Dissident’s widow allowed out of China

THE widow of Liu Xiaobo, the Chinese Nobel Peace Prize laureate and dissident, has been allowed to leave house arrest in China to seek medical treatment in Germany, ending an eight-year ordeal that drove the poet into depression and drew intense criticism of Beijing’s human rights record.

China’s foreign ministry confirmed that Liu Xia travelled to Germany for medical treatment yesterday in accordance with her will. Hua Chunying, the ministry’s spokesman, told a regular briefing that she had no further information to offer on the case.

As Ms Liu stepped off the plane in transit in Helsinki, she spread her arms and grinned widely at a waiting photographer. The release of the artist, who has never been charged with any crime, is the result of years of campaigning by Western governments and activists and comes just days before the first anniversary of the death of her husband while he was serving a prison sentence for inciting subversion.

Liu Hui, her brother, wrote on a social media site: “Sister has already left Beijing for Europe at noon to start her new life. Thanks to everyone who has helped and cared for her these few years. I hope from now on her life is peaceful and happy.”

The release comes as Li Keqiang, the Chinese premier, is visiting Germany, a country that said in May that it would welcome the widow after a recording was released of her crying in desperation.