On Tuesday, December 17, a coalition composed of 63 human rights organizations and representatives from “affected communities” in the United States sent a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, urging them to maintain the Congressional-Executive Commission on China in the next Congress.
This letter was a response to a previous letter sent to Johnson by over 50 non-profit advocacy organizations, most of which represent the interests of Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders, last week. The previous letter requested Johnson not to reappoint the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, arguing that it “would lead to increased anti-Asian and anti-China sentiments.”
The letter this week refuted such concerns, stating that the committee members “have repeatedly emphasized that holding the Chinese Communist Party accountable for its abuses cannot be an excuse for discrimination against Chinese Americans or Asian communities.”
The correspondence stated: “We are writing to underscore the extreme importance of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China for U.S. strategic competition with the CCP, and advocate for the re-establishment of the committee as the 119th Congress prepares to convene. The unique structure, focused mission, and successes of this committee make it an indispensable part of defending human rights, national security, and democratic values.”
“The bipartisan efforts of the committee have brought significant attention to the widespread human rights violations by the CCP, including genocide; forced labor; severe restrictions on religious freedom, freedom of belief, freedom of speech, and freedom of movement; violations of bodily autonomy and privacy, as well as transnational repression of American diaspora communities. The focus of the committee on holding the Chinese (CCP) government accountable has set global standards for addressing these atrocities, making it crucial for bridging policy gaps, promoting bipartisan cooperation, defending human rights, and strengthening national security and democratic principles.”
The letter emphasized: “The committee’s mission is unique in its focus on countering the CCP’s malign behavior and adopting valuable comprehensive approaches, enabling it to gain the full-spectrum policy leverage necessary to combat CCP human rights abuses. China’s (CCP) interference with freedom of speech, dissemination of false information, suppression of dissent on U.S. soil, use of forced labor in energy and pharmaceutical supply chains… necessitates specialized institutions like the committee to provide regional cooperation across jurisdictions.”
The letter stated: “The committee’s expertise, evidence-based stance, and keen focus enable it to prioritize and shape future policies to protect human rights and national security.
“We understand people’s concerns that exposing the CCP’s nefarious activities and global threats might spark fear and domestic polarization… Members of the Congressional-Executive Commission from both the Republican and Democratic parties have repeatedly stressed that addressing CCP’s illegal behavior must never serve as an excuse for discriminating against Chinese Americans or Asian communities. To further fulfill this commitment, we suggest holding more hearings with affected communities, civil rights organizations, and a wide array of stakeholders to ensure that policy discussions and efforts to raise public awareness are thorough, inclusive, and unbiased.”