This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/01/world/asia/ai-weiwei-britain-visa.html
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Reversing Itself, Britain Grants Ai Weiwei a Six-Month Visa | Reversing Itself, Britain Grants Ai Weiwei a Six-Month Visa |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| LONDON — After a day of embarrassing criticism over its refusal to grant the dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei a six-month business visa and its assertion that Mr. Ai had lied on his application, the British government reversed itself on Friday and said he would get the visa he wanted. | |
| Theresa May, Britain’s home secretary, was not consulted on the decision by the British Embassy in Beijing to give Mr. Ai a visa good for only 20 days, a spokeswoman for the Home Office said in a statement. | Theresa May, Britain’s home secretary, was not consulted on the decision by the British Embassy in Beijing to give Mr. Ai a visa good for only 20 days, a spokeswoman for the Home Office said in a statement. |
| “She has reviewed the case and has now instructed Home Office officials to issue a full six-month visa,” the spokeswoman said. “We have written to Mr. Ai apologizing for the inconvenience caused.” | “She has reviewed the case and has now instructed Home Office officials to issue a full six-month visa,” the spokeswoman said. “We have written to Mr. Ai apologizing for the inconvenience caused.” |
| But there was no apology for accusing Mr. Ai of having lied on his visa application. | But there was no apology for accusing Mr. Ai of having lied on his visa application. |
| Mr. Ai said Friday afternoon that he had yet to receive official notice, but that he welcomed the decision. “Britain still has to support those very essential” human rights values, he said by telephone from Munich, where he arrived on Thursday to see his 6-year-old son, who lives in Berlin with his mother. “I’m glad they quickly solved this.” | Mr. Ai said Friday afternoon that he had yet to receive official notice, but that he welcomed the decision. “Britain still has to support those very essential” human rights values, he said by telephone from Munich, where he arrived on Thursday to see his 6-year-old son, who lives in Berlin with his mother. “I’m glad they quickly solved this.” |
| The earlier decision would have allowed Mr. Ai to attend the opening of a major exhibition of his work in London at the Royal Academy of Arts in early September, but would not have allowed him to be in Britain during a state visit in October by President Xi Jinping of China. | The earlier decision would have allowed Mr. Ai to attend the opening of a major exhibition of his work in London at the Royal Academy of Arts in early September, but would not have allowed him to be in Britain during a state visit in October by President Xi Jinping of China. |
| There was speculation that Britain, which has sought close economic and trade ties with China after a period of frostiness, was trying to avoid embarrassing Mr. Xi — either at Beijing’s request or without having been asked. | There was speculation that Britain, which has sought close economic and trade ties with China after a period of frostiness, was trying to avoid embarrassing Mr. Xi — either at Beijing’s request or without having been asked. |
| Britain’s Foreign Office denied any connection, but Mr. Ai was infuriated at the suggestion that he had lied on his visa application when he said he had not been convicted of any crime. Earlier on Friday, he said he was considering skipping Britain altogether unless the country relented. | Britain’s Foreign Office denied any connection, but Mr. Ai was infuriated at the suggestion that he had lied on his visa application when he said he had not been convicted of any crime. Earlier on Friday, he said he was considering skipping Britain altogether unless the country relented. |
| “The situation is very blurred,” he said. “If they do not change their position and only give me the time to stay there, then the decision is no, I will not go.” | “The situation is very blurred,” he said. “If they do not change their position and only give me the time to stay there, then the decision is no, I will not go.” |
| “I think they’re trying to use economic interests over an essential understanding of human rights,” he continued. “By using that bureaucratic ability, they put themselves in a very questionable position. Of course I’m an artist, but I use my life to protect essential rights. Nothing can be traded for those values.” | “I think they’re trying to use economic interests over an essential understanding of human rights,” he continued. “By using that bureaucratic ability, they put themselves in a very questionable position. Of course I’m an artist, but I use my life to protect essential rights. Nothing can be traded for those values.” |
| He added, “I want to go to the show, but this is a matter of principle.” | He added, “I want to go to the show, but this is a matter of principle.” |
| In a letter from the British Embassy in Beijing that Mr. Ai posted to his Instagram account on Thursday, an official wrote, “It is a matter of public record that you have previously received a criminal conviction in China, and you have not declared this.” | In a letter from the British Embassy in Beijing that Mr. Ai posted to his Instagram account on Thursday, an official wrote, “It is a matter of public record that you have previously received a criminal conviction in China, and you have not declared this.” |
| A tax case has been brought against a design firm with which he is affiliated, but not against him personally, and although a fine was issued, the matter has not been fully adjudicated and in any event is not a criminal case, said his former lawyer, Liu Xiaoyuan. | A tax case has been brought against a design firm with which he is affiliated, but not against him personally, and although a fine was issued, the matter has not been fully adjudicated and in any event is not a criminal case, said his former lawyer, Liu Xiaoyuan. |
| Mr. Ai was held in Chinese custody for 81 days in 2011 but never formally arrested. He said the authorities returned evidence from that case last week but still have not recovered the full $2.4 million in fines and back taxes that a court said the company owed. | Mr. Ai was held in Chinese custody for 81 days in 2011 but never formally arrested. He said the authorities returned evidence from that case last week but still have not recovered the full $2.4 million in fines and back taxes that a court said the company owed. |
| The Chinese government gave him back his passport only last week. | The Chinese government gave him back his passport only last week. |