Contact: Heritage Media Services, 202-608-6150, Nick.Zahn@heritage.org

WASHINGTON, May 3, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- There will be a press conference today regarding, Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng with Reggie Littlejohn and Bob Fu, details follow:

WHO: 
Bob Fu
President, China Aid

Reggie Littlejohn
President, Women's Rights Without Frontiers

WHAT:   
Statement and Q&A on the status of Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng and his colleagues

WHEN:   
Thursday, May 3, at 12:45 p.m.
(Registration and Camera Placement at 12:30 p.m.)

WHERE:  
The Heritage Foundation
214 Massachusetts Ave. NE
Washington, D.C.

BACKGROUND:

Controversy surrounds the latest news of China dissident Chen Gaungcheng's decision to leave the safety of the U.S. embassy in Beijing after escaping there from house arrest on April 22.   The U.S. government purports that it was necessary for him to seek medical treatment and that the Chinese government promised Chen and his family safe conduct.  Human rights activists have doubts about his wellbeing and China's intent, stating that his condition was not critical, and that the U.S. government should have welcomed the Chen's family into the safety of the compound until a more satisfactory deal could be made.

Meanwhile, activists are unable to contact He "Pearl" Peirong, a fellow dissident who assisted Chen in reaching the safety of the U.S. embassy in Beijing. They worry that she has now been detained because of her assistance to Chen. 

Bob Fu, President of China Aid and Tiananmen Square student leader, along with Reggie Littlejohn of Women's Rights Without Frontiers have long established relationships with Chen and He.  Fu has marked this as a watershed moment for United States credibility in the defense of freedom and rule of law.

Fu and Littlejohn are in Washington to testify before an emergency hearing of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China to discuss the recent developments in the Cheng Guangcheng case.