Dianne Feinstein: “I find the arrest of dissidents in the wake of the President's visit or prior to the President's visit as 100 percent…”

“I find the arrest of dissidents in the wake of the President's visit or prior to the President's visit as 100 percent wrong. Senator, if there is one thing I have learned about the Chinese, they can be ham-handed in how they function. They can be their own worst enemies in how they handle, because they function under a different, I think, value system in this regard. Sometimes, I believe, it is overreaction. I have read things, and I sit back and say, why did this have to happen? Now, let's talk for a moment about forced abortion. I think it is an abysmal practice, it is a barbaric practice. China says they do not countenance and they do not want to permit it. That is the official government policy. Are there occasions where, in this vast country, forced abortion is committed, do I believe? I believe there are instances where forced abortions are, in fact, committed. I also believe, though, that by pointing this out continually, we will see some changes. I think it has to be understood that China still has over 100 million people way under the poverty line, some living in caves, some living in the most impoverished circumstances, particularly in western China. It has to be understood that China is a nation of 1.2 billion people, growing rapidly.”