Chen and Bale struck up a friendship after the actor attempted to visit 41-year-old Chen in December 2011, along with a CNN crew, after an eight-hour drive from Beijing. Government guards in his village forcefully prevented the actor from entering.
Then in October last year, the actor paid tribute to Chen as he presented him with an award from the group, Human Rights First.
“He represents the people of China, the people that I met. He represents their hopes, their aspirations and their desire to be free from corruption and tyranny,” the British actor told the ceremony.
“He is a symbol of what an individual is capable of, no matter how humble his or her origins. He is in my opinion a giant among men,” Bale said.
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