Freedom of Expression
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) engages in systematic efforts to curtail historical inquiry into subjects deemed “sensitive,” such as the Tiananmen Massacre; control narratives regarding the history of the CCP; and erase the culture of repressed peoples, including Tibetans, Mongolians, and Uyghurs. Writers, artists, and independent historians are currently engaged in efforts to preserve history and language in the face of CCP repression.
(Washington)—Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), the Chair and Co-chair, respectively, of the bipartisan and bicameral Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), held a hearing on the 35th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre examining both the legacy of the Tiananmen protests for democracy and human rights and their ongoing importance for a new generation of rights advocates.
In 1989, citizens in China from all walks of life participated in demonstrations that swept throughout the country including in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. The peaceful demonstrators of that year called upon the Chinese government to eliminate corruption, accelerate political reform, and protect human rights, particularly the freedom of expression—demands echoed during the “White Paper” protests that spread throughout China in 2022. The Chinese Communist’s Party’s violent suppression of the 1989 demonstrations, along with ongoing censorship of any public discussion of what happened in June of 1989, have had far-reaching consequences for Chinese society and U.S.-China relations.
(Washington)—The Chairs of the bipartisan and bicameral Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), Representative Christopher Smith (R-NJ) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), issued the following statement on World Press Freedom Day:
“The People’s Republic of China (PRC) jails more journalists and exports more propaganda than any other country in the world. Only North Korea ranks lower on the World Press Freedom Index. Over the past year, the media environment continued to shrink while the PRC spent billions to censor the flow of news and information and prosecuted Chinese citizens who exercise their right to free speech.
(Washington)—The Chairs of the bipartisan and bicameral Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), Representative Christopher Smith (R-NJ) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), issued the following statement on World Press Freedom Day.
Techno-authoritarianism poses a serious threat to traditional notions of privacy, democratic governance models globally, and the future of an open and free internet. The Chinese government’s embrace of mass biometric collection technologies underpins the most pervasive surveillance state the world has ever seen. The Chinese model of extensive censorship and surveillance continues to spread to governments with poor human rights records that repress and control populations through technology made in China.
June 3, 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 (CECC) issued the following statement commemorating the 32nd anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests and their violent suppression.