China, Genocide and the Olympics

Tuesday, May 18, 2021 - 1:00pm
The Congressional-Executive Commission on China and the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission will hold a joint hearing to examine the implications of holding the XXIV Winter Olympiad in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in light of the country’s egregious human rights record.
In February 2022, the People’s Republic of China is scheduled to host the XXIV WinterOlympiad. But the PRC’s highly repressive human rights policies, including practices the State Department deems crimes against humanity and genocide against ethnic minorities and the crushing of the democratic opposition in Hong Kong, have called into question the legitimacy of holding the games in China.
The hearing will examine China’s human rights practices against the ideals of the
Olympics and explore possible ways to leverage the Olympics to improve China’s human rights practices.
Hearing archive can be viewed on the TLHRC website.

Opening Statements

Senator Jeff Merkley, Chair
[Full text of statement]
Representative James P. McGovern, Cochair
[Full text of statement]
Represenative Chris Smith, Commissioner
[Full text of statement]
Represenative Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House
[Full text of statement]

Witnesses

Susan V. Lawrence, Specialist in Asian Affairs, Congressional Research Service
[ Full text of testimony ]
Sophie Richardson, China Director, Human Rights Watch
[ Full text of testimony ]
Rayhan Asat, Human Rights Lawyer and Advocate
[ Full text of testimony ]
Samuel Chu, Managing Director, Hong Kong Democracy Council
[ Full text of testimony ]
Reggie Littlejohn, President, Women’s Rights Without Frontiers
[ Full text of testimony ]
Dr. Yang Jianli, Founder and President, Citizen Power Initiatives for China
[ Full text of testimony ]