The US was forced to reopen negotiations with China yesterday over the fate of Chen Guangcheng after the blind Chinese legal activist said he wanted Hillary Clinton to take him to the US when she leaves China tomorrow.
The Obama administration was trying to prevent a potential political and diplomatic debacle after Mr Chen, who took refuge in the US embassy last week, pulled out of a deal that would have allowed him to remain in China and attend law school because of fears about his safety.
In a telephone interview, Mr Chen told the Financial Times that he now wanted to leave China with his family. He said he ideally wanted to fly on the US flight that will carry Mrs Clinton when the US secretary of state ends her visit.