Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives in condemning the Government of the People’s Republic of China for its harassment and efforts to intimidate American citizens and other individuals on United States soil with the goal of suppressing speech and narratives the People’s Republic of China finds unwelcome.

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives in condemning the Government of the People’s Republic of China for its harassment and efforts to intimidate American citizens and other individuals on United States soil with the goal of suppressing speech and narratives the People’s Republic of China finds unwelcome.

Whereas freedom of speech is essential to the functioning of a free and open society, allowing for the exchange of ideas and accountability of governments and institutions;

Whereas Congress relies on credible, independent research and analysis from academic institutions and think tanks to inform and help shape United States policy;

Whereas the exchange of ideas between United States and People’s Republic of China (PRC) scholars, including in the form of collaborative research and Track 1.5 and Track 2.0 discussions, plays an important role in promoting better understanding between the 2 countries;

Whereas, in November 2023, PRC leader Xi Jinping called on the United States and China to “build more bridges and pave more roads for people-to-people interactions” and “not erect barriers or create a chilling effect”;

Whereas the PRC Government has engaged in a wide range of activities intended to intimidate United States scholars who engage in research the PRC Government and Chinese Communist Party find unwelcome, including—

(1) unleashing personal attacks on United States scholars in PRC state media and quasi-state media;

(2) pressuring PRC citizens to resign from jobs supporting the research of United States scholars;

(3) withdrawing invitations for United States scholars to attend conferences in the PRC; and

(4) sending PRC diplomats and nongovernment surrogates to United States scholars’ offices to protest their research, discourage future research on specific topics, and warn against scholarly collaboration with specific other United States scholars;

Whereas the Department of State has stated in regard to the PRC state media and quasi-state media attacks on United States scholars that “combating transnational repression is a priority component of U.S. efforts to counter rising authoritarianism and defend human rights around the world”, emphasizing that “any kind of harassment” toward academics, scholars, journalists, or other individuals is “unacceptable”, and noting that, “everyone has a right to express their point of view”;

Whereas the PRC Government’s harassment of United States scholars whose research the PRC disagrees with and the PRC Government’s efforts to intimidate other United States and PRC scholars into distancing themselves from such scholars creates a chilling effect on United States-PRC academic exchange and research;

Whereas PRC restrictions on visas for scholars whose research the PRC disagrees with limit visits and field research of United States scholars in China that promote global understanding of the PRC and the bilateral relationship;

Whereas, in 2023 and 2024, the Hong Kong police put 19 Hong Kong democracy activists living overseas, including a United States citizen, on a wanted list and offered bounties for information leading to their capture, and in 2024 cancelled the passports of 7 of them;

Whereas, according to the Washington Post, in November 2023, the PRC consulate in Los Angeles paid for the hotel rooms and meals of pro-PRC counter-protesters who turned out on the streets of San Francisco during a visit by Xi Jinping, and hired private security guards for the visit;

Whereas, during PRC leader Xi’s 2023 visit, some counter-protesters and consulate-hired security guards reportedly physically harassed and intimidated protesters opposed to Beijing’s policies who were exercising their First Amendment rights;

Whereas consulate-hired security guards were reportedly instructed by the PRC consulate to “protect ‘our’ friends”, with one guard stating that the use of violence “was always insinuated”;

Whereas, ahead of Xi’s departure from San Francisco, Chemi Lhamo, a Tibetan activist holding a Tibetan flag, was pressed against the railing of a bridge, unable to extract herself from a crowd of PRC supporters that included 2 PRC consular officials, and at least 8 men from the same crowd reportedly attacked 2 Tibetan teenagers later that day;

Whereas, according to the advocacy organization Freedom House, the Government of the PRC is increasingly disregarding the laws of the United States in order to threaten, harass, surveil, stalk, intimidate, and, in some cases, plot physical harm to individuals across the United States;

Whereas, between 2014 and April 2023, Freedom House cataloged 253 instances globally of direct, physical attacks originating from the PRC, with the PRC accounting for 30 percent of all recorded incidents, far more than any other country:

Whereas, in 2023, Freedom House reported that “China is the world’s leading perpetrator of transnational repression, employing a wide array of tactics and targeting both groups and individuals”;

Whereas the Federal Bureau of Investigation defines transnational repression as when foreign governments reach beyond their borders to intimidate, silence, coerce, harass, or harm members of their diaspora and exile communities in the United States;

Whereas, in April 2023, the Department of Justice charged 40 officers of China’s Ministry of Public Security and 2 officials of the Cyberspace Administration of China with engaging in transnational repression schemes targeting American citizens and lawful permanent residents; and

Whereas then-Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division stated at the time, “These cases demonstrate the lengths to which the PRC government will go to silence and harass U.S. persons who exercise their fundamental rights to speak out against PRC oppression”, and that “these actions violate our laws and are an affront to our democratic values and basic human rights.”: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) strongly condemns the Government of the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) efforts to suppress free speech, assembly, and academic freedom in the United States, including through harassment and intimidation;

(2) calls on United States Federal and local law enforcement agencies to enhance vigilance and take swift action against the PRC’s attempts to extend its intolerance of dissent into the United States and to target people exercising their First Amendment rights on American soil;

(3) urges United States academic institutions and think tanks to protect academic freedom by resisting pressure from foreign entities, including the PRC, aimed at stifling open scholarly research and debate;

(4) reaffirms the United States commitment to defend the rights of individuals to express themselves freely without fear of retaliation, both domestically and globally;

(5) calls on the executive branch, including the Secretary of State, to raise in diplomatic engagements with the PRC Government incidents of PRC harassment and intimidation intended to limit free speech, highlighting specific cases of intimidation of individuals intended to stifle free speech in the United States;

(6) advocates for international collaboration with like-minded allies and partners to highlight and address the threat of transnational repression and establish global norms to combat it; and

(7) calls on United States representatives to international organizations to use their voice and vote to support resolutions condemning the transnational suppression of free speech and demanding accountability.