You are here
China Human Rights and Rule of Law Update - June 2005
Message from the Co-Chairmen on the Sixteenth Anniversary of Tiananmen
Sixteen years after the world witnessed the devastating events in and around Tiananmen Square in Beijing, we remember the courage of the students and workers who peacefully exercised their rights to freedom of expression and assembly there. And we recall that, although the Chinese leadership crushed the "Beijing Spring" demonstrations, they could not crush the ideals of those who gathered at Tiananmen. Today, we can see in every Chinese province the effects of market reforms and forward-looking economic changes, but the backward-looking political system continues to leave most Chinese people without a voice in their own political future. Popular frustration, especially with official corruption, seems to be growing.
Political change is complex and imperfect. Many have hoped that China's new leadership would recognize that the greatest challenge to continued development comes from inflexibility, secretiveness, and a lack of democratic oversight. The Congressional-Executive Commission on China retains the hope that this type of change is possible in China, but many developments over the past year have given the Commission cause for concern. The American people and the U.S. government support the efforts of many Chinese people and government officials to build a more transparent, fair, and participatory society. The Chinese people ultimately will determine in which direction China develops and how it gets there, but China's leaders must take the first steps, and the United States must continue to be ready to assist.
Events
Roundtable: Unofficial Religions in China: Beyond the Party's Rules
On May 23, 2005, the CECC held another in its series of staff-led Issues Roundtables, entitled Unofficial Religion in China: Beyond the Party's Rules. The roundtable highlighted the growth of religion in China and the state's efforts to control and regulate it. The panelists were: Patricia M. Thornton, Associate Professor of Political Science at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut; David Ownby, Director of the Center of East Asian Studies at the University of Montreal; and Robert P. Weller, Professor of Anthropology and Research Associate, Institute on Culture, Religion and World Affairs at Boston University.
Roundtable: Intellectual Property Protection as Economic Policy: Will China Ever Enforce Its IP Laws?
On May 16, 2005, the CECC held another in its series of staff-led Issues Roundtables, entitled Intellectual Property Protection as Economic Policy: Will China Ever Enforce Its IP Laws? The roundtable highlighted the current rate of infringement of intellectual property rights in China, the Chinese government's policies regarding intellectual property, and why these policies have so far been ineffective. The panelists were: Daniel C.K. Chow, Robert J. Nordstrom Designated Professor of Law, Ohio State University Michael E. Mortiz College of Law; Eric H. Smith, President, International Intellectual Property Alliance; and James M. Zimmerman, Partner and Chief Representative, Beijing office, Squire, Sanders and Dempsey LLP.