Chen Guangcheng Cancer: U.S. Officials Suspected Chinese Activist Had Colon Cancer

In this photo released by the US Embassy Beijing Press Office, U.S. ambassador to China, Gary Locke, left, makes a phone call as he accompanies blind lawyer Chen Guangcheng, right, in a car en route from the U.S. Embassy to a hospital in Beijing, Wednesday, May 2, 2012. At center is language attache James Brown. (AP Photo/U.S. Embassy Beijing Press Office, HO)

Foreign Policy reports that when Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng arrived at the U.S. Embassy last week, officials suspected that he may have had cancer, forcing the Americans to transfer Chen to a hospital quickly.

Chen Guangcheng is known to suffer from chronic gastroenteritis, which he developed during his months in Chinese jail. Yet after his escape an American doctor noted that Chen "was found to be bleeding profusely from his rectum" and suspected he could have advanced colon cancer.

Chen, a Chinese activist and blind, self-taught lawyer, made an improbable escape from house arrest in eastern China last month. Reuters writes that by the time he was picked up after friends had learned of his escape, Chen had "scaled walls and made his way through fields and farmland without water or food for 17 hours [...] In between, he had slept in pig pens and fields."

Chen is currently awaiting permission from the Chinese government to travel to the United States. On Saturday, his wife and children joined him in the Beijing hospital where he is receiving medical care.

Loading Slideshow

• A plainclothes policeman stops the taking of photos outside the Chaoyang Hospital in Beijing where Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng was taken on May 2, 2012. (Ed Jones/AFP/GettyImages)

• Exterior view of the Chaoyang Hospital where blind rights activist Chen Guangcheng at the Chaoyang Hospital is receiving treatment, in Beijing on May 2, 2012. (MARK RALSTON/AFP/GettyImages)

• Hospital security prepare to evict reporters trying to see blind rights activist Chen Guangcheng at the Chaoyang Hospital where Chen is receiving treatment, in Beijing on May 2, 2012. (MARK RALSTON/AFP/GettyImages)

• Hospital security prepare to evict reporters trying to see blind rights activist Chen Guangcheng at the Chaoyang Hospital where Chen is receiving treatment, in Beijing on May 2, 2012. (MARK RALSTON/AFP/GettyImages)

• A protester supporting blind rights activist Chen Guangcheng is seen outside the Chaoyang Hospital where Chen is receiving treatment, in Beijing on May 2, 2012. (MARK RALSTON/AFP/GettyImages)

• A protester with a banner supporting blind rights activist Chen Guangcheng is detained by police outside the Chaoyang Hospital where Chen is receiving treatment, in Beijing on May 2, 2012. (MARK RALSTON/AFP/GettyImages)

• Chinese police block foreign journalists at a gate of the Chaoyang hospital in Beijing, where blind activist Chen Guangcheng is believed to be getting a check up, in Beijing on May 2, 2012. (MARK RALSTON/AFP/GettyImages)

• A Chinese policeman films foreign journalists as they block a gate of the Chaoyang hospital in Beijing, where blind activist Chen Guangcheng is believed to be getting a check up, in Beijing on May 2, 2012. (MARK RALSTON/AFP/GettyImages)

• Chinese activist activist Chen Guangcheng (L) is seen in a wheelchair pushed by a nurse at the Chaoyang hospital in Beijing on May 2, 2012. (Jordan Pouille/AFP/GettyImages)

• Chinese activist activist Chen Guangcheng (L) is seen in a wheelchair pushed by a nurse at the Chaoyang hospital in Beijing on May 2, 2012. (Jordan Pouille/AFP/GettyImages)

Comments

[justobserve]

07:15 AM on 05/08/2012

He opposed the government and it allowed his family to join him? No penalty? Very strange!

[illegalneocon]

01:31 AM on 05/08/2012

Hilary got punked. hahahahha

[oldpreacherman]

01:05 AM on 05/08/2012

Sounds like a good excuse to get him out of the embassy. So, does he have cancer or not..

