[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 628 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 628

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the President 
  should take immediate action to boycott the Summer Olympic Games of 
                        2008 in Beijing, China.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 4, 2007

 Ms. Waters submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the President 
  should take immediate action to boycott the Summer Olympic Games of 
                        2008 in Beijing, China.

Whereas the Government of Sudan has been carrying out a campaign of genocide 
        against the people of the Darfur region of Sudan since 2003;
Whereas more than 400,000 people have been killed and more than 2,500,000 people 
        have been displaced in Darfur as a result of this ongoing genocide;
Whereas on September 21, 2004, President George W. Bush stated that the world is 
        witnessing terrible suffering and horrible crimes in the Darfur region 
        of Sudan, crimes the Government of the United States has concluded are 
        genocide;
Whereas on May 29, 2007, President George W. Bush affirmed that the Government 
        of Sudan is complicit in the bombing, murder, and rape of innocent 
        civilians in Darfur and again declared that these actions rightfully 
        constitute genocide;
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China has long-standing 
        economic and military ties with Sudan and continues to strengthen these 
        ties in spite of the on-going genocide in Darfur, as evidenced by the 
        following actions:

    (1) China reportedly purchases as much as 70 percent of Sudan's oil;

    (2) China currently has at least $3,000,000,000 invested in the 
Sudanese energy sector, for a total of $10,000,000,000 since the 1990s;

    (3) Sudan's Joint Chief of Staff, Haj Ahmed El Gaili, recently visited 
Beijing for discussions with Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gang Chuan and 
other military officials as part of an eight-day tour of China; Cao pledged 
closer military relations with Sudan, saying that China was ``willing to 
further develop cooperation between the two militaries in every sphere'';

    (4) China has reportedly cancelled approximately $100 million in debt 
owed by the Sudanese Government;

    (5) China is building infrastructure in Sudan and provided funds for a 
presidential palace in Sudan at a reported cost of approximately 
$20,000,000; and

    (6) Data provided by the Government of Sudan to the United Nations for 
2005 states that Sudan imported at least $24,000,000 in arms and ammunition 
from the People's Republic of China, as well as nearly $57,000,000 in parts 
and aircraft equipment, and $2,000,000 in helicopter and airplane parts 
from China, making China the largest provider of military arms and 
equipment to Sudan, even as Sudan has defended its right to transfer and 
use such military arms and equipment in Darfur for military operations;

Whereas China has a unique ability to positively influence the Government of 
        Sudan to abandon its genocidal policies;
Whereas the President's Special Envoy to Sudan, Andrew S. Natsios, said in 
        testimony on April 11, 2007, that ``China's substantial economic 
        investment in Sudan gives it considerable potential leverage, and we 
        have made clear to Beijing that the international community will expect 
        China to be part of the solution'';
Whereas the House of Representatives adopted House Resolution 422, on June 5, 
        2007, by a unanimous vote of 410-0, which calls upon the Government of 
        the People's Republic of China to--

    (1) acknowledge publicly and condemn the atrocities taking place in 
Darfur;

    (2) cease all military arms, ammunition, and related military equipment 
sales to the Government of Sudan; and

    (3) take steps to immediately suspend economic cooperation with the 
Government of Sudan and investment in Sudan until and unless the Government 
of Sudan--

    G    (A) stops its attacks on civilians;

    G    (B) complies with all United Nations Security Council resolutions 
related to Darfur; and

    G    (C) engages in good faith negotiations with Darfur rebel groups to 
achieve a sustainable negotiated peace agreement;

Whereas China is preparing to host the Summer Olympic Games of 2008, the most 
        honorable, venerated, and prestigious international sporting event, and 
        China has selected ``One World, One Dream'' as a slogan for those games;
Whereas China should act consistently with the Olympic standard of preserving 
        human dignity in Darfur, Sudan, and around the world;
Whereas China has thus far failed or refused to use its full influence to stop 
        the genocide in Darfur; and
Whereas the spirit of the Olympics, which is to bring together nations and 
        people from all over the world in peace, is incompatible with any 
        actions directly or indirectly supporting acts of genocide: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) the President should take immediate action to boycott 
        the Summer Olympic Games of 2008 in Beijing, China; and
            (2) if the President takes such action to boycott the 
        Summer Olympic Games of 2008 in Beijing, China, then the 
        President should take action to resume participation in the 
        Summer Olympic Games of 2008 in Beijing, China, if--
                    (A) the Government of the People's Republic of 
                China--
                            (i) has acknowledged publicly and condemned 
                        the atrocities taking place in Darfur;
                            (ii) has ceased all military arms, 
                        ammunition, and related military equipment 
                        sales to the Government of Sudan; and
                            (iii) has taken steps to suspend economic 
                        cooperation with the Government of Sudan and 
                        investment in Sudan; or
                    (B) the Government of Sudan--
                            (i) has stopped its attacks on civilians;
                            (ii) is complying with all United Nations 
                        Security Council resolutions related to Darfur; 
                        and
                            (iii) is engaging in good-faith 
                        negotiations with Darfur rebel groups to 
                        achieve a sustainable negotiated peace 
                        agreement.
                                 <all>