AP Photo

As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton heads to China this week for yearly strategic consultations, a daring bid for political asylum has highlighted the seething dissent beneath China’s surface stability.

The dramatic news that dissident Chen Guangcheng escaped from house arrest and traveled clandestinely to seek refuge in America’s Beijing embassy is still rocking China. Chen’s journey captured worldwide media attention; his fate could have profound implications for China’s future domestically and for Sino-American affairs, this century’s most important bilateral relationship.