Blind activist Chen Guangcheng arrives in Taiwan on 'human rights trip'

Blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng arrived in Taipei on Monday on what organisers called a “trip for freedom and human rights”, likely to spark Chinese anger.

Chen flew to the northern Taoyuan airport late on Sunday night from the United States, after New York University announced earlier this month that it would be parting ways with the dissident.

“I’m glad to visit Taiwan,” Chen told reporters before being whisked away.

The activist, a self-taught lawyer, claimed that Beijing had applied “unrelenting” pressure on the university to end his study programme, a charge which NYU has strongly denied.

Chen, 41, had been in New York since May last year after he escaped house arrest and fled to the US embassy in Beijing, triggering a brief crisis in relations between China and America.

At least one Taiwanese university has expressed interest in inviting Chen to the island as a visiting scholar, said Yang Sen-hong, chairman of the Association for China Human Rights, which is hosting his high-profile visit.

“It is a trip for freedom and human rights. It is of special significance when Taiwan is engaging China,” Yang said of his visit, referring to improving ties between the former rivals.