China allowed a blind legal activist, Chen Guangcheng, to leave a hospital in Beijing on Saturday and board a plane bound for the United States, a move that could signal the end of a diplomatic stand-off between the two countries. Chen's escape from house arrest in north-eastern China last month and subsequent stay in the US embassy caused huge embarrassment for China and led to a diplomatic rift while US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was visiting Beijing for talks to improve ties between the world's two biggest economies.
The US State Department said he was en route to the United States, along with his wife and two children. He boarded a United Airlines flight bound for Newark. --- Relatives remain in northeastern Chinese village China's Foreign Ministry limited its commentary to an acknowledgement that Chen had left the country.
"Chen Guangcheng is a Chinese citizen. China's relevant departments have handled the procedures for exiting the country in accordance with the law," the ministry said in a faxed statement to Reuters. State news agency Xinhua said earlier that Chen had applied to study in the United States under legal procedures. The Foreign Ministry said this month that Chen could apply to study abroad, a move seen as a way of easing Sino-US tensions on human rights.
Chen's friend, Jiang Tianyong, cited the activist, one of China's most prominent dissidents, as saying that he and his family obtained their passports at the airport hours before he was due to board a flight. "I'm obviously very happy," Jiang said. "When he boards the plane, he can finally say: 'I'm free'. At the same time, I feel a sense of regret because such a large country like China can't even tolerate a citizen like him to exist here."
There was no immediate indication where Chen might pursue his studies, but New York University's law school has previously offered him a position as a "visiting scholar". A statement by State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland struck a conciliatory note, saying Washington was "looking forward" to Chen's arrival.
"We also express our appreciation for the manner in which we were able to resolve this matter and to support Mr Chen's desire to study in the US and pursue his goals," it said. US President Barack Obama's administration had feared a stand-off over Chen's fate could sour already strained ties with China and generate criticism of Obama's policies. Beijing has accused Washington of meddling in its affairs in the case.
Chen's abrupt departure for the airport came nearly three weeks after he arrived at the Chaoyang Hospital from the US embassy, where he had taken refuge after an escape from 19 months under house arrest in his home village. Chen, 40, who taught himself law, was a leading advocate of the rights defence movement. He gained prominence by campaigning for farmers and disabled citizens and exposing forced abortions.
He was jailed for a little over four years from 2006 on what he and his supporters say were trumped-up charges designed to end his rights advocacy. He had accused Shandong officials in 2005 of forcing women to have late-term abortions and sterilisations to comply with strict family-planning policies. Authorities moved against him with charges of whipping up a crowd that disrupted traffic and damaged property.
Formally released in 2010, he remained under house arrest in his home village, which officials turned into a fortress of walls, security cameras and guards in plain clothes. United Airlines flight UA 88 departed around 5.50 pm (0950 GMT), with police officers and plainclothes officers following passengers down the mobile corridor leading to the plane's door.
The cabin crew waited for passengers to take their seats before closing the curtain to the front section, where the business class seats were located, a Reuters witness said. Chen had earlier told Reuters he was at the airport along with his wife, two children and hospital staff and he believed he would be put on a flight to the United States. Two police cars were stationed below the walkway to the plane, and about 10 security officials in plainclothes circulated around the airport.