america to live off that govement. China's goverment will punish every family member close freinds and anyone that they want to what are we going to do stop getting money from them yea right

The brother is no longer missing and has returned to his home village according to Reuters News.

Minimum wage laws would apply.

Please feel me out on this one. Just because the blind brother hasn't seen him; doesn't mean he is missing.

He could just be playing Marco Polo and cheating.

ANd don't buy any goods made by US companies in China. I hear complaining all the time about lack of jobs here in this country. Yet those same people will buy products from overseas. I realize it is very hard to find any US made products anymore. We use to be the most industrialized nation in the world. Not today. This will eventually be our downfall.

Wow...sounds a lot like the USA and the treatment of the REAL native Americans...but hey...we gave them land, beads and whiskey...fair trade.

And casinos

A high I.Q. does not mean automatic common sense or true compassion.

Some of the Nazi leadership would have Maxed the IQ tests. Other Nazi leaders would have made the most severe cases of mental challenge look like Doctor Stephen Hawking in comparison.

I just get the canned goods there. The rest is crap. But you are right, we are partly responsible for keeping that infamous thing alive in the name of savings. And the Luxury goods companies (the stuff in the Magazines) enable counterfeiting by placing unreasonable prices on their goods as well.

What is President Obama supposed to do here? Save everyone? If he had brought all of them here, then you would be crying it was on the tax payer dollars. This is called 'appeasement' with China, and why... they own a big ole chunk of America and our corporations are heavily invested there. If we would have done more, you can guess the consequences...

nuke them then, ha ha.

Um, Mary, NO ONE knows what the hell you're talking about, because there's nothing after "Please see," and the rest of the sentence is incredibly flawed: Who's the American citizen you're attempting to refer to? Why has he/she been "illegally blocked in China," and what does "illegally blocked" mean? You're going to have a lot of trouble getting support for this mythical person unless you GIVE US SOME DETAILS!!! Maybe they're stuck in China because you can't figure out how to send this person an airline ticket!!!