Chinese Dissident Leaves US Embassy After Six Days

Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng has left the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, days after he stunned the area by escaping from house arrest and taking refuge with U.S. diplomats. China is demanding an apology from the us over the incident.

Neither the U.S. nor Chinese governments would confirm that blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng was within the embassy last week, but all sides confirmed Wednesday that he had left.

A U.S. official said Chen had arrived at a medical facility in Beijing and could be reunited along with his family. The official said Chen is being allowed to stay in China, in what he described as a 'safe' place. He added that the activist made no request for political asylum within the U . s ..

China's Xinhua news agency said only that Chen had left the U.S. embassy “of his own volition” after staying there for 6 days. Neither report said where Chen is headed next.

Chen's situation has threatened to overshadow annual high level U.S.-China talks set to begin Thursday within the Chinese capital, with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

Xinhua quoted China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin as expressing strong dissatisfaction on the U.S. Embassy for taking in a Chinese citizen in what he described as an “irregular manner.”

The statement accuses the U.S. of interfering in Chinese domestic affairs. It demands an apology from the U.S., an investigation into the incident, punishment for those responsible and assurances that it'll not happen again.

Hong Kong based human rights researcher Joshua Rosenzweig calls China's demands for an apology “bluster,” and says he believes Beijing is acting this kind for the good thing about the domestic audience.

“If the Chinese complaint is round the failure to function in keeping with proper procedures, the Chinese government started this a while ago by not following proper procedures within the treatment of Chen Guangcheng and his family. i don't believe the Chinese have much ground on which to face,” Rosenzweig says.

Chen is a 40-year-old self-taught lawyer who spent four years in prison after exposing forced abortions and sterilizations by Chinese family planning authorities. He have been confined to his house in Shandong province since he was released from jail in September 2010.

Bob Fu, with U.S.-based human rights organization ChinaAid, says local thugs have beaten Chen and his family, which he thinks need to have been good enough explanation for them to need to depart the rustic.

“If he feels he can continue to trust the govt. promise or commitment for his safety out of this event, he may favor to stay," he says. "But I just feel it is a huge gamble.”

Chen stunned the realm when he fled from his tightly guarded house arrest in late April and sought refuge on the U.S. embassy in Beijing. Chinese authorities had detained several those who allegedly helped him escape in addition to a number of Chen's relations.

From WhatNewsToday.net

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