Chen Guangcheng is the blind activist who exposed the sterilizations and abortions forced on some Chinese women under the "one child" policy who escaped from detention to the U.S. embassy a week ago and who is now in a Chinese hospital under somewhat murky conditions. His activities outraged the Communist Party who actually have asked for an apology from the USA for our actions. This is very embarassing to the Obama administration because they need China economically but don't approve of their human rights record and now Guangcheng has put the dichotomy firmly in the limelight. Several people who helped Chen escape have been officially detained and several more have "disappeared", so it's obvious the Communists are willing to play hardball over this incident. My feeling is that hypocrisy will win out. A Republican administration would simply say it's a Chinese matter but Obama and Clinton will weasel around and pretend they are doing the right thing, but Guangcheng will still end up being punished severely by the Chinese authorities (if they don't get their apology, probably soon enough to really rub it in the faces of the Obama administration). To me, hypocrisy seems worse than pragmatism. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-17938930
Chen is now asking Hillary Clinton to help get him and his family to the United States. China is an authoritarian state with no political freedom and it's doubtful whether helping just one activist will change China's political system as a whole. The Obama administration has to negotiate a deal with the Chinese Foreign Ministry without harming a constructive economic relationship with China and human rights issues are secondary in recent years as China emerged as the world's second largest economy.
Bah. We don't need China. We like buying cheap stuff and that's the basis of the relationship. If they were to embargo the U.S. it would only help our economy. It should only be embarrassing to the administration if they allow it to be. I would simply ignore the whole thing. It is an internal matter and it's time the U.S. stayed out of other countries' business. I can't see that we've gained a single thing by interfering with other countries. If I were the administration I would slap a monstrous import duty on Chinese goods and not look back.
It's a publicity stunt to coincide with Billary's visit in the hope of restoring some of the US of AIPAC's ' human rights ' cred. Fat chance of that.
