Rights violation: Obama silent on Chinese activist Guangcheng

US President Barack Obama has refused to comment on Chen Guangcheng, the Chinese dissident said to be at the US embassy after fleeing house arrest.

Rights violation: Obama silent on Chinese activist Guangcheng _59909707_chenandhujia

Rights violation: Obama silent on Chinese activist Guangcheng _59909707_chenandhujia

Mr Obama told a news conference he was "aware of press reports" on the issue, but would not make a statement on it.

Hillary Clinton, due in Beijing later this week, also declined comment but said rights issues would be discussed.

Activists claim Mr Chen entered the US embassy in Beijing earlier this month, after slipping out of his home.

US and Chinese officials are thought to be in talks on his fate.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland confirmed that a senior US official, Kurt Campbell, had travelled to Beijing, but declined to say whether he was in discussions about the activist.

Mr Campbell, who arrived on an unscheduled visit, is believed to be in highly delicate negotiations with the Chinese authorities.

The BBC's Adam Brookes in Washington says one of the options on the table is for Mr Chen to go into exile, but he is said to be averse to that solution.

All this comes days before a very important China-US bilateral meeting, which Hillary Clinton is due to attend.

She and her Chinese counterparts will want to discuss Iran, Syria, North Korea and trade, but as of now, all anyone is interested in are the whereabouts and the fate of Chen Guangcheng.

There are those in America who are using Mr Chen's predicament as evidence of China's cruelty and duplicity. There are those in China who think America is meddling and discrediting the Chinese political system at a delicate time of leadership transition.

Trust between these two Pacific giants is easily undermined, and it seems to have fallen to US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell to find a solution which preserves American interests, Chinese pride and Mr Chen's safety.

Ms Nuland said Mr Campbell's visit was to prepare for the visit by Mrs Clinton, the US Secretary of State, on Wednesday. Both she and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner are due in Beijing for the annual US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue - now expected to be overshadowed by the issue of Mr Chen.

Ms Clinton said on Monday that she would raise the issue of human rights during her talks.

"A constructive relationship includes talking very frankly about those areas where we do not agree, including human rights," she was quoted saying by the Reuters news agency.

Mr Obama, meanwhile, when asked specifically about Mr Chen's case, said he could only stress that "every time we meet with China the issue of human rights comes up".

"We want China to be strong, we want it to be prosperous and we are very pleased with all the areas of co-operation that we have been able to engage in," he said.

"But we also believe that that relationship will be that much stronger and China will be that much more prosperous and strong as you see improvements on human rights issues in that country."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-17902331#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Rights violation: Obama silent on Chinese activist Guangcheng

Rights violation: Obama silent on Chinese activist Guangcheng

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