Chinese Dissident Chen Guangcheng Arrives In Newark Airport Today

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After a tense diplomatic standoff between the US State Department and China following his attempt to escape house arrest, Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng and his immediate family are on a plane to New Jersey today after receiving sanctuary from the United States. Chen, who is best known for his activism against China's One Child Policy, was reportedly not told where he was going until arriving at the airport, but had faith that he was leaving for the United States.

RELATED: Chinese State Media Calls Chen Guangcheng A 'Pawn' Of The United States

After a four-year sentence followed by house arrest, Chen became the center of media attention in the United States a few weeks ago as he clamored to escape to the United States with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, at the time in China, arguing that his life was in danger within the country, as were those of his wife and two children. According to ABC News, Chen left the country to study in America. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told the press: 'We are looking forward to his arrival in the United States later today. 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 U.S. and pursue his goals.'

The UK Telegraph also has some details on how Chen left the country and how last-minute the arrangements were, with Chen not knowing where he was going or when he would receive a passport until he was at the airport:

The Chinese authorities kept Mr Chen in suspense right until the last minute. Having only been allowed to fill out a passport application last Wednesday, Mr Chen and his family were whisked abruptly from the hospital in central Beijing where he has been held for the last two and half weeks to the airport in a heavily-guarded motorcade at around 12.30pm local time.

Even after he arrived at the airport, Mr Chen was not given any travel documents or a firm idea of his ultimate destination. 'I still don't have a passport. I don't know when I am leaving. I think I am going to New York,' he told reporters by phone.

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• USA should help its own citizen illegally blocked in China
  for 4 years come home!!!

  https://www.change.org/petitions/help-my-father-dr-zhicheng-hu-come-home

   

• This may be a stupid question but who is paying for all this?

• That's the first thing that occurred to you? I think you should consider changing your avatar name to  Debbie Downer. Wah ' wah:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ_R-G_i4Xk 

• Lol at all the wingnuts who were criticising Obama for not helping Chen. Where you at now?!

• I didn't mean it to be a downer.  No it wasn't the first thing that occurred to me.  I would have NO problem if it is 'my' money (taxes).  I agree we should help him.

  Considering all the money we throw away for usless things this would be a good thing.

• I hope Mittens put out a statement again. seeing that he was so anxious and bellicose in his prior statement with disregards for the Secretary of State and State Dept where still conducting a sensitive and delicate discussion without him privy to the facts or negotiations. Sometimes saying less or nothing speaks more about someone leadership that just feeling the need to be placed in to a dialogue whether politically or god forbid as the leader of our country.      

• It will all be washed down the memory hole. Now the same pundits will try to find another way to criticize on the issue.  That is all they do. Then their minions suck it all in and vomit it back out at every opportunity. Rinse. Repeat.

• The President has been great on China' a topic very much under the radar. Another area (like the economy) where honest discussion would elevate folks understanding of President Obama's leadership. Much easier to follow the TWITTER WAR or SHOCK POLL or daily OUTRAGE. Ho frickin' hum.

• The Right wing are gonna blame the Obama admin for flying him into Newark when it would better to go to JFK.

• Another foreign policy victory for President Obama!

• The 'shock polls' are my favorite' I love how partisan nonsense changes our lexicon

• Yet another New Jersey joke?

• Let's see:  in the past few weeks we had the moon's closest approach to Earth, a perfect game in Major League Baseball, and Bill Kristol on Fox got something right!  He criticized Willard for speaking out before the denouement of this epiosode.