chen. and while those talks continue, president obama today tried to avoid saying anything that could risk their hopes to diffuse this crisis. >> obviously i'm aware of the press reports on the situation in china but i'm not going to make a statement on the issue what i would like to emphasize is that every time we meet with china the issue of human rights comes up. >> reporter: it was clear mr. obama was trying to avoid rattling an already tense situation in part because chen's case is threatening to be the biggest human rights issue between the count-to-countries since the teen then square crackdown in 1989. today we learned kirk campbell, a high level state department official arrived sunday to try and quickly resolve the crisis and to avoid a diplomatic embarrassment before secretary of state hillary clinton and treasury secretary tim geithner are said to arrive for a previously scheduled conference on security and economic issues. >> the u.s./china relationship is important. >> reporte

last sunday night chen made his getaway. according to an activist source, he walked for hours alone, evading three rings of guards. his contact drove him more than 300 miles to beijing. when safe, chen released an internet plea for help from china's premier wen jiabao. >> my family is still in the guards' evil hands, he says. my escape will make them worse. >> chen's accomplices are already paying a heavy price. his driver peirong was taken away by police after talking about her role on china's version of twitter. others who sheltered chen in beijing have also disappear mood detention. >> there are a grow og number of people inside china who are willing to take extraordinary risks simply to try to make the government answer to them and function in the way it should according to the laws on the books. >> reporter: chinese and u.s. diplomats are now believed to be bargaining over chen's fate so he has his own demands. >> he does not want to go into exile, as activist zeng jinyan in a phone interview. he wants to stay in china

where is chen? within minutes of pulling out our camera, security at the united states embassy in beijing pounced. i ups we can't take photos. but is chen here at the embassy? >> i don't know whether he is. >> reporter: the blind human rights activist has been in hiding after escaping house arrest in his provincial village and fleeing to beijing. now a close friend and fellow campaigner says chen is indeed here, given refuge at the u.s. embassy. when chen first fled to beijing, we had to keep moving him from place to place, to ensure his safety. and we agreed the u.s. embassy is the only absolutely secure location in town. hu jia is seen here in recent days. chen was also meeting his wife. they're among a group of supporters who have aided chen's dramatic escape, who himself is targeted by chinese authorities and would only speak to cnn away from our cameras. but even then, within hours of meeting us, hu was arrested. and another friend of chen was seized by cops. she spoke to cnn by skype just befo

chen is the u.s. takes a low public thofile on this and works quietly behind the scenes to get tly out of china and get his family out of china. is reporter: well before the daring escape, the obama administration had been focused on chen guangcheng's case. secretary of state hillary clinton mentioned him in a taeech on chinese human rights last november. y cletary clinton begins talks here in five days, so this development may well headline her visit. jim? >> axelrod: celia hatton in beijing for us. thank you. what does this mean for u.s.- thina relations. we're joined by former undersecretary of state, nicholas burns. good evening. tary, no shortage of topics for secretary clinton to take up nith chinese leaders when she travels there. hinelikely is this to elevate human rights on the agenda? ht jim, i think human rights jim be on the top of the agenda given the story unfolding of guangcheng. there were lot of issues to discuss, of course-- iran, north korea, syria and the global economy-- but this

where is chen? within minutes will pulling our camera security at the united states embassy in beijing pounced. i understand we can't take photos but is chen here at the embassy? >> i know -- i don't know whether he -- >> reporter: the blind human rights activist has been in hiding after escaping house arrest in his village and fleeing to beijing. now, a close friend and fellow campaigner says chen is, indeed, here, given refuge at the u.s. embassy. he first fled to beijing we had to keep moving him from place-to-place. chen had been under heavy guard the last 18 months. the self-taught lawyer angered chinese authorities by campaigning against alleged forced abortions and sterilizations. he spent more than four years in prison convicted of disrupting traffic and damaging property during demonstrations. since his release, he has been in lock-down. this is what happened when we tried to visit chen last year. with hollywood actor and "batman" star christian bale. >> we have been stopped. we have been s

