FREEDOM SQUARE

On Wednesday, April 3, Ambassador Jim Glassman held a live discussion with Chen Guangcheng about his continued advocacy for the rule of law and basic freedoms in China. Watch their complete conversation below:

Chen Guangcheng is an activist and freedom advocate from China’s Shandong province.  Blind since infancy, he enrolled in elementary school as a teenager, taught himself law, and became a legal advocate for farmers and disabled individuals.  In 2005 Chen filed a lawsuit against authorities in Shandong’s Linyi City over their harsh enforcement of China’s one-child policy.  For this activism, he spent four years in prison and another two years under house arrest.

Chen Guangcheng gained international attention in April 2012 for a daring escape from his home.  A month later, after taking refuge in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, he and his family departed China for the United States.  He is studying law at New York University.  Chen was recently described by Britain’s Guardian newspaper as “a potent symbol of resilience and empowerment.”