May 3rd, 2012
02:14 AM ET

Chinese activist says he wants to go to U.S.

The Chinese activist who left the refuge of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said Thursday that he regrets the move and now wants U.S. officials to help get him and his family to the United States.

"I want them to protect human rights through concrete actions," Chen Guangcheng told CNN from his hospital room in Beijing. "We are in danger. If you can talk to Hillary, I hope she can help my whole family leave China."

Chen was referring to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who arrived Wednesday for trade talks and found herself in the middle of a diplomatic firestorm.

U.S. officials in Beijing said Thursday they would do what they can to help Chen, but stressed that the decision to leave the embassy was his own.

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Filed under: Politics • U.S. • World
soundoff (20 Responses)
  1. Joey Isotta-Fraschini ©™

    China's policy of limiting it's population growth by controlling the size of families is an example of the kind of Change needed in the world today.

    May 3, 2012 at 2:24 am | Report abuse |
    • JerseyJeff

      After living there, I could not disagree more.
      The policy is unequally applied and if you have money, you can pay the fine and have as many as you like while poor chinese are left with terrible decisions.

      Population control can only happen (humanely and sustainably) by improving living standards of the broader population. Every nation that has higher and rising living standards see a drop in population.
      The chinese system is cruel and capricious and is against the ethnic minorities of non-Han and lacks humanity.

      May 3, 2012 at 7:27 am | Report abuse |
    • Panther

      So what th e problem with if you can afford the child you pay the fine. Here in American people often have children they cann't afford and the rest of us pay for it through welfare. Send them to China

      May 3, 2012 at 9:16 am | Report abuse |
    • JerseyJeff

      The fine is more than the average annual salary of a Chinese citizen.

      It's like you having a baby and then getting a fine for $50,000 to be paid immediately.

      May 3, 2012 at 2:23 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Joey Isotta-Fraschini ©™

    Its! "...its population growth," not "...it's population growth!
    Joey–please. Get some sleep: you made an error.

    May 3, 2012 at 2:30 am | Report abuse |
  3. raven

    For the sake of his family, help him.

    May 3, 2012 at 3:05 am | Report abuse |
  4. raven

    Hi JIF! Nice to see you. I'm going to bed now, but hope to run into you soon. Have a good night.And a great tomorrow.

    May 3, 2012 at 3:08 am | Report abuse |
    • Joey Isotta-Fraschini ©™

      @ raven:
      We always miss each other. We both have hard schedules.
      Have a great day.
      Mine is super-full.

      May 3, 2012 at 4:12 am | Report abuse |
  5. .Citizen

    He left the embassy because his family was threatened...

    May 3, 2012 at 3:31 am | Report abuse |
  6. JerseyJeff

    Unfortunately, after he left the diplomatic grounds his chances of going into exile with his family probably disappeared too.

    Too bad he didn't escape to the Embassy with his family. I would have done the samething if I was told my wife would be beaten to death.

    May 3, 2012 at 7:29 am | Report abuse |
  7. noworries

    None of our business

    May 3, 2012 at 8:03 am | Report abuse |
  8. Jeff Frank (R-Ohio) "Right Wing Insanity"

    Maybe when I retire,....if I can allow myself to retire,....maybe my wife and I can go to the Chinese consulate in New York, and see if I can move to Hong Kong or Foshan Province to take up Wing Chun.....wwwhhhhaaAAAAHHHH!!! Learn from IP Man's decendants.

    May 3, 2012 at 9:12 am | Report abuse |
  9. ronvan

    This just does not smell right! He had the opportunity to leave. However his family was still in Chinese control and I have no doubt that some "pressure/threats" against his family were made. NOW he says he wants to go to the U.S. and we basically screwed him!? I wonder if he has been told to make this story, again, with some threats about his family?

    May 3, 2012 at 9:19 am | Report abuse |
  10. bobcat (in a hat) ©

    These he said, they said scenarios are crazy.
    The US embassy said he willingly left the premises. He said he was "encouraged by embassy staff to leave the premises. Then he turns around and says the reason he left the embassy was because his family was threatened. Now he says the US turned thier backs on him, in turm putting the US in a bad position with human rights groups. WTH. Can anyone decipher what the truth is ?

    May 3, 2012 at 12:42 pm | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      It sounds to me as if he is trying to justify his bad choice of leaving by blaming everyone around him instead of himself.
      It stinks to high heaven.

      May 3, 2012 at 12:50 pm | Report abuse |
    • bobcat (in a hat) ©

      @ banasy©

      That is exactly what I think too.

      May 3, 2012 at 1:50 pm | Report abuse |
  11. saywhat

    In these diplomatic pressure games one never gets to learn the truth. What goes on behind the facade of posturing by countries, who can tell. Nothing new here.

    May 3, 2012 at 12:50 pm | Report abuse |
  12. bobcat (in a hat) ©

    The thing is, if we would just stay out of the business of other countries, we would not continue to set ourselves up to look like the bad guy all the time. How about some of you other countries taking umbrage for a change. But noooooo, you won't do that because you want to look squeaky clean.

    Ok bobcat, relax, breathe in, breathe out, repeat 3 times. Enhance your calm. Oooohhhhhmmmm.

    May 3, 2012 at 1:56 pm | Report abuse |
    • ♚Mmmmmâ™›

      lol...it's in our genes...can't help helping!

      May 3, 2012 at 8:52 pm | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      You used the -U- word!

      May 3, 2012 at 10:14 pm | Report abuse |
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