Statement of CECC Chair, Senator Sherrod Brown and Cochair, Representative Christopher Smith on the 24th Anniversary of the Tiananmen Crackdown

(Washington, DC)—On the 24th anniversary of the crackdown on demonstrations in Tiananmen Square and across China, the chairs of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China expressed solidarity with the victims of that tragedy and urged the Chinese government to take concrete steps on human rights and the rule of law.

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Staff Issue Paper on Prospects for Reforming China's Reeducation Through Labor System

In conjunction with the May 9, 2013, roundtable on reeducation through labor, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China released "Prospects for Reforming China's Reeducation through Labor System" on the same day. The issue paper examines recent calls to reform or abolish reeducation through labor (RTL), an arbitrary system of administrative detention without judicial review. Commission staff members have prepared this issue paper to provide an overview of current reform debates and to discuss prospects for reforming the RTL system.

Senator Brown Appointed Chair, Representative Smith Appointed Cochair of Congressional-Executive Commission on China

(Washington, DC)—U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has appointed Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) chair of the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China. U.S. House Speaker John Boehner has appointed Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) co-chair.

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Chairman Brown and Cochairman Smith Express Grave Concern Over Tibetan Self-Immolations

(Washington, DC)—The chairmen of the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China today urged the Chinese government to end repressive policies against the Tibetan people and to resume a dialogue with the Dalai Lama amid ongoing and tragic Tibetan self-immolations, which have surpassed 100.

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Statement of CECC Chairman Christopher Smith and Cochairman Sherrod Brown on the Trial and Sentencing of Chen Kegui

Today we are deeply dismayed to learn that authorities have sentenced Chen Kegui, nephew of renowned legal advocate Chen Guangcheng, to more than three years in prison, in a trial marred from beginning to end by glaring procedural violations. Authorities' treatment of this case raises serious questions about the rule of law in China.

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Statement of CECC Chairman Christopher Smith and Cochairman Sherrod Brown on the Release of the 2012 Annual Report

Washington, DC—The bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China today released its 2012 Annual Report on developments in human rights and rule of law in China.

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Statement of CECC Chairman Christopher Smith and Cochairman Sherrod Brown on the 23rd Anniversary of the Tiananmen Crackdown

This week marks the passing of another year since the Chinese government's brutal crackdown on innocent civilians who demonstrated in Tiananmen Square and across China for democracy and an end to corruption. Powerful reminders of that avoidable tragedy are everywhere in China.

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Statement of CECC Chairman Christopher Smith and Cochairman Sherrod Brown on the Arrival of Chen Guangcheng in the United States

Today we are relieved to learn that Chen Guangcheng, his wife, and two children have arrived safely in the United States. Mr. Chen endured more than four years in prison in China, after which he and his family suffered for more than a year and a half under brutal conditions of illegal home confinement.

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CECC Releases Chinese Translation of 2011 Annual Report Executive Summary

A Chinese translation of the Executive Summary of the 2011 Annual Report of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China is now available. The executive summary includes major trends such as disregard for and misapplication of the law, and increased Communist Party control over society, as well as potential areas for progress.

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Statement of CECC Chairman Christopher Smith and Cochairman Sherrod Brown on Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping's Visit to the United States

The chairmen of the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China today called on Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping to take concrete steps to improve human rights and the rule of law in China.

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Authorities Block Internet Searches and Prevent Memorial Activities in Lead-Up to 24th Anniversary of Suppression of 1989 Protests


In the lead-up to the 24th anniversary to the violent suppression of the spring 1989 citizen protests in Beijing and many other cities, this year, authorities prevented activities memorializing those who died during the protests. Authorities also harassed, kept under soft detention, restricted the movement of, or detained select rights defenders and democracy advocates, some of whom had applied to authorities to hold memorial demonstrations. This year, as in previous years, authorities censored online references to the 1989 protests.

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Soil Contamination Data Remains a State Secret Leaving Citizens Uninformed About Potential Pollution Hazards


Chinese officials completed a soil contamination survey in 2010, but have yet to disclose to the public the results from that survey. In January 2013, a Chinese citizen requested those results through formal open government information request procedures but environmental authorities refused to release the contamination survey data on the basis that it was a "state secret." Environmental officials reportedly could not release the data without approval from the State Council. The citizen filed an administrative reconsideration request to appeal the outcome, but environmental authorities upheld their original decision.

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Anti-Discrimination NGO Wins Lawsuit Against Hotel in "Stability Maintenance" Case


Justice for All, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that works on anti-discrimination legal advocacy, won a legal case in March 2013 against a hotel that had canceled its reservation of hotel facilities for a legal workshop. Local police acknowledged that they had demanded the cancellation because of a "stability maintenance" order. In past years, the Commission has observed similar measures linked to "stability maintenance" taken against civil society organizations, but this appears to be the first case of a lawsuit successfully filed by an NGO for cancellation of an activity with the court decision in its favor.

