Mitt Romney weighed in on the looming diplomat crisis between the United States and China, calling on Sunday for the Obama administration to “take every measure” to protect a blind dissident and his family after his daring escape from house arrest last week.

Mr. Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, did not directly criticize the administration’s handling on the case, but said that the fate of the dissident, Chen Guangcheng, underscored the need for unflinching American support for human rights in China.

“Any serious U.S. policy toward China must confront the facts of the Chinese government’s denial of political liberties, its one-child policy and other violation of human rights,” he said in a statement on Sunday, his first remarks on the issue since Mr. Chen’s escape became known on Friday. Mr. Chen became famous because of his strong opposition to forced abortions and sterilizations conducted as part of China’s policy of limiting families to one child.

“Our country must play a strong role in urging reform in China and supporting those fighting for the freedoms we enjoy,” Mr. Romney added.

The State Department and the White House have repeatedly refused to discuss Mr. Chen’s situation or his exact whereabouts, despite statements by Chinese officials and dissidents indicating that he is in the American Embassy in Beijing.

Mr. Romney’s remarks made it clear that the administration would not be able to remain silent on the matter much longer. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner are scheduled to lead a large delegation to Beijing this week for two days of talks on economic and security issues — matters that will surely be overshadowed by Mr. Chen’s case.

Asked about Mr. Chen on “Fox News Sunday,” the president’s top counterterrorism adviser, John O. Brennan, declined to discuss it in detail, but added that the administration sought “an appropriate balance” with countries like China.

“I think in all instances the president tries to balance our commitment to human rights, making sure that the people throughout the world have the ability to express themselves freely and openly,” he said, “but also that we can continue to carry out our relationships with key countries overseas.”