US must apologise: China's statement on Chen Guangcheng

Beijing: Chinese rights activist Chen Guangcheng has left the US Embassy in Beijing after six days inside, following his dramatic escape from 19 months under house arrest, according to state news agency, Xinhua. China’s foreign ministry issued a statement condemning US handling of Chen. Here is the statement from ministry spokesman Liu Weimin, which was also issued by Xinhua: [caption id=“attachment_295720” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“China demands that the US apologise over this, thoroughly investigate this incident, punish those who are responsible, and give assurances that such incidents will not recur.” Reuters"] [/caption] “It is understood that Chen Guangcheng of Linyi County in Shandong province entered the United States embassy to China in late April and left of his own accord six days later. It must be pointed out that the United States Embassy took the Chinese citizen Chen Guangcheng into the embassy in an irregular manner, and China expresses its strong dissatisfaction over this. “The US handling of this was interference in Chinese domestic affairs, and this is totally unacceptable to China. The US Embassy to China has a duty to abide by the relevant international and Chinese laws, and should not engage in activities that are not in keeping with its functions.” “China demands that the US apologise over this, thoroughly investigate this incident, punish those who are responsible, and give assurances that such incidents will not recur. China has noted that the US side has expressed that it takes seriously China’s demands and concerns, and also given assurances that it will take the necessary measures to prevent such incidents recurring. The US side should reflect on its policies and practices, and take effective actions to protect broader Sino-U.S. relations. “The Chinese side stresses that China is a country of rule of law, and any citizen’s legitimate rights and interests are protected by the Constitution and the law. At the same time, all citizens are obliged to abide by the Constitution and laws.” Reuters