When Hillary Clinton traveled abroad as secretary of state for the first time, she stated that the US could not allow human rights issues to interfere with working with China on global challenges. Now, with Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng reportedly under US protection in Beijing, the US will see if China follows the same principle. Chen's escape, after being under house arrest for 19 months, comes at a delicate time for both countries, as they prepare for economic and security talks and China deals with a political scandal. US officials believe it is unlikely that Chen would be handed over to China against his will, leaving China with a decision to either let the relationship with the US suffer or seek a compromise. Experts suggest that a compromise is likely, but not guaranteed. A senior official from the Obama administration expressed doubt that the relationship between the US and China would be severely damaged. He believed that the current situation was not as serious as past incidents such as a spy plane clash or the Tiananmen Square massacre. The official anticipated that both countries would make efforts to handle the situation. In 2001, tensions between Beijing and Washington escalated due to a collision between a Chinese fighter jet and a US surveillance plane. The relationship between the two countries had also been strained in 1989 following the violent suppression of pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square by Chinese troops. The United States has not officially confirmed reports that Chen fled from house arrest in his village in Shandong province into the US embassy. China has also not directly commented on the dissident's reported escape. According to Texas-based ChinaAid, Chen is under US protection and high-level talks are ongoing between US and Chinese officials regarding his status. This incident could complicate the upcoming visit of US secretaries of state and treasury to Beijing for their Strategic and Economic Dialogue. Chen's escape follows the incident where a Chinese official fled into the US consulate in Chengdu, sparking the Bo Xilai scandal months before a leadership handover in the ruling Communist Party. Chris Johnson, the former top China analyst for the CIA, believes that the current state of Sino-US relations is becoming increasingly tense due to recent events such as the Bo Xilai case, Chen's escape, and the potential sale of new F-16s to Taiwan. Johnson suggests that these developments may be seen by some in Beijing as part of a US containment strategy aimed at hindering China's growth. The resolution of these issues will depend on how China's leadership balances nationalist sentiments with a desire to maintain stability during the upcoming party leadership succession. Shi Yinhong, an expert in US-China relations at Renmin University, believes that China is likely to seek a quick and quiet resolution to avoid negative impacts on foreign relations and domestic politics. He also notes that both countries have too much at stake to cancel their upcoming meetings. "I do not believe that the United States will use this tactic to shame China. They are still interested in exerting influence over China's actions regarding North Korea and Syria. They are looking to minimize the repercussions of this situation, as they are aware that it is already embarrassing for China." The US and China have previously managed to resolve complex issues. For example, on April 1, 2001, a collision between a US Navy EP-3 signals intelligence aircraft and a Chinese fighter near Hainan island resulted in the death of a Chinese pilot and an emergency landing of the US plane on Hainan. The 24 US crew members were held in custody until April 11, when they were released following a letter from the United States expressing regret for the death of the Chinese pilot and acknowledging that the EP-3 had entered Chinese airspace without permission. In February 2009, Hillary Clinton stated that while the US would continue to address issues such as Taiwan, Tibet, and human rights with China, these concerns would not overshadow global economic, climate change, and security crises. Despite the implication that human rights might be given less priority, experts believed that the US could not betray Chen for both moral and political reasons. Tom Malinowski, a former White House official, emphasized that it would be morally wrong for the US to hand over Chen against his will. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has accused Obama of being weak on China, which would be further emphasized if Obama were to abandon Chen. Analysts and rights activists have outlined two potential solutions for Chen's case: either he is released in China with assurances of safety for himself and his family, or he goes into exile despite his reluctance to leave China. Kenneth Lieberthal, director of the John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution in Washington, stated that they would only force him out of China if they were very confident that he would not suffer for his actions. He mentioned that it is difficult to be confident about his safety if he remains in China. Lieberthal also expressed that there is a high likelihood that he will eventually be escorted to the airport with assurances that he will be able to leave on a plane. He believes that he will not be allowed back into China, possibly never or at least not in the near future.