Congressional-Executive Commission on China
Recent News About Congressional-Executive Commission on China
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Chairs welcome new additions to UFLPA entity list
On June 11, 2024, the chairs issued a statement regarding the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) recent additions to the "Entity List" under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.
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Lawmakers ask Google to restore censored Hong Kong protest anthem
U.S. Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), the Chair and Cochair of the bipartisan and bicameral Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), released a letter today to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. The letter urges them to restore the protest song “Glory to Hong Kong” on the YouTube platform for users in Hong Kong. Additionally, the Chairs called on Google to disclose any plans to appeal the Hong Kong court’s injunction, stating that the ruling violates international human rights principles that the companies...
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Hearing explores Tiananmen massacre's legacy on its 35th anniversary
On June 4, 2024, Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chair and Co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), convened a hearing to mark the 35th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre. The session, titled "Tiananmen at 35--The Ongoing Struggle for Human Rights and Democracy in China," examined the legacy of the Tiananmen protests and their significance for contemporary rights advocates. It also addressed intimidation faced by activists in North America and restrictions on commemorations in Hong Kong.
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Critics decry 'Hong Kong 47' trial verdicts; call for international response
The Hong Kong government is facing renewed criticism following the verdicts in the 'Hong Kong 47' trial. Critics argue that these verdicts signify further erosion of freedoms and the rule of law in the region, once known for its prosperity and vitality.
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CECC releases annual report on human rights conditions in China
U.S. Representative Christopher Smith (R-NJ) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chair and Cochair of the bipartisan and bicameral Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), have released the Commission’s 2023 Annual Report on human rights conditions and rule of law developments in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The full report, along with an executive summary, is available for download on the CECC’s website.
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Commissioners call for action against illegal organ trade in China
A bipartisan group of Commissioners from the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) has issued a letter urging the State Department to employ existing rewards programs in order to gather information that will "deter and disrupt the market for illegally procured organs…and hold accountable those responsible for the gruesome practice" of forced organ harvesting in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). CECC Chair Representative Christopher Smith (R-NJ) was joined by CECC Ranking Member Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Representatives Jennifer Wexton (D-VA), Michelle...
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Chairs' Statement on World Press Freedom Day 2024
The Chairs of the bipartisan and bicameral Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) have spoken out on World Press Freedom Day, highlighting the concerning state of press freedom in the People's Republic of China.Representative Christopher Smith and Senator Jeff Merkley emphasized the dire situation in China, stating, "The People’s Republic of China (PRC) jails more journalists and exports more propaganda than any other country in the world." They also noted that China ranks second to last on the World Press Freedom Index, with a shrinking media environment and...
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The Unreliability of Social Compliance Audits For Uncovering Forced Labor Explored at Hearing
Representative Chris Smith and Senator Jeff Merkley led a hearing this week on the effectiveness of social compliance audits in uncovering forced labor in supply chains in China. The hearing, titled “Factories and Fraud in the PRC: How Human Rights Violations Make Audits Impossible,” shed light on the shortcomings of social audits in identifying labor abuses in major industries.In his opening statement, Representative Chris Smith criticized social audits as "another fig leaf…to signal their virtue to consumers [and] a near fiction when it comes to accurately portraying...