FOREIGN POLICY: Blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng entered the U.S. Embassy in Beijing last week in such poor medical condition that U.S. officials suspected he might have advanced colon cancer, pushing them to speed up his exit from the embassy and into a local hospital, a senior administration official told The Cable.
Following Chen’s harrowing escape from house arrest and what U.S. Ambassador Gary Locke called a “Mission: Impossible“-style rescue by to get him into the U.S. Embassy, U.S. officials found Chen to be in much worse health that has previously been disclosed, according to the official, who had first-hand knowledge of the episode. Chen’s severe medical condition was a factor in the embassy’s desire to get him to the local hospital as quickly as possible and was also a reason U.S. officials left Chen alone during a portion of his hospital stay, because he had to undergo extensive testing to determine whether or not he had a fatal disease.
“When Chen entered the embassy and was examined by our doctor, he was found to be bleeding profusely from his rectum,” the official said, adding that the American doctor on site concluded that Chen either had a severe case of gastroenteritis or an advanced case of untreated colon cancer. “This gave us a lot of anxiety.” … (more)
