(Ted Lipien, Creative Commons)

The New York Times reports:

“Like most of the events involving Mr. Chen’s case, his departure on Saturday was shrouded in secrecy. Mr. Chen and his family said they did know they were leaving the country until several hours before the flight.

“Mr. Chen, his wife and two children were escorted onto the flight by American officials 15 minutes before takeoff. Once on board, flight attendants promptly drew a curtain around their business class seats.”

U.S. officials praised the Chinese government for its cooperation. According to the Associated Press, Ben Rhodes, deputy national security advisor, said the administration was “pleased with the outcome of negotiations between the Chinese government and the State Department that allowed Chen Guangcheng to be allowed to travel.”

But, as the New York Times explains, “for China, the departure also follows a pattern of allowing some dissidents to leave to lessen their impact at home."

Chen had escaped from his home to Beijing, and after negotiations between American and Chinese officials, Chen “rejected the idea of asylum and insisted that he wanted to stay in China – as long as he and his family could be shielded from persecution. Exile, he feared, might silence his voice as an advocate for legal reform in China.” However, he changed his mind after leaving the American embassy and becoming fearful.

While in the United States, Chen will be attending New York University Law School.

The New York Times reports:

“Jerome A. Cohen, a New York University law professor who helped arrange Mr. Chen’s fellowship, said he thought Beijing would be eager to blunt the domestic impact of Mr. Chen’s departure. ‘The last thing they want is for this deal to symbolize a way out of China for dissidents,’ he said.”

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