Chen Guangcheng escape overshadows US diplomat's China visit Kurt Campbell, front, arrives at a hotel in Beijing. A senior US diplomat has arrived in Beijing amid political aftershocks following the escape from house arrest of a blind Chinese civil rights activist who is believed to have sought sanctuary in the US embassy. Kurt Campbell, the assistant secretary of state, arrived in the capital as Chinese police moved to detain activists and relatives suspected of being involved in the dramatic bid for freedom last week by Chen Guangcheng. After more than six years of jail and house arrest, Chen climbed over the wall of his home last Sunday night and evaded checkpoints and dozens of guards, before meeting a supporter who drove him to Beijing. According to friends and overseas human rights groups, he is now under US diplomatic protection. Texas-based ChinaAid said on Saturday that "high level talks are currently under way between US and Chinese officials regarding Chen's status." But neither government has yet spoken publicly about the issue, which could hardly have come at a more politically sensitive moment for the world's two biggest economies. Campbell was originally expected to visit China later this week. The secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, and the treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, are due to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday night for two days of strategic dialogue. If Chen is confirmed to be in the embassy, negotiations about his future could overshadow efforts to improve the bilateral relationship. Friends say Chen does not want to leave China, but he will not put himself into the hands of the authorities unless there are guarantees for the safety and liberty of himself, his family and associates. Diplomatic sources described the situation as messy, with the potential to affect US-China relations for several months. With the US presidential election looming, the White House will not want to hand over a high-profile civil rights campaigner who exposed illegally enforced abortions by officials. The Chinese government is months away from a transition of power and still struggling to overcome a scandal sparked by the death of the British businessman Neil Heywood that brought down the municipal party leader Bo Xilai. Jean-Pierre Cabestan, of Hong Kong University, said that if Chen was at the embassy, the two governments would probably try to downplay the issue, at least until the end of this week's bilateral talks. "Then the Obama administration will try to find a solution that may not be asylum, but an assurance from Beijing that they will stop harrassing Chen; but if that does not work, asylum will eventually be granted," he said. Nicholas Bequelin, of Human Rights Watch, said it was unlikely the Chinese government would accept Chen's demands for an investigation into his case. In the interim, he said, Washington should offer to take Chen and his family to the US for "medical reasons." "If Beijing is not ready for that either, they should be ready to shelter Chen for a longer time, until a solution is negotiated," Bequelin said. Human rights groups emphasise that negotiations should also focus on the plight of Chen's family and supporters. Several were targeted by police at the weekend. He Peirong, who drove Chen to Beijing, was detained on Friday. Another alleged collaborator, Guo Yushan, not been heard of since Saturday and is thought to have been taken away by police. The activist Hu Jia, who was photographed with Chen after his escape, was held and questioned for more than a day. The whereabouts of Chen's wife and daughter remain unknown. His nephew Chen Kegui has been arrested for allegedly fighting local officials, activists said. In a separate case, a Chinese writer who fled the country last year alleged that officials had detained a friend for seven months in the mistaken belief that he funded the escape. Liao Yiwu, now living in Germany, urged writers and campaigners to call for Li Bifeng's release. Liao said a court was likely to consider Li's case on 8 May, although prosecutors had twice rejected attempts to charge him with economic crimes. "The pretext provided this time was too far-fetched even for the Communist party," he wrote.