BEIJING--A blind Chinese human rights activist awaiting departure to the United States said he remains uneasy because Beijing has yet to take any specific actions to send him on his way.
“I am determined to go to the United States,” Chen Guangcheng, 40, told The Asahi Shimbun in a telephone interview from his hospital in Beijing on May 5. “(But) I will not feel assured until specific actions are taken.”
It was hard to hear his voice due to noise, and the telephone call was abruptly cut off in the middle of the conversation.
Chen escaped from house arrest and was taken into custody of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing in April. He left the embassy and moved to the hospital on May 2 for medical treatment after China guaranteed his safety.
Chen said May 3 he wants to move to the United States. The Chinese government indicated May 4 it plans to allow him to leave China to study in the United States.
In the interview, Chen was cautious about whether he will actually be allowed to leave for the United States.
“I think (the Chinese government policy to allow me to go to the United States) is nothing more than a ‘sign’ until real actions are taken,” he said.
Chen said he plans to eventually return to China, saying he has no intention of defecting to the United States.
“I want to take some time to rest in the United States because I have been placed under stress for many years,” he said. “I want to think about when I can return while staying in the United States and watching the situation.”
Chen initially said he wanted to stay in China, but he has changed his mind.
“I was not able to stay (in China) because the safety of my family and me could not be guaranteed,” he said.
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