This is the division, in terms of the debate.

To what extend does the United States become vulnerable through an increasing dependence on a governmental structure that's not like our own?

democracy, human rights have to be part of the dialogue, on an ongoing, consistent basis.

to the extent that we can help create more space for them, for the bloggers, for activists, for others to begin to raise these issues with their own governments, that's the key.

We have clearly articulated, from a governmental perspective, different standards, in terms of electoral process, openness of the media, freedom of movement, et cetera.

We take one standard on electoral process in a place like Thailand, and then we'll say--or we will not say, to Vietnam or China, that they should even have elections.

I think this has been a very good opportunity for us to exercise some oversight, here in the Congress, on the evolution of policy.

this is, I think, a fresh opportunity to try to bring some consistency into our policies.

And this doesn't just to go into the China situation. It's to talk about, fundamentally, whether we have a consistent policy that people in all countries in Asia can understand.

It would be an enormous mistake for any administration to neglect this critical dimension of our foreign policy.

the promotion of democracy and human rights is an essential element of American foreign policy.

I think there is a strong bipartisan commitment to Asia, with specific steps and values that have animated our overall engagement for decades.

I think if you ask many Americans today what is the central focus, regionally, of American foreign policy, they all would say it is South Asia.

I believe, that the time has come to undertake a comparative assessment of how our policies toward Asian governments effect our relationships.

if we, as a nation, tolerate certain activities by closed systems that have a great deal of power, then these emerging governments will see that there is no accountability for negative behavior.

With respect to human rights situations inside China, these are the numbers that I received from my staff, from the State Department's report on human rights.

I think it is also the view of particularly President Obama and Secretary Clinton that not only is it important to talk about these values, but to live them.

I do believe that this is an issue that is part of our strategic dialogue with China.