This week’s trip by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is being overshadowed by the story of Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng. Chen has been imprisoned and confined to house arrest in recent years but recently escaped – most likely to the U.S. embassy in Beijing. Chen has been a target of the Chinese government for his vocal opposition to forced abortions and the one child policy. New Jersey Rep. Chris Smith has been a critic of China’s human rights record for decades and he has been shining light on Chen’s plight for years as well. Rep. Smith says the forced abortions in China are responsible for the slaughter of 100 million girls over the past 33 years, as parents terminate pregnancies unless it’s a boy and the government mandates abortions for any subsequent children. The government also requires abortions of all pregnancies of unwed mothers. In this first half of our interview, Rep. Smith discusses Chen’s struggles and what will likely happen next.
