Friend of Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng tweets about China's threats to family

misstripleem | 4:38 PM on May 02, 2012

VOA has more:

A close associate of a blind Chinese dissident who left U.S. protection in Beijing Wednesday has posted a series of notes on Twitter, saying the press has gotten the story wrong about Chen Guangcheng.

Zeng Jinyang, the wife of activist Hu Jia and a friend of Chen’s, says the dissident lawyer felt pressured to leave the U.S. embassy.

Senior U.S. officials in Beijing who helped negotiate Chen’s case say the activist left the diplomatic compound of his own free will. In a background briefing with reporters, the officials said Chen consistently stated his desire to stay and work in China.

But at about 8 p.m. in Beijing Wednesday, Zeng tweeted in English and Chinese that Chen said he and his family were willing to leave the country. However, she said he felt compelled to abandon the U.S. embassy because he feared for his family’s safety.

That account echoes an interview Chen gave the Associated Press.

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