Rep. Christopher H. Smith, Co-Chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC), in conjunction with the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, will hold a joint hearing on Tuesday, May 18 to examine the implications of holding the XXIV Winter Olympiad in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in light of the country’s egregious human rights record.

            In February 2022, the People’s Republic of China is scheduled to host the XXIV Winter Olympiad. But the PRC’s highly repressive human rights policies, including practices the State Department deems crimes against humanity and genocide against ethnic minorities and the crushing of the democratic opposition in Hong Kong, have called into question the legitimacy of holding the games in China.   

            The hearing will examine China’s human rights practices against the ideals of the Olympics and explore possible ways to leverage the Olympics to improve China’s human rights practices.

            Opening statements, which will begin at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, can be viewed virtually via Cisco WebEx.

            Also hosting  the bipartisan joint hearing is Rep. James P. McGovern (D-MA), Co-Chair of the TLHRC, and Sen. Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-OR) Chair, CECC.  Smith is a former Chairman of the CECC, and current ranking House Member.

             Testifying will be: 

• Dr. Yang Jianli, Founder and President, Citizen Power Initiatives for China
  Written testimony
• Susan V. Lawrence, Specialist in Asian Affairs, Congressional Research Service
  Written testimony
• Sophie Richardson, China Director, Human Rights Watch
  Written testimony
• Rayhan Asat, Human Rights Lawyer and Advocate
  Written testimony
• Samuel Chu, Managing Director, Hong Kong Democracy Council
  Written testimony
• Reggie Littlejohn, President, Women’s Rights Without Frontiers
  Written testimony

Witnesses may be added. Click here for additional information. 

Click here to watch the hearing.

###