Bill Clinton: “Let me say, he is interested in a very--in what I might call a narrow question here, but a very important one, and in my…”

“Let me say, he is interested in a very--in what I might call a narrow question here, but a very important one, and in my mind, the most important one of all. The question here--the question that was raised that was most troubling was whether people at high levels in the Government of China had either sanctioned or participated in the channeling of funds in violation of American law not only into the Presidential campaign but into a number of congressional campaigns. That charge has been made. He said they looked into that, and he was, obviously, certain, and I do believe him, that he had not ordered or authorized or approved such a thing, and that he could find no evidence that anybody in governmental authority had done that. He said that he could not speak to whether any people pursuing their own business interests had done that. He didn't say that it happened or he knew that it happened. I want to make it clear. He just said that his concern was on the governmental side. And I told him that that was the thing that we had to have an answer to, and that I appreciated that, and that if he were--if the Government of China were contacted by any people doing their appropriate work, I would appreciate their telling them whatever they could tell them to help them to resolve that to their satisfaction, because I do think that is the really important issue. Mr. Pelley [Scott Pelley, CBS News]. Human Rights and Democracy in China”