a year ago, footage showed chen and his son under house arrest was smuggled out. how the blind lawyer slipped away is not clear. chen guangcheng spent four years in this prison after exposing away thousands of women underwent forced abortions. there are now fears for the safety of his wife and child, to be left behind. he had a direct question for china's premier. he asked wen jiabao if the local officials were acting on their own or with the support of the central government. i think you should give the people a clear answer, he said. in recent days, china's leaders have been struggling to contain one crisis. chen guangcheng's this data gives the menu problem. -- escaped gives them a new problem. >> an extraordinary tale of bravery. to japan, where the issue of u.s. troops stationed there since the second world war has long been a strain on relations between both countries. now it seems a compromise may be close. thousands of u.s. marines will leave their base and okinawa. at least 10,000 u.s. troops will remain in the country, much to the annoyance of the locals

the words of chen guangcheng on this amateur video that emerged friday. it's been wide by reported that the blind self taught lawyer took refuge at the u.s. embassy in beijing. the u.s. officials have pointedly not confirmed it. this afternoon after a white house meeting with the prime minister of japan, president obama declined to talk about chen directly. >> obviously i'm aware of the press reports on the situation in china. but i'm not going to make a statement on the issue. what i would like to emphasize is that every time we meet with china, the issue of human right comes up. it is our belief that not only is that the right thing to do because it comports with our principles and our belief in freedom and human rights, but also because we actually think china will be stronger as it opens up and liberalizes its own system. >> reporter: chen ran afoul of chinese authorities by campaigning against forced aboringss used to enforce china's one-child policy. he served more than four years in prison before his release in september, 2010. since then, what sec

chen guangcheng's escape is a new embarrassment for them. he may be safe, but there are reports his relatives and those who helped him are now being rounded up. bbc news in beijing. >> an extraordinary story of courage. to japan, where the issue of u.s. troops stationed there since the second world war has long been a strain on relations between both countries. now it seems a compromise may be close. thousands of u.s. marines are to leave and redeploy to locations outside of japan. at least 10,000 u.s. troops will remain in the country, much to the annoyance of the locals. burke has thend story. >> for more than 60 years, japan and the united states have been allies. enemies in the second world war, there flags have flown side-by-side at bases on okinawa. many islanders have been reluctant hosts to nearly half of the force in japan. 9000 marines are being moved to long and other locations in the pacific -- to guam and other locations in the pacific. a substantial presence will remain. this comes days before the prime minister flies to washin

the blind lawyer and human rights campaignist chen guangcheng. mr. chen has spent the last 18 months under house arrest but last sunday, he escaped and he released a video from a secret location demanding an investigation into his treatment and end to the persecution of his family and corruption. our correspondent told us more about the video footage. >> that online video posted by chen guangcheng has been released in which he says he confirms the fabblet that he escaped from that house arrest that he was under about eight hours here from beijing and he's made an appeal in that video to china's premier wen jiabao with the three demands. the first one that he was saying that the violence he said that had been inflicted on him and his family by which there have been many report, beatings and the likes and that should be investigated and he named local officials who he said did that and he calls china's premier to do that. and he calls for the safety of his family. that's his daughter and his wife who have been be under house arrest with him. his daught

chen right now. we are working very closely with the individuals involved in this, so i'm going to leave it to others in the u.s. government who have responsibility for it. >> reporter: negotiating chen's release will be difficult for both countries, with the administration hoping to avoid accusations of caving on human rights and the chinese fearing too many concessions may embolden other activists. >> i think that the u.s. is not in a position to require that the chinese treat him well if he leaves the u.s. embassy. the best we can hope for is to negotiate safe passage to the airport and exit from the country. >> reporter: there may be some incentive on both sides for a quiet resolution. if not only a presidential election year here in the u.s., but china's communist party is expecting a leadership transition around the same time. whit johnson, cbs news, the white house. >>> the head of the u.n. observer mission in syria says it's up to syrians to stop the blood shed that's killed more than 9,000 p

chen is under u.s.rotection in china. >> obviously i'm aware of the press reports on the situation in china. but i'm not going to make a statement on the issue. >> and tonight secretary of state hillary clinton heads for beijing. >> we have a full range of issues that covers all of the political and economic matters that are of concern to our nations and our people. i'm not going to address the specific case at this time. >> and the administration's point man on the ground is assistant secretary for asian affairs, kurt campbell. he is in beijing. act gists claim he is involved in intense negotiations with the chinese to decide where chen should go next. treasury secretary tim geithner will join hillary clinton in leading the latest round of strategic dialogue with china, set to again on thursday. both sides say those talks will go forward. larry? >> all right, thank you very much, hampton pearson. so just what will the overall impact be on u.s.-chinese relations? let's bring in jordan chang. gordon, thi

