WASHINGTON, D.C.– Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Armed Services Committee, today released a statement calling on the Biden administration to take concrete steps to support protestors in China, including holding any perpetrators of violence against demonstrators responsible through Global Magntisky sanctions, banning US investment in companies that support the CCP surveillance state, and fighting the CCP’s manipulation of information in China.
“As the Chinese Communist Party continues its totalitarian quest to control all aspects of life in China and beyond, anti-regime protestors are showing the world the true meaning of courage. It is our turn to show courage now, not just through words but through meaningful action.
“To start, President Biden must explicitly support the brave Chinese protestors. He must make clear that any violence against demonstrators is totally unacceptable and that the CCP officials responsible will be held personally liable through Global Magnitsky sanctions. Second, Treasury must expand its Chinese Military-Industrial Complex companies list to institute investment bans on all CCP-directed technology companies that facilitate its surveillance state, adding the worst offenders like Huawei and Hikvision to its SDN list. Third, the administration must work with US social media and technology companies to fight CCP manipulation of the information environment, working to expand on-the-ground access to non-CCP controlled sources of information while blocking bot and Wolf Warrior campaigns to flood the zone and obfuscate events. Just as the world saw the horror of the Russian invasion of Ukraine firsthand, we must ensure that critical social media sites, including Twitter, are best positioned to chronicle protests and expose human rights violations. I am deeply concerned by reports that Apple has reduced AirDrop functionality in China and it should go without saying that any American technology company that sides with the CCP by aiding the regime against protestors will have to answer to Congress why it is prioritizing profits over the human rights of the Chinese people.
“Our values are our greatest weapon in our New Cold War against the Chinese Communist Party. It is time we put them to use.”
