BEIJING (AP) — A blind Chinese legal activist who was at the center of a diplomatic tussle between Washington and Beijing left the U.S. Embassy on Wednesday to receive medical care in Beijing and be reunited with this family.
Chen Guangcheng’s departure from the embassy came shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Beijing for two days of annual strategic talks that are being overshadowed by the self-taught lawyer’s fate.
On his way to the Chaoyang Hospital accompanied by the U.S. ambassador, Chen called his lawyer, Li Jinsong.
The lawyer says Chen told him: “‘I’m free. I’ve received clear assurances.'”
Though Li said Chen did not elaborate, the activist had been seeking guarantees of his and his family’s safety.