chen, seen in a home video, spent four years in prison. crime was exposing house thousand of people were forced to undergo abortions and sterilization by government officials. for the last two years, he and his family have lived under house arrest in their village in eastern china, but now, chen chung has escaped, mysteriously spirited away, even as security guards watched his home. [ foreign language ] >> reporter: today, his supporters posted this video online, in which mr. chen details abuse at the hands of the chinese regime. [ foreign language ] >> i'm free now, but i'm also very worried. my wife, mother and child are still in their evil hands. they may take insane revenge on them now that i've fled. >> reporter: chung is believed to be in beijing, but his act location is a secret. his friends say he's safe and there are humors that he's been given asylum inside the american embassy, though u.s. officials have refused to comment. now there are fears for the safety of mr. chen's young family. [ foreign language ] >> my wife was hit in

hu jia is seen in these photos with chen in recent days. chen also meeting hu's wife.self is targeted by chinese authorities and would only speak to cnn away from our cameras, but even then within hours he was detained, questioned, and later released. another friend of chen was seized by cops. she spoke to cnn just before disappearing saying chen has no desire to flee china. when i asked him if he would go abroad, she says, he said he wants to live freely in his own country. he said he hopes to take my hand and take me to his village one day. more details are emerging about just how chen guangcheng managed to escape. according to activists who know what happened, they say for months he had lulled his captors into a false sense of security. he was spending more and more time asleep on his bed. they got used to his absences and then dropped their guard. here is where it gets interesting. under cover of darkness it is said chen made his break. he clinled over a wall and then this blind man managed to cross a creek a. along the way he stumbled and injured himself but final

it's being reported mister chen is under p-s protection in beijing.n / white house counter terrorism adviser:"the president will do whatever he thinks is in the best interests of the united states as well as the individuals involved." the comments on fox news sunday were the first by the u-s administraaion on its potential involvement in allegedly harboring the chinese activist. just spokesperson victoria nuland stayed tight lipped on the topic.ms. nuland: i don't have anything for you on that subject. (question: nothhng at all?) nothing at all. and while president obama's discuss the case, he declined - to provide many details.john brennan / white houue counter terrorismmadviser"i'm not going to address the issue of mr chhnnright now. we are working very closely with the individuals involved in this and so i am going to leave it with others in the us government who have responsibility forrit.. a handful of members f the christian defense coalition held a prayer vigil outsiie the chinese embassy in washington, d-c, in support of the ctivist. the sensi

chen and his family were under house arrest for the last 20 months. human rights groups say they were beaten and harassed during that time. at the white house danielle nottingham. now back to you, derek. >> chen supporters do believe a deal for his release will get done before clinton arrives in china. >>> investigators were back at the scene today of that deadly crash at the bronx zoo. it happened yesterday when an suv flipped over a guardrail and came crashing down just inside the zoo grounds. seven people from the same family died including three children. police say the car was traveling fast when it hit the center median, ran across several lanes of traffic and plunged 100 feet off the overpass to the ground below. >> everybody was taken back by it burb has a relative. everybody -- because everybody has a relative. everybody has a child or a grand parent. it's i have upsetting. >> investigators -- it's very upsetting. >> investigators are examining the height of the guardrail on that deadly crash. there was another deadly crash back in 2006 on th

dis dissident chen is believed to be held in the u.s.journalists caught in the cross-fire in sudan running for cover. robert robin kreel says she was right up on the front planes when they were attacked. they hid in the trenches 15 minutes before they escaped. >>> if you've been racially profiled by the tsa or you think that, an app will allow users to report alleged profiling in real time and unveiled later at a news conference. organizations representing several minority groups will be on hand to introduce a novel marriage between technology and civil rights activism. >>> who is killing who? shark populations in the pacific reef are plummeting and we are to blame. researchers compared the number of reef sharks in areas near human populations with those near uninhabited ones. shark numbers dropped 90% around some unpopulated islands. "think like a man" based on the best selling book is still king of the box office, finished on top for a second weekend in a row. "think like a man" made $18 million, "the pay rots, band of misfits" second

