Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) Annual – Report October 2013

News release: “The bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China today released its 2013 Annual Report on human rights and rule of law developments in China, which it is required to do by October 10 of each year.  “Amid talk of a new round of economic reforms under President Xi Jinping, this year’s report serves as an important reminder that China is no closer to granting its citizens basic human rights than when China entered the World Trade Organization nearly 12 years ago,” said Senator Sherrod Brown (OH), Chairman of the Commission. “Increased trade ties have not improved working conditions or the environment, and Chinese citizens still do not enjoy the freedoms of expression, assembly, and religion to which they are entitled under international law. To the contrary, China’s new leaders continue to heavily censor the Internet, repress Tibetans and Uyghurs, and violate international trade rules by unfairly subsidizing state-owned enterprises, failing to stop the massive theft of intellectual property, and undervaluing its currency at the expense of American businesses and workers.”  “In the strongest terms used to date, this report underscores the abuse of women and the draconian repressive policies which remain firmly in place, such as the one-child policy which has involved egregious abuses such as forced abortions and forced sterilizations” said Chris Smith (NJ), Cochairman of the Commission.  “President Xi Jinping and the new Chinese leadership talk about reform but their actions show that the Communist Party remains preoccupied with maintaining their rule at the expense of guaranteeing citizens’ rights.  As a result of the Chinese government’s barbaric attack on mothers and their children, there are some 40 million more males than females in China today.  With respect to Freedom of Religion, the report shows that practitioners continue to be harassed. Brave citizens such as Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo remain in jail.  And China continues to violate internationally recognized worker rights by not allowing workers to freely associate and form independent trade unions.”