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Authorities Deny Chen Kegui Urgent Medical Treatment and Medical Parole; Harassment and Intimidation of Family Continues


According to April 2013 reports, authorities notified the family of Chen Kegui, nephew of prominent legal advocate Chen Guangcheng, that he is suffering from acute appendicitis while in prison. Prison officials reportedly denied his family's appeal to release Chen Kegui on medical parole and refused to transfer him to a hospital, claiming they will make their own arrangements for his treatment. Meanwhile, the family reports that they have received "serious threats" against their safety while at home in Dongshigu village, Linyi city, Shandong province.

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Authorities Deny Medical Treatment to Zhu Yufu; Condition Serious


Chinese officials reportedly have denied jailed democracy advocate Zhu Yufu access to medication, medical care, and adequate nutrition. According to his family members, his condition in prison has become critical. Zhu is serving a seven-year prison term for "inciting subversion of state power" in connection with his democracy activism, his writings, and a poem he penned and posted on the Internet around the time of online calls for "Jasmine" protest rallies in the spring of 2011. Authorities reportedly also have been harassing his family members, forcing them to lose their jobs, and threatening them not to talk about Zhu's prison conditions.

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Authorities Issue New Education Policies for Children of Migrant Workers


In December 2012, authorities in Beijing and Shanghai municipalities, and Guangdong province issued new policies expanding access to education for the children of migrant workers. While these policies suggest some progress in overcoming problems of educational inequality, significant barriers remain, including limited opportunities for migrant children to take the national college entrance examination. Chinese authorities' continued implementation of the household registration system, which assigns certain social benefits and rights to Chinese citizens based on their officially registered household residence rather than their actual place of residence, has greatly contributed to educational inequality.

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Authorities Use Threats, Abuse, and Harassment To Maintain Control Over Chen Kegui and Family


March 2013 reports indicate that Chen Kegui, nephew of prominent legal advocate Chen Guangcheng, continues to face threats and abuse at the hands of officials while he serves time in prison. Reports indicate that his parents, wife, and young son also remain subject to surveillance and official harassment as they go about their daily lives. On November 30, 2012, the Yinan County People's Court in Linyi city, Shandong province, sentenced Chen Kegui to three years and three months in prison for "intentional injury," after he clashed with plainclothes security personnel during an unannounced raid on his home in the middle of the night. Chen argued that he acted in self-defense, a position supported by several Chinese and international lawyers and rights advocates.

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Chen Kegui Serving Criminal Sentence, Legal Experts Refute Conviction


On November 30, 2012, the Yinan County People's Court in Linyi city, Shandong province, sentenced Chen Kegui, nephew of prominent legal advocate Chen Guangcheng, to three years and three months in prison for "intentional injury," following a trial marred by procedural violations, including problems with access to counsel, pre-trial family visits, trial notice, and access of witnesses to the trial. According to some Chinese and U.S. legal experts, Chen Kegui's wielding of a knife against plainclothes officials and hired personnel who broke into his home in the middle of the night on April 26, 2012, constitutes legitimate self-defense under Chinese law and therefore does not warrant criminal punishment. Domestic and international observers have raised Chen Kegui's case repeatedly since his detention, highlighting concerns that he may be the object of authorities' attempts to protect "national interests" and retaliate against his uncle Chen Guangcheng, who left China for the United States after escaping illegal home confinement. Authorities continue to subject Chen Kegui and his family to official threats, abuse, and harassment while he serves his sentence.

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Advocacy Groups Deliver Petitions Calling for Release of Liu Xiaobo and Liu Xia


On February 27, 2013, the International Committee for Liu Xiaobo, a committee comprised of 6 Nobel Peace Prize laureates and 15 non-governmental organizations, delivered petitions to Chinese Embassies and authorities, calling for the immediate release of imprisoned Nobel laureate and democracy advocate Liu Xiaobo and his wife, detained artist Liu Xia. In December 2012, Nobel laureate and Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town Desmond Tutu created the petition and wrote a letter, signed by 134 fellow Nobel Prize winners, to then incoming Chinese President Xi Jinping. Hundreds of thousands of supporters worldwide have since signed the petition. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has declared the detentions of Liu Xiaobo and Liu Xia to be in violation of China's obligations under international law.

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Authorities Block Uyghur Scholar From Leaving China, Refuse To Grant Passport to Uyghur Student


Chinese authorities took steps recently to prevent two Beijing-based Uyghurs from traveling outside of the country, highlighting official restrictions on Uyghurs' freedom of movement. The detentions of Ilham Tohti, an outspoken critic of government policy toward Uyghurs in Xinjiang, and his daughter, and the detention of Atikem Rozi, a university student who posted comments on the Internet about authorities' refusal to grant her a passport, also point to grave repercussions that Uyghurs face when exercising their right to freedom of expression inside China.

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Chinese Authorities Fine LCD Cartel in First Case Concerning Conduct Outside China


On January 4, 2013, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) imposed fines totaling 353 million yuan (US$56.8 million) on two South Korean and four Taiwanese manufacturers (together, the LCD Cartel) of liquid crystal display (LCD) screens, for price fixing. Though NDRC has brought actions against Chinese and foreign-invested companies for domestic price fixing in the past, this is the first such case against an international cartel. Because the price-fixing actions took place prior to the effective date of China's A