As we begin this program, there are more questions than answers about the blind Chinese dissident who escaped house arrest in Shandong Province and was smuggled into the US Embassy in Beijing. Chen Guangcheng says he's grateful to the US, but that China reneged on agreements that led him to leave the embassy after six days. Is he being treated well at a Chinese hospital? Will he, his wife, two children and relatives back home be subject to retaliation? Will Chen be allowed to come to the US, where he has reportedly been offered a fellowship? As she wrapped up two days of high-level trade and security talks, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was cautiously optimistic. But likely Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney called reports of the embassy's mishandling of the case, a "day of shame" for the Obama Administration. We hear from a reporter who's talked to Chen and get the latest on the Obama Administration's handling of the affair.
A Blind Man, International Diplomacy and China's Political Struggles
Credits
Guests:
- Keith Richburg - Harvard's Kennedy School of Government - @keithrichburg
- Adam Minter - author of the book “"Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale." - @AdamMinter
- Jeffrey Wasserstrom - University of California, Irvine - @jwassers
- Nicholas Burns - Harvard Kennedy School of Government - @RNicholasBurns
- Suisheng 'Sam' Zhao - University of Denver - @UofDenver