Prior to Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi's visit to the U.S. on March 9, 16 members of the U.S. Congress have sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urging her to make certain her conversations with the Chinese government are consistent with the true state of deteriorating human rights conditions in China. The letter, which had bipartisan support, was issued in response to Secretary Clinton's controversial remarks before and during her visit to China indicating a retreat on the priority of human rights issues in U.S.-China relations.