Blind dissident Chen Guangcheng flees house arrest after daring nightime escape That he managed to slip past the cordon of guards who surround his home in the village of Dongshigu in eastern Shandong Province day and night is both remarkable and a major setback for the Chinese government struggling to contain the fallout from the Bo Xilai scandal. Mr Chen is believed to have fooled his captors by pretending to sleep for much of the time over the last few months, lulling them into believing he had no desire to flee. In fact, the activist had merely been waiting for the right moment to slip away. According to his friend and fellow activist He Peirong, Mr Chen scaled the wall around his house under the cover of darkness on Sunday, before meeting her at a pre-arranged rendezvous. He was then driven to Beijing, around eight hours away. US activist Bob Fu said that Mr Chen was "in a 100% safe location in Beijing" but added: "I can't say anymore because there might be diplomatic issues." While Mr Fu's comments suggested Mr Chen had sought refuge in the US embassy, officials there refused to comment. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is one of many international figures who have repeatedly called for his release. Should Mr Chen be inside the embassy it would likely lead to a major stand-off between Washington and Beijing. Chinese authorities are certain to demand he is returned to their custody. Added to Beijing's embarrassment yesterday, Mr Chen posted a 15-minute online plea to Wen Jiabao that painted a bleak picture of human rights in China. He also called on Premier Wen to safeguard his wife and daughter from retribution by the authorities. "I ask the Chinese government to protect my family," he said. My leaving may result in them being the subjects of mad revenge. As of Friday night however, there remained deep concern for the safety of Mr Chen's family and friends. Writing on Twitter the activist Mo Zhizu said: "The suffering of Chen's family is the most important thing now." Ms He's mobile phone was switched off and she was thought to have been detained by the police. Mr Chen's wife, mother and six year-old daughter were still inside the family house, which was surrounded yesterday by the authorities. His brother and nephew were reported to have been arrested on charges of aiding his escape. Mr Chen's wife had already endured beatings from the guards hired by local officials in Shandong to watch his house and prevent him leaving or meeting anyone. "They put my wife on the ground, covered her with a quilt and beat her harshly for several hours," said Mr Chen of one recent incident. Illiterate until he was in his early twenties, Mr Chen taught himself law and first came to prominence in 2005 by revealing a government campaign of forced abortions and sterilisations in his home province of Shandong. After organising a civil action against the local authorities, he was jailed in August 2006 for four years on charges of damaging property and assembling a crowd to obstruct traffic. Released in 2010, he was placed under immediate house arrest and prevented from having any contact with the outside world.