chen right now. we're working closely with the individuals involved. >> seven people are dead after a van plummets off an overpass. >> bordering the bronx zoo in new york. >> worst possible thing ever. worst. unimaginable. >> president obama has said that what we did was torture. >> well, president obama is entitled to his opinion. >> later on today, one world trade center is set to become the city's tallest skyscraper. >> all that -- >> puppy love is definitely in the air. a pair of hairless dogs were married in the canine wedding ceremony. >> -- and all that matters -- >> an aurora man is shot at point blank range. grateful to be alive. >> on "cbs this morning." >> i had a lot more material prepared but i have to get the secret service home in time for their new curfew. thank you, everybody. thank you. >>> the president in good form on saturday night. welcome to "cbs this morning." a top deputy, the secretary of state clinton is in china this morning, trying to quiet a diplomatic uproar. reports sa

chen had been under heavy guard for the last three months. chen angered chinese authorities. he had spent more than four years in prison convicted of disrupting traffic and damaging property during demonstrations, since he's released, he's been in lockdown. this is what happened when we tried to visit chen last year, with hollywood actor christian bale. now bale has released a statement he says an innocent family has been horrifically tortured. while it gives hope that for now, chen is safe, china must now show its wisdom and compassion and compassion. if indeed chen is here, this threatens to become a political war. but u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton is due in beijing this week and in the past, she has championed chen. stan grant, cnn, beijing. >>> joining us, our state foreign affairs department, getting ready to address presumably this issue, what are you picking up over there as she gets ready for her trip to china. >> this is like a lockdown on saying anything publicly because it is very, very sensitive right now. what they're trying to do is work this out befor

chen guangcheng has become an icon in china. on the internet, hundreds copy his image, appalled that a sightless man was locked up for the past seven years for exposing abuses like abortions under the one child policy. he and his family were under a legal house arrest. up to 100 guards watching his every move. he smuggled this video out last year so they beat his family savagely. western nations have called for his release. today, out of the blue, this. >> i have escaped, speaking directly to china's leaders. he demanded that those responsible for those going without food and hospital care go punished. when the bbc tried to contact him, we could not get near. how did a blind man escape all of these watchers? we have been giving this photo of him now free. >> first, he tried to dig a tunnel. it failed. when the guard was not looking, he scaled a series of walls, fell and hurt his leg. he called a supporter and was driven hundreds of miles to beijing. the authorities giving chase to the american embassy. >> from u.s. officials, th

chen's sheltering could jeopardize the talks between chinese officials and top u.s.fficials including the secretary of state hillary clinton. when asked about chen at a white house news conference president obama was very careful saying just this. >> every time we meet with china, the issue of human rights comes up. china will be that much more prosperous and strong as you see improvements on human rights issues in that country. >> joining me with more perspective on this fascinating story is the former under secretary of state nicholas burns. the president asked about this, the world is watching, the community is watching and he says i am aer with a of the press reports. we know the president has been briefed on this. we know the president sent a high ranking dip low plat to bejing to sort this out. why? >> i think the administration is doing the right thing in this respect. if we talk about this with china privately, not under the glare of the international spotlight and press where more likely to arrive at the solution that we want and that is the continued freedo

chen's friends say the activist wants to stay in china to fight for human rights and does not want tohe u.s. but he may not have another option. at the white house, danielle nottingham, wjz eyewitness news. >> the european union is supporting chen's case and is asking the chinese government to use restraint. >>> well, would you sail on a replica of the titanic? an australian billionaire is building a near perfect model of the ship that sunk on her maiden voyage. the new luxury ship called titanic 2, is equipped with modern technology and state of the art immunities. it is expected to set sail, 2013. >>> more dads are staying home with the children. number of fathers who are primary caretakers increased 26% in 2002. researchers say it's a combination of mothers going to work and more men being out of work as a result of the recession. also because of high child care costs, many families find it tough having one parent at home. >>> blake shelton answers questions over a heated ping- pong match with nancy odell. mark steines reports. >> coming up, nancy odell's face-off with shelton. the

