Update: U.S. officials were barred from meeting with Chen in person on Thursday, the Washington Post reported. Chen now says he wants to fly to the U.S. with Hillary Clinton when she leaves China. The New York Times, in a telephone interview with Chen, quoted him as saying “the U.S. government was not proactive enough.” According to the newspaper, "what briefly looked like a deft diplomatic achievement for Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton turned into a potential debacle.")
(CNSNews.com) - House Speaker John Boehner says he is "deeply disturbed" by reports suggesting that a Chinese human rights activist was pressured to leave the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, after receiving "flimsy" promises from Chinese authorities.
"In such a situation, the United States has an obligation to stand with the oppressed, not with the oppressor," Boehner said in a statement on Wednesday. "Having handed Chen Guangcheng back over to the Chinese government, the Obama administration is responsible for ensuring his safety."
Boehner admitted that the U.S. economic relationship with China is important. But, he added, "the United States has an obligation to use its engagement with China to press for reforms in China’s human rights practices, particularly with respect to the reprehensible 'one-child’ policy."
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