[LaoShur]

12:52 AM on 05/08/2012

This is nothing more than a scam artist looking for a meal ticket in the U.S.! He incites trouble here in China looking for attention, and in fact, I doubt if he's really blind considering his "remarkable" "escape"! I have excellent sight and I KNOW that I would have difficulty "wandering" around here at night in fields, simply because of the garbage, canals everywhere and FENCES everywhere! This is going to cost America money for his trouble here in China, then he wants free air travel, free medical in the states along with free education?! If our government brings this clown to the U.S., while our OWN citizens are denied health care, education and jobs then we should be OUTRAGED at this travesty!!

[craigTheBrit]

05:29 AM on 05/08/2012

Wu mao dang, right?

[Don Stalvino]

12:33 AM on 05/08/2012

Stay classy, BHO jr. administration,

[Christine Block]

11:09 PM on 05/07/2012

I'm sorry I don't understand all the hoopla over this guy. We have blind people and people with cancer here who need help. So why all the assets on this one person?

[tnlcallen]

10:43 PM on 05/07/2012

I don't mean to break it to the HP community, but you all do know that this guy is an anti-abortion activist?

[David Ewers]

11:37 PM on 05/07/2012

Again the right has to lie about the facts, he is against forced abortions on familes that already have one child. No where in his efforts has he ever stated that he is gainst abortions that the women wants.

[LaoShur]

12:59 AM on 05/08/2012

Come to China and see what it's like to live with 1.3 billion people, and EVERYONE wants to be first! Then tell me the government is wrong.

[LynnDee227]

11:56 PM on 05/07/2012

I believe he's an anti-FORCED abortion activist. You're aware of China's one-child policy, right?

[witsendster]

10:18 PM on 05/07/2012

Sad news indeed. I hope advanced colon cancer will not be the case. I hope he and his family will be granted asylum and the Chinese govt. will cooperate.

[illegalneocon]

09:34 PM on 05/07/2012

They played michael moore movie in the Embassy but...HE DIDN'T SEE IT!!!!

[cdhj12000]

08:03 PM on 05/07/2012

I'm guessing he didn't come here for the healthcare system.

[noretreatnosurrender]

06:33 PM on 05/07/2012

Wonderful, so the U.S. tax payers pay for his cancer treatment?

[Slashgoddess]

07:33 PM on 05/07/2012

why not? since you guys don't mind paying for war.

[SharpDonkey]

07:33 PM on 05/07/2012

That's what you got out of the article?

[sylkol]

06:31 PM on 05/07/2012

"may have had" - what kind of reporting is that? does or does not? does or does not make a difference in his release from China? where is the reporting here? nil.

[RRonin]

09:23 PM on 05/07/2012

The American Embassy staff is not qualified to make a diagnosis of cancer, hence they said "may have had". Although they have a doctor on staff, they are hardly prepared to take care of a really sick person.

[sylkol]

08:21 AM on 05/08/2012

Well, the reporter should ask the Embassy if they know.

[jinsei]

06:31 PM on 05/07/2012

I'm by no means a conspiracy theorist, but it seems a bit improbable that a blind man could do the following by himself: "scaled walls and made his way through fields and farmland without water or food for 17 hours [...] In between, he had slept in pig pens and fields."

Did he have help and that was left out of the story?

[zaggy]

06:26 PM on 05/07/2012

How much is this costing the tax payers ?

[SPQR1052]

10:25 PM on 05/07/2012

The question ought be how much do you want us taxpayers to pay for your G.E.D.

[David Ewers]

11:40 PM on 05/07/2012

Another person that thinks that he does not have to take care of his fellow citizens, were you of the same vein of rick perry

[dissanayake]

05:57 PM on 05/07/2012

I bet the Chinese cant wait to get him out of the country and out of their hair..After all...He can get the best Free Healthcare in the US, paid by the Fed's, his demands of a 'Face to Face meeting with Hillary Clinton" and free NYU Law School..who pay's for housing for him and his family?,,,this guy's got some nerve.

[anfractuous]

09:00 PM on 05/07/2012

Torture, house arrest, threats to your family - all while blind. There's nothing there to spark your moral outrage, but if they ever leave the toy out of your Happy Meal, watch out, 'cause you're going postal.
What a sorry specimen.