Chinese dissident Chen calls US Congress for help

Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng has telephoned a US Congressional hearing to plead for help in his attempts to leave China with his family.

Mr Chen said he feared for the safety of his family and wanted to meet visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton face-to-face. The activist is in a Beijing hospital sealed off by Chinese police. He had spent a week at the US embassy but left after initially accepting China's assurances of his safety.

Mr Chen said that only after leaving the embassy did he fully realise the threats that had been made against his family members.

Damian Grammaticas reports.