[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 62 (Tuesday, May 13, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S4377]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                CALLING FOR THE RELEASE OF WEI JINGSHENG

  Mr. ASHCROFT. Mr. President, I join with other Senators today in 
calling for the immediate release of Chinese dissident Wei Jingsheng. 
Wei Jingsheng exemplifies China's best aspirations for democracy, and 
his imprisonment exemplifies the worst of the Communist cadre that 
stands in the way of freedom for a nation of over one billion people. 
Wei's imprisonment is only one story in the broader tragedy of brutal 
political repression that has silenced all voices of dissent in China. 
In a world that is increasingly open to the benefits of freedom and the 
potential of free markets, the great hope is that the growth of 
capitalism in China will undermine Beijing's tyranny. The growth of 
free markets alone, however, will never replace individual acts of 
courage and conviction by people who defy China's Communist leadership. 
People willing to spend their lives for the freedom of their countrymen 
are mankind's true heroes.
  Mr. President, Wei Jingsheng was first imprisoned in 1979 after 
criticizing the Government's suppression of the Democracy Wall movement 
in China. Since that time, he has spent all but 6 months of the last 18 
years in prison. Inside China's prison system, Wei has been a constant 
target for harassment and reeducation by China's prison guards. Wei has 
fought the daily battle to maintain his integrity, the strength of his 
principles, and the conviction of his beliefs. After 14 years in 
prison, Wei was released in 1993 and promptly began condemning the 
Government's horrific record of political repression. He was imprisoned 
again for his courage and remains in a Chinese prison today suffering 
from a life-threatening heart condition.
  Wei's love for his country is most clearly seen in the personal 
sacrifice associated with his forthright and constant stand against 
political tyranny. The Clinton administration could learn a lesson from 
Mr. Wei. In the long run, honesty is the best policy, and a forthright 
discussion of the atrocities being committed by Beijing will do more 
for a stable United States-China relationship than repeated acts of 
appeasement. True constructive engagement means that China is required 
to honor the trading agreements it signs, to avoid proliferating 
weapons of mass destruction, and to respect international norms for 
human rights. We in America need to realize what Wei recognized long 
ago--that the forces of justice and liberty are at work in the Chinese 
people just as they have been at work with such stunning effect in 
other nations around the world.
  In the battle between liberty and tyranny in China, I am placing my 
wager on the side of freedom. As Ronald Reagan said, ``Democracy is not 
a fragile flower. Still, it needs cultivating. If the rest of this 
century is to witness the gradual growth of freedom and democratic 
ideals, we must take actions to assist the campaign for democracy.''
  Mr. President, we must ask ourselves if we are taking those actions 
to cultivate the flower of liberty in China. Has our commitment to 
human rights and civil liberties been constant? Have we defended 
international norms against weapons proliferation that the free people 
of the world have embraced for their mutual protection? One need only 
look at the record of political repression in China and China's arming 
of Iran to see that the Clinton administration is failing to press our 
concern for international human rights and protect our own long-term 
national security interests.
  American foreign policy needs to return to its most enduring and 
noble aspect: our willingness as a nation to sacrifice in order to help 
other peoples achieve the individual liberties we enjoy. When the 
Chinese people eventually rid themselves of tyrannical leadership and 
establish a democracy--and they will just as the South Koreans, the 
Japanese, and the Taiwanese have done before them--I hope they will be 
able to say that America stood by them in their darkest hours. For the 
Chinese people, the torch lit in Tiananmen Square is flickering. The 
American people want to stand by the Chinese. The Clinton 
administration has been less clear. The administration can stand up for 
America and the Chinese people by insisting that Wei Jingsheng be 
released.

                          ____________________