BEIJING (MCT) — Blind human rights lawyer Chen Guangcheng does not want political asylum and will instead stay in China with assurances from the Chinese government he and his family can live a normal life, a senior U.S. official said Wednesday.

The dramatic announcement, after days of behind-the-scenes negotiations between U.S. and Chinese officials, came shortly after Chen was reunited with his wife and two children at a local hospital where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries sustained during his escape from house arrest more than a week ago.