the first presentation is by mr. hans and i'm sure i mangled your name and you can do the same with mine. hans is an international coordinator, a is you si did i of the dutch knowledge center on traffic and transport. it's a knowledge center for expertise on cycling and other subjects. it runs the website bicyclecouncil.org and has cycling ambassadors to spread the word on dutch policy cycling abroad. prior to joining the group, he was the project leader of a 10 million euro european project, the opt tum two which stopped the use of cars for commuting businesses and social and recreational activities by providing motorists attractive alternatives. i'm sure he has a huge amount of information to share with us. hans, please. and he needs a microphone. >> thank you. i'm very glad that i'm invited to be here which is my primary task because we are also -- the company is also the official government office to lend support to other countries to promote -- who want to promote bicycling which is booming, not only here, but worldw

in chinese] [speaking in chinese] ] speaking in chinese] [speaking in chinese] >> hans nickels from bloomberg. thank you mr of the translation questions, can i address one first to president hu? >> yes. >> first i asked you a question about human rights which you did not answer. i was wondering if we can have an answer to that question, and also on capitol hill, senator majority leader harry reed and john boehner are not joining the state dinner. they see china as an economic threat, what can you do to relay their fears? [speaking in chinese] [speaking in chinese] [speaking in chinese] [speaking in chinese] >> i'd like to clarify because of the technical translation and interpretation problem, i did not hear the question about the human rights. what i know is that he was asking a question directed at president obama. >> translator: if you raise this question, and i heard the question properly, certainly i'm in a position to answer that question. [speaking in chinese] [speaking in chinese] [speaking in chinese] >> translator: president obama and i already met eight times. each time we met, we had an in-dept

mr. greenspan said was almost a 50/50 hans in the next two to three years. and -- 50/50 chance in the next two to three years. and if you've got money to invest, what does that say now? maybe you better sit back and see a little bit more until we get this debt that's spiraling out of control under control, heading on a downward path toward a balanced budget, we're not going to see the economic growth that's possible. i don't know how -- i think that's where we should be heading. so strong, sustained reductions in spending will not be easy. it will take us down a tough road but it's the only road, the only course that will lead to a better financial future for ourselves and our children and preserve the integrity of the united states economy in a way that is necessary for growth to occur. i thank the chair and would yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: quorum call: quorum call: quorum call: quorum call: a senator: mr. president, i ask that the quorum call be rescinded. the presidin

mr. fowler? >> [unintelligible] >> a better question for the chinese. i would say this -- i think the answer that he gave be -- be it ben's question or the hans asking ben's question, in all seriousness, i think -- i think he -- you would all have to strain your recent memory to find a leader from china traveling outside of the country or in after meeting with the president on a number of occasions on this trip, making such a frank admission of the improvement that needed to happen in the area of human rights and in the country of china. the process of translation was not the news yesterday. the news was -- was just that, that -- president hu realizes that -- that -- and told the world that china has to do better. we will certainly -- while we appreciate those words, the united states, the united states will -- will watch the actions -- of -- of, will watch the actions of -- of -- of the chinese government to make sure that they meet the words that were spoken in the white house yesterday. >> all right. >> the question was ib then -- was maybe a follow up. >> you have been waiting to use that for a good while. >> if i i go -- if i ignore it, hans, you'll