 Although the suit he filed was rejected, the case garnered international media attention.Responding to questions about Chen's allegation, a senior official with the National Population and Family Planning Commission told the "Washington Post" that the practice of forced abortions and sterilizations was “definitely illegal,” and indicated that the complaints were being investigated.“If the Linyi complaints are true, or even partly true, it's because local officials do not understand the new demands of the Chinese leadership regarding family planning work,” said the official.