TEXT: SENATE RESOLUTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA
(Foreign Relations panel passes China rights resolution)

Washington -- The Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed a resolution (S. Res. 187) expressing the sense of the Senate critical of the human rights situation in China by a near unanimous vote on March 11.

The resolution urges that the U.S. delegation at the annual meeting in Geneva of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights "should introduce and make all efforts necessary to pass a resolution criticizing the People's Republic of China for its human rights abuses in China and Tibet."

Amendments introduced by Senator Rod Grams (Republican of Minnesota) and Diane Feinstein (Democrat of California), urging that the resolution focus not only on China but on other countries guilty of human rights violations as well, were voted down.

Committee Chairman Senator Jesse Helms (Republican of North Carolina) said in his opening statement that: "Congress must address human rights abuses in other countries as well as in China. However, the Mack-Wellstone resolution speaks to a key issue of U.S.-China relations, that is, President Clinton's commitments to make the annual U.N.H.C.R. meeting a key element of the Administration's China policy."

Helms said, "When the Clinton Administration decided to de-link human rights considerations from the annual decision on Most Favored Nation trade status for the PRC, President Clinton pledged to promote human rights through other channels. In messages to the Congress, he specifically promised to intensify efforts to bring pressure to bear on China at annual meetings of the UN Human Rights Commission meeting."

Following is the text of the resolution:

(begin text)

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the human rights situation in the People's Republic of China.
(Introduced in the Senate)

SRES 187 IS

105th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. RES. 187

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the human rights situation in the People's Republic of China.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

March 2, 1998

Mr. MACK (for himself, Mr. WELLSTONE, Mr. HELMS, Mr. THOMAS, Mr. FEINGOLD, Mr. ABRAHAM, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. MOYNIHAN, and Mr. ASHCROFT) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the human rights situation in the People's Republic of China.

Whereas the annual meeting of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland, provides a forum for discussing human rights and expressing international support for improved human rights performance;

Whereas according to the United States Department of State and international human rights organizations, the Government of the People's Republic of China engages in widespread human rights violations; and

Whereas President Clinton pledged that the United States would step up its efforts in cooperation with other states to insist that the United Nations Commission on Human Rights pass a resolution dealing with the serious human rights abuses in the People's Republic of China: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the United States should introduce and make all efforts necessary to pass a resolution criticizing the People's Republic of China for its human rights abuses in China and Tibet at the annual meeting of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

(end text)

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