US Congressman Trying to Visit Chinese Lawyer Chen Guangcheng

US Congressman Chris Smith announced on Wednesday that he plans to visit the blind Chinese rights lawyer Chen Guangcheng. Chen, who raised awareness about the Chinese regime’s policy of forced abortions in his hometown, is under house arrest.

A group of 37 people attempted to visit Chen last weekend at his home in Linyi County, Shandong Province. But they aborted the trip after realizing security personnel were following them. They said they were beaten by a group of men as they tried to get away.

Smith plans to leave for China as soon as possible, but acknowledges the Chinese regime may simply refuse him entry to the country.

[Chris Smith, US Congressman]:
“Again, we have not gotten a visa yet, my hope is we will, but I’m trying to because this is such an emergency for Chen Guangcheng and his wife and young child that we would look to leave by Wednesday of next week and seek to visit his home.”

Smith is Chairman of the House Human Rights Committee and author of the China Democracy Promotion Act. It’s a proposed bill that would deny human rights offenders entry to the United States—offenders like those Chen Guangcheng fought against and those who are keeping him under house arrest.

[Chris Smith, US Congressman]:
“For any of these human rights abuses, including forced abortion and forced sterilization, but also torture, religious freedom infringements against the Falun Gong, the Catholics, the Uyghurs, the Buddhists, all of this. We’ll put you on a list if you are a perpetrator of these crimes, and you will be denied admission to the United States of America.”

Smith says the Chinese regime is doing the opposite and banning those who support human rights from visiting the country.

[Chris Smith, US Congressman]:
“We’re looking to put a visa ban on gross abusers of human rights. For the Chinese government to put a visa ban on a member of the US Congress because he speaks truth to power, that would bring further dishonor to this government.”

Chen Guangcheng served a four and a half year prison term for his activism and has been under house arrest since his release in September last year. Chen and his wife were reportedly beaten for several hours in July, after they made calls to the outside world. The family’s current condition is not known.