A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said in a news release issued on Friday that Chen Guangcheng, a Chinese citizen, may apply to study abroad through the same channels as all Chinese citizens in accordance with the laws of relevant departments.

Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said Chen, a native of Yinan county in eastern China's Shandong province, is currently receiving treatment at a hospital.

The spokesman said on Wednesday that China demands an apology from the United States for taking Chen "via abnormal means" into the US Embassy in Beijing.