U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) has noted that the Republican chairman of a new House Select Committee on China wants to focus on the issues of "ideological competition and human rights," but McGovern wants it made clear that human rights are not ideological.
McGovern argues that human rights are fundamental and apply to every person on Earth as codified in the United Nations. McGovern's fears stem from Communist China's own belief that human rights are divided along ideological lines and can be seen in the repression of the Chinese people.
U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), chairman of the new committee, released a statement, after being selected by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to chair the panel.
"The greatest threat to the United States is the Chinese Communist Party," he said. "The CCP continues to commit genocide, obscure the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, steal hundreds of billions of dollars worth of American intellectual property, and threaten Taiwan. The Select Committee on China will push back in bipartisan fashion before it’s too late. Even in divided government, we have an opportunity to build a united front against CCP aggression."
McGovern recently gave a speech on the House floor regarding the select committee.
“There are a few things I think the select committee needs to keep in mind if they truly want to be effective,” McGovern said. “First, former President Trump repeatedly mislabeled COVID-19 with racist language. Such rhetoric coincided with spikes in hate-based acts of violence and discrimination against people of Chinese or Asian origin across the country. This language has no place on this committee or anywhere in Congress.
“Second, this committee should not seek to focus solely on military solutions," he added. "Yes, China’s military modernization is a legitimate issue. But that does not demand a military-first policy response. Third, I am concerned that a committee focused myopically on the 'economic, technological, and security' challenges of China could distract us from the need to build a holistic approach in many of these policy areas—we need to remember that the United States faces economic, technological, and security challenges from many different regions across the globe, not just China."
He also argued against Gallagher's focus on “ideological competition and human rights,” noting "human rights are not ideological."
The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is considered a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives from a variety of legal and cultural backgrounds and from regions all across the world, the declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on Dec. 10, 1948.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute reported that the Chinese government is complicit in the use of Uyghur's and other ethnic minorities (Chinese citizens) as forced labor in factories all across China.
More than 80,000 people from these ethnic groups have been forcibly removed from the Xinjiang province to work against their will in factories. Workers are forced to live in segregated dorms, put through ideology training in their off hours, kept under constant surveillance, and unable to practice their religions. Companies known to have benefited from this labor include: Apple, BMW, Gap, Huawei, Nike, Samsung, Sony and Volkswagen, among others.
McGovern was first elected to Congress in 1996. He is a sitting member of the House Committee on Rules, the House Committee on Agriculture, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, and the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.
