The State Department says Chinese activist and blogger Lu Haitao and his wife are in the United States.

Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland provided the confirmation but gave no details about the case. Citing department policy, she declined to comment on whether the pair had been granted asylum.

Lu and his wife have reportedly faced persecution in China. In an October 2011 blog, Lu reported being beaten up by authorities after he attempted to visit blind dissident Chen Guangcheng (chehn gwahng-chung).

Chen is self-taught lawyer who campaigned against forced abortions and for citizens' rights. He caused a diplomatic crisis last April when he fled house arrest in rural China and sought refuge at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. China subsequently allowed him to come to the U.S. to study law.