Dissident From China Arrives in US, Ending an Ordeal - New York Times

BEIJING â€" Chen Guangcheng, the blind legal advocate who made an improbable escape from virtual house arrest and sought refuge in the American Embassy here, arrived in Newark on Saturday, ending a fraught diplomatic drama that threatened to disrupt relations between China and the United States.

The arrival of Mr. Chen, one of the country’s most prominent dissidents, and the negotiations that led up to it, appeared to reflect careful calculations in both countries as they seek to cooperate on a range of economic and security issues.

The American role in aiding Mr. Chen â€" spiriting him into the embassy after he escaped with the help of other dissidents â€" infuriated the Chinese, who complained fiercely about what they considered interference in their internal affairs, but in the end they quietly engaged with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and a team of diplomats to defuse what could have evolved into a full-blown diplomatic crisis.

For China’s government, his departure followed a pattern of allowing some especially vocal dissidents to leave in order to minimize the impact of their activism at home, but it also appeared to reflect an assessment that it was not worth damaging relations with the United States to force Mr. Chen to stay.

In Washington, the State Department welcomed Mr. Chen’s departure and praised the Chinese government in a statement that reflected its handling of the case from the start: understated and nonconfrontational, despite the emotions and high stakes involved for both countries. “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 State Department’s spokeswoman, Victoria Nuland, said.

Her statement referred to the complex understanding â€" the Chinese were loath to call it a deal â€" in which Mr. Chen was allowed to attend New York University Law School on a fellowship rather than seek asylum, which the authorities in Beijing considered an affront. School officials said they had already stocked a faculty apartment with Chinese food and new furniture for him. He arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport on Saturday evening.

His departure â€" after two weeks of waiting â€" avoided a major embarrassment at home for the Obama administration, which initially arranged for Mr. Chen to stay and study in China, only to see him change his mind once he left the embassy and entered a hospital in Beijing for treatment. That prompted criticism from activists and some Republicans in Congress who accused the administration of seeking an expedient solution to a nettlesome problem ahead of Mrs. Clinton’s visit to China in early May.

Mr. Chen departed Beijing on Saturday night with his wife and two children, and like most events surrounding his case, the departure was shrouded in secrecy. Mr. Chen and his family said they did not know they were leaving the country until several hours before the flight, and it was only on their way to the airport that they learned where they were heading. The passports they had been awaiting were delivered by Chinese officials shortly before they boarded the plane.

Once on board, flight attendants promptly drew a curtain around their business class seats and barred other passengers in the cabin from using the toilet while the plane was on the runway.

Speaking by cellphone before he boarded the flight, Mr. Chen told friends he was excited to leave China but that he was also worried about the fate of relatives left behind. Bob Fu, president of ChinaAid, a Christian advocacy group in Texas that championed Mr. Chen’s case, said, “He’s happy to finally have a rest after seven years of suffering, but he’s also worried they will suffer some retribution.”

They had been driven directly to Beijing International Airport by employees of Chaoyang Hospital, where Mr. Chen was being treated for intestinal problems and for the foot he broke during his escape. Airline officials increased security on the flight, and reporters were told they would not be able to speak to Mr. Chen during the 13-hour trip to Newark.

Andrew Jacobs reported from Beijing, and Steven Lee Myers from Washington. Edy Yin contributed research from United Airlines Flight 88.