Access to Justice
October 4, 2024
(Washington)— The Chairs of the bipartisan and bicameral Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), Representative Christoper Smith (R-NJ) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), today released a letter asking President Biden to use the remaining months of his presidency to advocate for “Americans wrongfully detained” in China, including Kai Li, Mark Swidan, Nelson Wells, Jr., and Dawn Michelle Hunt.
September 19, 2024
(Washington)—Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), the Chair and Cochair, respectively, of the bipartisan and bicameral Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), held a hearing to explore the cases of wrongfully detained Americans in China. The hearing, entitled “Bringing Home Americans Detained in China,” highlighted the fact that more Americans are detained in China than in any other country, and explored the diplomatic options available to gain the release of American prisoners such Kai Li, Nelson Wells, Jr., and Dawn Michelle Hunt, among many others.
There are more Americans detained in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) than anywhere else in the world. Following the high-profile release of Americans unjustly jailed in Russia, attention to the cases of Americans imprisoned in China, many jailed for over or nearly a decade, remains a pressing diplomatic concern.
August 8, 2024
(Washington)—Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), the Chair and Co-chair respectively of the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China, will hold a hearing on securing the freedom of unjustly detained Americans in China on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, at 10:00 am (EDT). Following the high-profile release of Americans unjustly detained in Russia, attention to the cases of Americans imprisoned in China, many jailed for over or nearly a decade, remains a pressing diplomatic concern.
(Washington)—The Chairs of the bipartisan and bicameral Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), Representative Christoper Smith (R-NJ) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), today released a letter asking President Biden to submit a list of Chinese political prisoners and unjustly detained American citizens to Communist Party General Secretary and Chinese President Xi Jinping and to “demand an immediate end” to transnational repression efforts targeting American citizens and legal residents.
July 9, 2021
(Washington)—Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA), the Chair and Cochair, respectively, of the bipartisan and bicameral Congressional-Executive Commission on China, issued the following statement on the sixth anniversary of the "709 Crackdown" on human rights lawyers and other rights defenders in China.
Transcript (PDF)
The Congressional-Executive Commission on China will hold a roundtable entitled “One Year of the National Security Law’s Repression of Fundamental Freedoms in Hong Kong” on Tuesday, June 29, 2021 from 1:00pm–2:30pm EDT.