craig: julie chen, everybody. julie chen. julie. >> nothing rimes with chinese.u luke finese. i like this. did you ever see those old movies when the beautiful gypsy girl plays the violin before count dracula bites her? >> you are not going to bite me. craig: i wasn't going to until you said it. now i'm thinking, play the violin and we'll see where it ends up. >> now that could be interpreted as something racist. asian and playing the violin? but growing up chinese was not finese. it was either take your pick. violin or the apitcuk. craig: you're a professional broadcaster. have you ever been to britain? >> yes. craig: have you ever noticed that people start talking like this and then end like this? >> i never realized it until you pointed it out. it's the journalist that want to get your attention and then they drop off. craig: they start off really concerned and then they couldn't really care less. it's true. how are things going on "the talk"? you getting along? >> yes. we're getting along. every day, we have one belly laugh. craig: i thought you were going to

chen even taunted the chinese government on a video proclaiming his escape. this couldn't have come at the worst time. secretary of state clinton and treasury secretary, geithner, are said to return to beijing in a couple of days for talks. >> this does have the potential to be a major international incident. >> it could become that if it's mishandled. again, we'll have to see how the chinese handle it. >> reporter: so far the chinese significant falled this issue should not disrupt the talks but since the u.s. long criticized the chinese human rights record, the secretary of state will be walking a beijing tight rope next week. david. >> everyone will be watching for that. david kerley in washington, thank you. >>> there's is fresh fallout from the secret service scandal as we learn more about the agent who authorities believe was the one that argued about paying the bill that night. tonight word of new code of conduct. what are the rules now? abc's reena ninen it who has covered this reports from washington on the steps to keep this happening again. >> repo

chen is under u.s. diplomatic protection in beijing and the u.s.nts are trying to find a solution, and to help plep chen. and those who helped him and some of them were detained. some of them were taken more interrogation. and some were sort of under kind of house arrest. >> what will do we know about his wife and child? because he clearly escaped over the wall. it's just a remarkable story. but what happened to them? because they remained behind. >> yeah, it is unfortunate. and, of course, his wife has been helping and encouraging mr. chen for their adventure because he wants his -- he wants their voice to be heard. and il learned that his wife and their 6-year-old daughter and his mom are still under the control in their village. >> one of the distinctions, bob, is that he served his time for what they charged him with. and so, he is not technically violating the law right now. so under what pretext would they be able to agree to let him leave or put him under some -- under constraints? mean, what is the chinese option right now? >> you're right.

chen's friends say the activist wants wants to stay in china, to fight for human rights and does noto to the u.s. but he may not have another option. at the white house, danielle nottingham, wjz eyewitness news. >> chen's supporters believe a deal for his release will get done before clinton arrives in china. >>> also in china, a little girl survives a dangerous accident after a large truck nearly slams into her. take a look. this is tough to watch. the close encounter happened as the girl ran across the street. luckily, the truck swerved at the last second, avoiding the girl and slamming into a traffic pole. she escaped with only a few bruises and scrapes. the driver also survived that accident. >>> check in with eyewitness news at 6:00. for all new stories coming up, denise is in the newsroom with more coming up. >>> cold case cracked. two decades later, police find the body of a howard county woman, charging a husband with murder. the new twist, involving robert jarrett's wife. >>> a carjack being and police pursuit ends. the latest on the arrest of two suspects. check in for thes

deep healing the abuses that he and his family have suffered. >> chen is blind and manage to flee his closely guarded home with the help of supporters. >> in an online video, he said he had suffered "repeated beatings." >> activists say chen guangcheng skip from his village sunday night and is now in a safe house in beijing. this youtube video shows him on friday. he accuses local officials of corruption and calls on prime minister wen jiabao to act. >> premier wen, the lawless occurrences are confusing to the people. the cadres are abusing power on their own, or do they have the support of the central government? i think you should give the people a clear answer on that. >> he has been under house arrest for a year and a half. these pictures show security forces blocking a road into his village last year. activists say local officials broke into a house belonging to his relatives last night and arrested his brother and nephew. >> you have heard about green cards. germany will now start to issue blue cards. they will be giving them to foreign specialists seeking work here. >> it is es

state park and has refused to confirm or deny that chen guangcheng has taken refuge. -- the u.s. state department has refused to confirm or deny. he investigated local officials and looked to clamp down on corruption. >> blind since he was a key, -- he was two, chen guangcheng has become an icon in china. many people are appalled that he has been locked out for seven years. he exposed policies such as forced abortion. he and his family were under house arrest. up to 100 guards were watching his every move. he smuggled this video out last year and they beat his family savagely. western nations have called for his release. today, out of the blue, this. "dear, premier, i have escaped." he demanded that those that had imprisoned and insulted his family be punished. he said that his wife and child left behind could face cruel retribution. when we tried to visit him, we could not get near. how did a blind man escape all of these swatches? we have been given this photo of him now free, with another activist. he spoke to us tonight. he said, he tried to dig a tunnel. when the guard was n

one of clinton's top deputies is reportedly in china already to hammer out a deal for chen before the meetings begin. >> the best we can hope for is to negotiate safe passage to the airport and exit from the country. >> reporter: but those negotiations will be difficult for both sides. the obama administration must try to persuade the chinese to release the man they consider a criminal. danielle nottingham, cbs news, the white house. >>> the european union is supporting chen's case and asking the chinese government to use restraint in that case. >>> the man accused in a series of hammer attacks on people in northwest washington is now in jail being held without bond. one of his alleged victims told surae chinn he didn't think anything was wrong till he was hit with a hammer. >> he walked to my side with a smile and said how you doing, sir? i said how you doing? >> reporter: he seemed normal? >> normal. he didn't look like a threat at all. >> the victim asked us not to show his face. he was hit in the head thursday afternoon and he didn't call police until he learned that michael davis

and china could soon resolve the fate of blind dissident chen guangcheng. abc's tahman bradley joins us from washington with more. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: the u.s. will not say whether the dissident is under protection. if he is, it would be the first time since the tiananmen square protests that the u.s. has protected a human rights activist. the u.s. is scrambling to contain a diplomatic crisis with china. on the eve of important negotiations, a blind chinese activist, chen guangcheng was reportedly in the u.s. embassy. he is a campaigner for rights and has opposed forced abortions. this is what happened when christian bale tried to visit him last year. >> why can i not visit him? >> reporter: last week, in what seemed like a hollywood thriller, he scaled a wall and escaped. after bei he was driven to beijing by a supporter. after a car chase, activists say he was taken in by the u.s. a senior white house aide spoke about the difficult balancing act. >> i think in all interests, the president tries to balance our commitment to human rights. we'

but i'm not going to make a statement on the issue. >> reporter: chen is reportedly under u.s. china, after escaping house arrest. it's believed the two countries are trying to negotiate a deal that would give him asylum in america. >> what i would like to employicize is that every time we meet in china, the issue of human rights comes up. >> reporter: he forced exposed -- force -- he exposed forced abortions. some say he had help getting out. he later made a video, asking the government not to hurt the family he left behind. >> reporter: my wife, mother and children are still in the guard's evil hands, he says. >> reporter: negotiations for chen will be difficult for the obama administration. officials must try to persuade the chinese to release the man they consider a criminal. >> reporter: later this week, secretary of state hillary clinton and other u.s. leaders will arrive in beijing. for talks on trade and the economy chen's friends say the activist wants to stay in china to fight for human rights and does not want to go to the u.s. but he may not have another option. at

questions about the exact whereabouts of chen. cnn's stand grant is in beijing. >> reporter: a lot of speculation that in fact is behind these walls here at the u.s. embassy. now, according to an activist, a friend of chen's who spoke directly to cnn. he says he brought chen here after he escaped from his captives in this village a matter of days ago. this activist said that he has the photos to prove it. these photos show huhja and his wife meeting chen. he said these were taken just in the past few days. >> chen escaped from house arrest in china a few days ago. he was convicted of organizing protests against the government. >>> fire officials in st. louis, missouri, are launching an investigation after a sports bar tent collapsed during a severe storm over the weekend. one person was killed, 16 were seriously hurt. and almost 100 others suffered minor injuries. officials say 50-mile-an-hour wind gusts lifted the tent right off the ground. >> i got hit with the metal pipes. the wire, we've got electric inside this tent. we had a