For many Chinese people there is a fascination with the current US Secretary of State and former first lady Hillary Clinton.

Many remember her from when the first state visit to China made by her husband and were surprised at the high profile she maintained in comparison to the wives of Chinese politicians.

And, despite a number of tense disagreements between the two countries during his tenure, her husband Bill was a relatively popular US President in China.

When she ran for the US Presidency in 2008 there was strong support amongst many Chinese, particularly women, for someone they felt they already new.

And when she was defeated by Barack Obama in 2008 there was widespread speculation here about whether she would run again in 2012.

A recent media interview in which Clinton said she did not see herself serving as head of the State Department should Barack Obama be elected to a second term was translated and posted in China sina.com.

There it caused plenty of discussion between those who believe she is considering retirement from public life and those who feel it may be to pursue even greater political aims.

Internet freedom was once again in the spotlight when US state secretary, Hillary Clinton, delivered a recent speech on the subject. The speech is said to have been directed at China. In China web pages containing politically sensitive material are often blocked, and people publishing sensitive comments are detained charged with subverting state power.

It is not the first time the US government has criticized China's internet freedom. In his first state visit to China, President Obama declared an open speech to Chinese students, in which he modestly mentioned internet freedom.

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