Real News From The Blaze': What Happens Now Between U.S. and China Following Chen Case

The Chen Guangcheng case looks to have perhaps come to an end with the blind activist invited to study at New York University, but what damage has the messy affair done to arguably the most important fiscal and diplomatic relationship in the world. The Obama administration is facing tough criticism for its handling of the case. On Thursday, Republicans pounded the White House from Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.

Mitt Romney told The Hill that it was apparent “our embassy failed to put in place the kind of verifiable measures that would have assured the safety of Mr. Chen and his family.”

“If these reports are true, this is a dark day for freedom and it’s a day of shame for the Obama Administration,” Romney said.

Before the NYU exit strategy became clear, Anne Penketh wrote Thursday:

Somewhere in Hollywood a scriptwriter must be firing up a laptop to tell the story of the blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng.

But it won’t have a Hollywood ending. This story can only end badly, with humiliation for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and probably exile for the human-rights activist who originally wanted to stay in China and study under an agreement negotiated with the Chinese authorities since he fled house arrest and pitched up at the U.S. embassy in Beijing.

Did the Chen case distract the U.S. from important matters that needed to be settled during the visit of both Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner? Will this set a precedent for the U.S. and China harboring each others prisoners? Does either country come out looking not awful following this incident?

John Tkacik joined "Real News" panel Friday to examine the fiasco and what it means for the U.S.-China relationship moving forward. Here's a clip: