U.S. congressional study urges sanctions on China over 'crimes against humanity'

By Patricia Zengerle

 

FILE PHOTO: Chinese and U.S. flags are set up for a meeting during a visit by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao at China's Ministry of Transport in Beijing, China April 27, 2018. REUTERS/Jason Lee/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. congressional report released on Wednesday called for sanctions against China over human rights abuses, and for U.S. officials to keep rights concerns in mind during dealings with Beijing, including trade negotiations.

 

The annual human rights report from the Congressional-Executive Commission on China said human rights and rule of law conditions worsened in China from August 2018 to August 2019, the period studied.

 

The report detailed China's crackdown on religious minorities, labor activists and the press, and focused extensively on treatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population in Xinjiang, "where the Commission believes Chinese authorities may be committing crimes against humanity."

 

"In addition, the Administration should develop talking points for U.S. Government officials - including those engaged in trade negotiations - that consistently link freedoms of press, speech, and association to U.S. and Chinese interests," the report said.

 

It was only the latest salvo from Washington over China's human rights record, particularly the treatment of Uighur Muslims in the northwestern Xinjiang region, where at least a million people have been detained in what is seen by many in the West as a grave abuse of human rights and religious freedom. China rejects the charges.

 

The Commission is led by Democratic Representative Jim McGovern and Republican Senator Marco Rubio.

 

Negotiators were working on a new version of a bill that would require President Donald Trump's administration to toughen its response to China's crackdown on its Muslim minorities, the two lawmakers said at a press conference unveiling the report.

 

China had reacted angrily when the Democratic-led House of Representatives passed the bill late last year. It stalled in the Senate, which passed its own, less stringent bill earlier in the year, amid trade talks between Washington and China.

 

Rubio said he expected a version of the bill that could pass the Senate unanimously - avoiding procedural snafus that could block legislation in that chamber - and pass the House and be signed into law by Trump.

 

McGovern said he expected a compromise bill would move forward in 2020, "hopefully soon," in both the Senate and House, and he expected Trump would sign it.

 

"We will get to 'yes.' That is my belief," McGovern said.

 

Some lawmakers at the news briefing called China's treatment of the Uighurs a "crime against humanity."

 

In Xinjiang, the Chinese government has used facial-recognition cameras and mobile telephone-monitoring systems to create an "open-air prison," the report said.

 

"U.S. foreign policy must prioritize the promotion of universal human rights and the rule of law in China, not only to respect and protect the basic dignity of the people of China, but to better promote security and prosperity for all of humanity," it said.

 

To address the abuses, the study recommended tightening access to U.S. capital markets for Chinese companies that provide support or technical capabilities for repression.

 

It recommended rights sanctions against businesses and officials involved in the mass internment and surveillance of Uighurs.

 

And it backed controlling the sale of facial-recognition systems, machine learning and biometric technology by placing agencies on the Department of Commerce's "Entity List," preventing purchases from U.S. suppliers.

 

The study also described a "further erosion" of Hong Kong’s autonomy and fundamental freedoms, and said months of pro-democracy protests reveal "deep discontent" at a grassroots level.

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Office in Hong Kong said the study "distorts the truth," in a statement posted on its website Thursday. Hong Kong residents' rights and freedoms are fully protected, it said, and the "black hand" of the United States is responsible for inciting protests.

 

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Michael Perry, Bernadette Baum and Lincoln Feast.)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-01-09

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An off topic deflection post has been removed. 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

the Commission believes

That, plus Marco Rubio in the commission, practically guarantees that it's a fancy script wrapped around their facist agenda...

Trump will veto any bill that comes to his desk. Suddenly, he's the biggest China dove in America. As I keep saying, just look at the potential impact of any policy, bill, or action on the stock markets and you'll know what Trump is going to do. Which is anything that helps pump it.

30 minutes ago, car720 said:

This is a good move but it would be better if he also sanctioned American companies like Tesla who do big business with them.

Ricky Gervais gave Apple a good serving at the Globes. Not going to make any difference though unfortunately.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

In Xinjiang, the Chinese government has used facial-recognition cameras and mobile telephone-monitoring systems to create an "open-air prison," the report said.

We have facial a recognition system to get into my apartment block.

 

Is this the new 'scary' since the nonsense about QR codes was debunked?

 

Meanwhile, America has just killed a Muslim general and several others but that's ok. He was a BAD Muslim, whereas those who just kill miners in their beds and citizens in the market place and railway station are misunderstood Muslims who are oppressed.

 

The hypocrisy is breathtaking.

23 minutes ago, Traubert said:

We have facial a recognition system to get into my apartment block.

 

Is this the new 'scary' since the nonsense about QR codes was debunked?

 

Meanwhile, America has just killed a Muslim general and several others but that's ok. He was a BAD Muslim, whereas those who just kill miners in their beds and citizens in the market place and railway station are misunderstood Muslims who are oppressed.

 

The hypocrisy is breathtaking.

Another fifty cents into your bank account.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

In Xinjiang, the Chinese government has used facial-recognition cameras and mobile telephone-monitoring systems to create an "open-air prison," the report said.

 

pro-active anti terrorism instead of appeaser. 

The pot calling the kettle black again.

In Xinjiang, the Chinese government has used facial-recognition cameras and mobile telephone-monitoring systems to create an "open-air prison," the report said.

 

How shocking. No Western government - which has one spy camera for every 14 people - would ever even dream of doing anything like that. . .

 

Well, at least not until they've got 5G and the Internet of Things up and running. . . with a little help from their friends at Huawei, naturally.

 

 

Congress ?  ROFL

13 hours ago, rhyddid said:

When US stop to put mickey sanctions to everybody ????

Time to sanctions US for the last 70 years of invasions, terrorist acts, assignations, Nazis and Fascist Coupe d'Etat, drug dealing (contras, air America and much more), its time the world united tell US to stop to create disgrace, death, hates !!!!

 

You are free to boycott America/American goods if you so wish.

19 hours ago, DoctorG said:

You are free to boycott America/American goods if you so wish.

What American goods are there?   Oh yeah right, but I dont need to buy any weapons.

On 1/9/2020 at 3:19 PM, zydeco said:

Another fifty cents into your bank account.

round it up and make it a dollar

the master of the deal at his best..... and his followers believe it 555

""On August 3, 2019, Trump claimed that “our consumer is paying nothing” in regard to the tariffs, but NBER stated that “approximately 100% of these import taxes have been passed on to U.S. importers and consumers.”"

"Confirmed: American businesses and consumers are paying 'approximately 100%' of Trump tariff costs"

"Trump has made several inaccurate claims about the tariffs on China: he’s said that the U.S. is taking in “billions” from China, that the money is being passed along to American farmers bearing the brunt of the retaliatory tariffs, and that the tariffs would boost blue-collar jobs in the U.S."

 

No mention of the human rights abuses in Tibet!  Only the human rights abuses of the religion of peace. 

 

The abusers abuse the abusers. 

25 minutes ago, Guitarzan said:

No mention of the human rights abuses in Tibet!  <SNIP>

 

.

Report covers Tibet. For those interested can view  report at:

 

https://www.cecc.gov/publications/annual-reports/2019-annual-report