IV 112th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 356 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 18, 2011 Ms. Ros-Lehtinen (for herself, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. Meeks, Mr. Royce, Mr. McCotter, Mr. Gallegly, Mr. Chabot, Ms. Jackson Lee of Texas, Mr. Rohrabacher, Mr. Calvert, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, and Mr. Ryan of Ohio) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Urging the European Union and its member states to maintain the arms embargo against the People’s Republic of China.

Whereas, on June 4, 1989, the People’s Republic of China carried out a brutal and indiscriminate assault on thousands of peaceful and unarmed demonstrators and bystanders in and around Tiananmen Square by units of the People’s Liberation Army, which resulted in an untold number of deaths and several thousand injuries; Whereas, on June 26, 1989, in Madrid, the European Council issued a declaration that strongly condemned “the brutal repression taking place in China” and introduced an embargo on trade in arms with the People’s Republic of China; Whereas the People’s Republic of China has yet to acknowledge or make amends for the 1989 massacre of the peaceful, pro-democracy demonstrators at Tiananmen Square; Whereas the citizens of the People’s Republic of China still do not have the right to peacefully change their government and many who openly express dissenting political views are harassed, detained, or imprisoned; Whereas for several years, the People’s Republic of China has also been engaged in an extensive military buildup in its air, naval, land, and outer space systems, including the deployment of approximately 1,600 short and medium range ballistic missiles near the Taiwan Strait according to the Department of Defense’s Report on the Military Power of the People’s Republic of China for Fiscal Year 2009; Whereas the military buildup by the People’s Republic of China and the strategic doctrines that underpin such actions remain shrouded in secrecy and imply challenges for strategic deterrence between the United States and China, United States Armed Forces deployed in the region, and interests related to numerous friends and allies in the region, particularly Taiwan and Japan, and regional stability more broadly; Whereas the transfer of armaments and related military technology to the People’s Republic of China by member states of the European Union (EU) threatens to encourage the People’s Republic of China to seek to continue its attempts to settle long-standing territorial disputes in the region by the threat or use of military force; Whereas in order to assist EU member-states to close the gap in defense capabilities with the United States and to enhance the interoperability of the armed forces of EU member states and United States Armed Forces, the United States has expanded transatlantic armament and defense industry cooperation involving increasingly sophisticated levels of sensitive United States military technology, which becomes subject to increased risk of diversion to the People’s Republic of China should the arms embargo be lifted and armament cooperation increase between China and the EU; Whereas the European Parliament previously reaffirmed support for the arms embargo against the People’s Republic of China, stating explicitly that “Chinese and other arms exporters are fueling armed conflicts in Africa … China is responsible for significant arms transfers to conflict-ridden countries, even in violation of UN embargoes in the cases of Darfur, Liberia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo”; Whereas the People’s Republic of China continues to export gas and oil, as well as defense-related material to the Iranian regime, despite international concern over Iran’s nuclear programs; Whereas in January 2010, Spanish Ambassador to China, Carlos Blasco Villa, stated that Spain hoped to “deepen discussions [in Europe] on lifting the ban,” and added that Spain “seeks to eliminate any inconvenience in relationships between the EU and China”; Whereas, on December 17, 2010, EU High Representative Catherine Ashton recommended lifting the EU arms embargo on China in her formal foreign policy strategy paper to the European Summit, in which she stated, “The current arms embargo is a major impediment for developing stronger EU-China co-operation on foreign policy and security matters. The EU should assess its practical implication and design a way forward.”; Whereas, during his May 2011 visit to China, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy stated, “China made a significant contribution to maintaining the stability of the euro zone and promoting the resurgence of the European economy. Europe shows gratitude for this … I come here not just for what we can do for our bilateral relations but also for what we can do together on a global level.”; and Whereas the United States Department of State’s 2010 Country Report on Human Rights for China stated that, “A negative trend in key areas of the country's human rights record continued … . Principal human rights problems during the year included: extrajudicial killings … enforced disappearance and incommunicado detention … torture and coerced confessions of prisoners … detention and harassment of journalists and dissidents … political control of courts and judges … restrictions on freedoms to assemble, practice religion, and travel … pressure on other countries to forcibly return citizens to China … a coercive birth limitation policy, which in some cases resulted in forced abortion or forced sterilization … trafficking in persons … and the use of forced labor, including prison labor … .”: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)reaffirms the United States arms embargo on the People’s Republic of China and related findings and statements of policy set forth in title IX of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act (Public Law 101–246); (2)calls upon the President of the United States, consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act, to clarify his policy towards Taiwan and to publically reaffirm United States support for its allies in the region; (3)expresses its concerns over the continuing harassment, repression, and detention of political dissidents, religious, and ethnic minorities inside the People’s Republic of China; (4)reasserts that it should be the policy of the United States to oppose any diminution or termination of the European Union arms embargo against the People’s Republic of China that was established by the Declaration of the European Council of June 26, 1989; (5)condemns the threats of military force by China against its neighbors to resolve longstanding conflicts; and (6)urges the President of the United States to take appropriate diplomatic and other measures necessary to convince European Union member-states, individually and collectively, to continue to observe this embargo in principle and in practice.