New U.S. State Department Annual Country Report on China: Chinese Government's "poor human rights record deteriorated markedly" February 25, 2000 Help | Search:

Washington, D.C. — China's "poor human rights record deteriorated markedly throughout the year, as the Government intensified efforts to suppress dissent," according to a report released today by the U.S. Department of State on China's human rights record for 1999.

This deterioration occurred even as China stepped up its efforts to enter into new trade relationships with the world and increased its trade with the United States.

AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney stated, "Year after year, report after report shows that China has no intention of abiding by the most basic rules of the international community. Our growing trade relationship with China has not encouraged China to clean up its act, despite what supporters of permanent free trade status claim. China continues to brutally suppress freedom of religion, expression, and association."

The report details extensive human rights abuses and violations of internationally accepted norms, including the continued or tightened restrictions on freedom of religion, association, movement, speech and the press.

• Extrajudicial killings, torture, and mistreatment of prisoners, forced confessions, arbitrary arrest and detention, lengthy incommunicado detention, and denial of due process are common tactics used by the Government.
  
  
• By the end of 1999, almost all of the key leaders of the opposition China Democracy Party were serving long prison terms or were in custody without formal charges.
  
  
• Tens of thousands of members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement were detained after the movement was banned in July and forced to sign statements disavowing their beliefs before being released. Several of the leaders were sentenced to long prison terms in late December, hundreds of others were sentenced administratively to reeducation through labor and some were confined to psychiatric hospitals. An intensive pro-atheism, "anti-superstition" media campaign accompanied the suppression of the Falun Gong.
  
  
• Violence against women, including coercive family planning practices which sometimes include forced abortion and forced sterilization; trafficking in women and children.

"This report shows why Americans are strongly opposed to ending the system of annual reviews for China," said Sweeney, referring to a new national survey of registered voters conducted by Peter Hart Research Associates which shows that although support for free trade policies has increased since 1997, the majority of voters (65 percent) oppose giving China permanent trade access without allowing Congress to annually review its record.

Sixty-three percent of Democrats and 75 percent of Republicans oppose permanent normal trade relations for China. The public is particularly critical of China's trade policies: 61 percent say China has unfair policies, up from 48 percent in 1994, and higher than Japan (51 percent) and Mexico (35 percent). Seventy-two percent say that China ranks below average in terms of labor conditions, and 81 percent say it ranks below average in respecting human rights.

By a four-to-one ratio, voters say they would be less likely to support their member of Congress if he or she votes in favor of permanent free trade with China— and those margins hold for both Democratic and Republican voters. Only 12 percent say they would be more likely to support a member of Congress who votes for China permanent normal trade relations.

Americans feel strongly that US trade agreements should prevent the loss of jobs in the US, protect the environment, and stop unfair competition from countries who violate workers' rights.

Seven in 10 voters reject the argument frequently made by supporters of permanent free trade with China that "the best way to improve human rights in China is not to restrict trade, but to engage China and include it in important international bodies, such as the World Trade Organization." They also reject the arguments that the agreement will "expand our exports and create good jobs in America" and that "American business will be hurt if other countries have access to the Chinese market and we don't."

The AFL-CIO's campaign to stop Congress from granting China permanent normal trade relations and ending the current system of annual reviews of its human rights and trade record is the first front of a major new multi-year campaign to make the global economy respect people, not just profits. The campaign consists of four key components: educating union members and the general public about the global economy, fighting for workers' rights in the global economy, building global solidarity among working families and holding multinational corporations accountable for their role in speeding up the race to the bottom.

For Information: Naomi Walker 202/637-5093