State report takes tough tone on China

From NBC’s Andrea Mitchell and Libby Leist The State Department today strongly criticized China in its annual human rights report, putting Hillary Clinton on the spot for not confronting the Chinese more aggressively during her visit to Beijing last week. Clinton came under harsh fire from human-rights groups who said she downplayed the issue with Chinese leaders.  Today, in announcing the report's release, Clinton defended her record. "The promotion of human rights is essential to our foreign policy,” she said, “but as a personal aside, I have worked for many years and in various capacities on the issues that are encompassed under the rubric of human rights. It is of profound importance to me and has informed my views and shaped my beliefs in ways large and small. As Secretary of State, I will continue to focus my own energies on human rights ... I am looking for results. I am looking for changes that actually improve the lives of the greatest numbers of people."  ... (link)