CHEN Guangcheng, the blind human rights activist who escaped from home detention last month, has left the United States embassy in Beijing after a six-day stay, and will remain in China after receiving assurances he will be treated as a normal citizen.

The US would seek regular welfare visits and China would allow Mr Chen his lifetime goal to study law at university, said a US official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity.

Chen Guangcheng in Shandong. Credit:Reuters

Mr Chen was reunited with his wife and children, and was accompanied by US ambassador Gary Locke to a nearby hospital to receive medical treatment last night.

The remarkable turn of events comes just hours after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Beijing for pre-arranged high-level talks on bilateral economic and security issues. Assistant State Secretary Kurt Campbell had also been engaged in urgent talks with Chinese officials since he arrived on Saturday.