CECC at 20: Two Decades of Human Rights Abuse and Defense in China

In 2022 the Commission marked the start of its third decade monitoring the People's Republic of China’s (PRC) compliance with international human rights standards and developments of rule of law in the PRC. The Commission’s annual report and other publications provide a detailed multi-decade narrative of the PRC’s record on human rights and rule of law. 

The CECC was established when the PRC entered the World Trade Organization amid hope that its inclusion in global institutions would be accompanied by positive progress in rule of law and human rights. The early 2000s saw the rise in China of a rights defense movement of citizens petitioning central authorities to protect their rights. A nascent civil society emerged as young, idealistic advocates formed grassroots organizations and harnessed the internet to call for the rights of women, workers, persons with disabilities and health conditions, and others.  Today, the landscape looks starkly different. As General Secretary Xi Jinping begins his third term, the Chinese Communist Party uses technology and other means to impose social control, stifle dissent, and “sinicize” ethnic minorities and religious groups. The PRC’s international ambitions have also evolved, from a country seeking global acceptance to one muscularly asserting itself globally and working to redefine international norms on terms favorable to its authoritarian governance. 

The international legal environment has also evolved over 20 years. New human rights treaties and conventions have been negotiated or come into force. New concepts and initiatives, such as on sustainable development and humanitarian protection, have been introduced and adopted by the international community. While some countries seek to expand the protection of fundamental human rights law, authoritarian governments increasingly advance alternative models of governance that aim to discredit fundamental freedoms.

To help guide the Commission in its continuing efforts to assess China’s record on human rights and rule of law, this hearing will hear testimony on the changes in China’s domestic situation, the international legal landscape, and Chinese Communist Party efforts to shape both.

Hearing can be viewed on the CECC's YouTube Channel.