110 HRES 628 IH: Expressing the sense of the House of U.S. House of Representatives 2007-08-04 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV 110th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 628 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— (A)stops its attacks on civilians; (B)complies with all United Nations Security Council resolutions related to Darfur; and (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

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.