119-hres130

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 130 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. RES. 130

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives in condemning the 
 Government of the People's Republic of China for its harassment and 
efforts to intimidate American citizens and other individuals on United 
 States soil with the goal of suppressing speech and narratives the 
 People's Republic of China finds unwelcome.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 February 13, 2025

Mr. Bera (for himself and Mr. Barr) submitted the following resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition 
to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Education and Workforce, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
 committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives in condemning the 
 Government of the People's Republic of China for its harassment and 
efforts to intimidate American citizens and other individuals on United 
 States soil with the goal of suppressing speech and narratives the 
 People's Republic of China finds unwelcome.

Whereas freedom of speech is essential to the functioning of a free and open 
 society, allowing for the exchange of ideas and accountability of 
 governments and institutions;
Whereas Congress relies on credible, independent research and analysis from 
 academic institutions and think tanks to inform and help shape United 
 States policy;
Whereas the exchange of ideas between United States and People's Republic of 
 China

    (PRC) scholars, including in the form of collaborative research 
 and Track 1.5 and Track 2.0 discussions, plays an important role in 
 promoting better understanding between the 2 countries;
Whereas, in November 2023, PRC leader Xi Jinping called on the United States and 
 China to ``build more bridges and pave more roads for people-to-people 
 interactions'' and ``not erect barriers or create a chilling effect'';
Whereas the PRC Government has engaged in a wide range of activities intended to 
 intimidate United States scholars who engage in research the PRC 
 Government and Chinese Communist Party find unwelcome, including--

    (1) unleashing personal attacks on United States scholars in PRC state 
media and quasi-state media;

    (2) pressuring PRC citizens to resign from jobs supporting the research 
of United States scholars;

    (3) withdrawing invitations for United States scholars to attend 
conferences in the PRC; and

    (4) sending PRC diplomats and nongovernment surrogates to United States 
scholars' offices to protest their research, discourage future research on 
specific topics, and warn against scholarly collaboration with specific 
other United States scholars;

Whereas the Department of State has stated in regard to the PRC state media and 
 quasi-state media attacks on United States scholars that ``combating 
 transnational repression is a priority component of U.S. efforts to 
 counter rising authoritarianism and defend human rights around the 
 world'', emphasizing that ``any kind of harassment'' toward academics, 
 scholars, journalists, or other individuals is ``unacceptable'', and 
 noting that, ``everyone has a right to express their point of view'';
Whereas the PRC Government's harassment of United States scholars whose research 
 the PRC disagrees with and the PRC Government's efforts to intimidate 
 other United States and PRC scholars into distancing themselves from 
 such scholars creates a chilling effect on United States-PRC academic 
 exchange and research;
Whereas PRC restrictions on visas for scholars whose research the PRC disagrees 
 with limit visits and field research of United States scholars in China 
 that promote global understanding of the PRC and the bilateral 
 relationship;
Whereas, in 2023 and 2024, the Hong Kong police put 19 Hong Kong democracy 
 activists living overseas, including a United States citizen, on a 
 wanted list and offered bounties for information leading to their 
 capture, and in 2024 cancelled the passports of 7 of them;
Whereas, according to the Washington Post, in November 2023, the PRC consulate 
 in Los Angeles paid for the hotel rooms and meals of pro-PRC counter-
 protesters who turned out on the streets of San Francisco during a visit 
 by Xi Jinping, and hired private security guards for the visit;
Whereas, during PRC leader Xi's 2023 visit, some counter-protesters and 
 consulate-hired security guards reportedly physically harassed and 
 intimidated protesters opposed to Beijing's policies who were exercising 
 their First Amendment rights;
Whereas consulate-hired security guards were reportedly instructed by the PRC 
 consulate to ``protect `our' friends'', with one guard stating that the 
 use of violence ``was always insinuated'';
Whereas, ahead of Xi's departure from San Francisco, Chemi Lhamo, a Tibetan 
 activist holding a Tibetan flag, was pressed against the railing of a 
 bridge, unable to extract herself from a crowd of PRC supporters that 
 included 2 PRC consular officials, and at least 8 men from the same 
 crowd reportedly attacked 2 Tibetan teenagers later that day;
Whereas, according to the advocacy organization Freedom House, the Government of 
 the PRC is increasingly disregarding the laws of the United States in 
 order to threaten, harass, surveil, stalk, intimidate, and, in some 
 cases, plot physical harm to individuals across the United States;
Whereas, between 2014 and April 2023, Freedom House cataloged 253 instances 
 globally of direct, physical attacks originating from the PRC, with the 
 PRC accounting for 30 percent of all recorded incidents, far more than 
 any other country:
Whereas, in 2023, Freedom House reported that ``China is the world's leading 
 perpetrator of transnational repression, employing a wide array of 
 tactics and targeting both groups and individuals'';
Whereas the Federal Bureau of Investigation defines transnational repression as 
 when foreign governments reach beyond their borders to intimidate, 
 silence, coerce, harass, or harm members of their diaspora and exile 
 communities in the United States;
Whereas, in April 2023, the Department of Justice charged 40 officers of China's 
 Ministry of Public Security and 2 officials of the Cyberspace 
 Administration of China with engaging in transnational repression 
 schemes targeting American citizens and lawful permanent residents; and
Whereas then-Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Department of 
 Justice's National Security Division stated at the time, ``These cases 
 demonstrate the lengths to which the PRC government will go to silence 
 and harass U.S. persons who exercise their fundamental rights to speak 
 out against PRC oppression'', and that ``these actions violate our laws 
 and are an affront to our democratic values and basic human rights.'': 
 Now, therefore, be it
 Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

    (1) strongly condemns the Government of the People's 
 Republic of China's

    (PRC) efforts to suppress free speech, 
 assembly, and academic freedom in the United States, including 
 through harassment and intimidation;

    (2) calls on United States Federal and local law 
 enforcement agencies to enhance vigilance and take swift action 
 against the PRC's attempts to extend its intolerance of dissent 
 into the United States and to target people exercising their 
 First Amendment rights on American soil;

    (3) urges United States academic institutions and think 
 tanks to protect academic freedom by resisting pressure from 
 foreign entities, including the PRC, aimed at stifling open 
 scholarly research and debate;

    (4) reaffirms the United States commitment to defend the 
 rights of individuals to express themselves freely without fear 
 of retaliation, both domestically and globally;

    (5) calls on the executive branch, including the Secretary 
 of State, to raise in diplomatic engagements with the PRC 
 Government incidents of PRC harassment and intimidation 
 intended to limit free speech, highlighting specific cases of 
 intimidation of individuals intended to stifle free speech in 
 the United States;

    (6) advocates for international collaboration with like-
 minded allies and partners to highlight and address the threat 
 of transnational repression and establish global norms to 
 combat it; and

    (7) calls on United States representatives to international 
 organizations to use their voice and vote to support 
 resolutions condemning the transnational suppression of free 
 speech and demanding accountability.
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