Beijing law professor Teng Biao is Chen Guangcheng’s lawyer. In a series of phone calls after the activist entered the U.S. embassy, he reportedly tried to persuade Chen to accept a life of exile in the U.S. “If he leaves the embassy, then his safety has no guarantee,” Teng told the Washington Post. “The Chinese government has made many promises on many things, but they never keep their promise.” Since Chen’s transfer to a Beijing hospital, Teng has remained under close watch. He told USA Today May 8 that the police had forbidden him from giving media interviews.
Team Chen Guangcheng: The Friends and Family Now at Risk
As Chen awaits a passport to travel to the U.S. following his dramatic April escape—via the American embassy—from house arrest, meet the blind Chinese activist's relatives, supporters and fellow dissidents caught up in Beijing's dragnet