Report: Blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng to visit Taiwan

Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng speaks to the media upon arriving on the campus of New York University May 19, 2012, in New York City. / Getty Images

(AP) TAIPEI, Taiwan - Taiwan's government-owned news agency cites an opposition lawmaker as saying blind Chinese human rights activist Chen Guangcheng will visit the democratic island next year and address the legislature.

Sunday's report by the Central News Agency quotes Lin Chia-lung of the Democratic Progressive Party, who was visiting Chen in New York.

Chen escaped house arrest in his Chinese village in April and fled to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. He was allowed to go to New York in May after negotiations between China and the U.S.

Chen's prospective Taiwan visit offers a challenge to Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou, who has built his administration around better relations with China, from which Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949.

China claims Taiwan as its territory and resents any Taiwanese activity that embarrasses Beijing.

[jefforsythe]

The Chinese people are not improving just because they have cell phones and new cars. They used to be Buddhists and Daos and believe in goodness and truthfulness but those beliefs have been brainwashed out of them by the brutal Chinese Communist Party.
It was not that long ago that a citizen was so afraid of the cruel Party, that he or she would not speak one word against the Party in their own home. Now , people are cursing the evil Party openly on the street. Not until the Communist Party is completely dissolved and the thousands of members who committed millions of human rights atrocities are brought to trial will China truly change.
This is just my understanding. Thank you for your consideration.

[busterdawgggy]

As a disabled person, I truly wish that the media wouldn't continually refer to this man as a "blind activist." He should not be defined by his disability. I certainly wouldn't want to be referred to as "Joe Schmoe, disabled writer with a service dog." It is demeaning, and shows a lack of education into how disabled peopled want to be known. IMHO.

[nohater]

china should just invade taiwan and take it back or let it go forever. china claiming it's theirs since '49 and doing nothing about it is just brainless.

[BUDDYofPA]

nohater You certainly have a way of disliking and not respecting the FREE People of Taiwan who fled the forced communist takeover of mainland China in the 1940's and set up their own free government and nation.