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Chinese today enjoy great freedom in their everyday lives, but Americans of all political leanings express concern about China’s human rights record. The Chinese government’s suppression of demonstrations and riots in and near Tibet in March again focused attention on the issue, as did restrictions on demonstrations during the Olympic Games. Like his predecessors, President George W. Bush has met with Chinese political, religious, and labor rights activists and has called on Chinese authorities to do more to secure basic liberties. These criticisms and those of Bush’s predecessors seem to have had limited impact.
This video is also available on the USCI YouTube Channel.
Click here to view Taiwan and China's Military Buildup, part four of Election '08 and the Challenge of China.
Speakers in this segment include:
Richard Armitage, president, Armitage International and advisor to John McCain; former Deputy Secretary of State
Jeffrey Fielder, labor activist; formerly of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission
Kenneth Lieberthal, professor, University of Michigan; former Senior Director for Asia, National Security Council
Clark T. Randt, Jr. , U.S. Ambassador to China
J. Stapleton Roy, managing director, Kissinger Associates and director of the Kissinger Institute on China and the United States at the Woodrow Wilson Center, former Ambassador to China and Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research
Additional resources:
Documents
U.S. State Dept., International Religious Freedom Report 2008
Congressional Research Service, Tibet: Problems, Prospects, and U.S. Policy, April 10, 2008
U.S. State Dept., "Human Rights in China," March 11, 2008
PRC State Council, "Human Rights Record of the United States in 2007," March 13, 2008
PRC State Council White Paper, “China’s Efforts and Achievements in Promoting the Rule of Law,” Feb. 28, 2008
PRC State Council White Paper, "China's Political Party System," November 15, 2007
PRC State Council White Paper, “China’s Progress in Human Rights in 2004,” 2005
Organizations
Amnesty International
China Labour Bulletin
Duihua Foundation
Human Rights in China
Human Rights Watch
USCI and US-China Today Articles
"From Olympia to Beijing: Olympic Torch Relay, 2008"
Damon Ferrara, "Mary Gallagher: The Rule of Law in China," Feb. 14, 2008
Edward Friedman, "Commentary: PR Meltdown, What Went Wrong for Beijing," June 20, 2008
Edward Friedman, "Waiting for Democracy - and Waiting," April 2007
Andrew Nathan, "Political Culture and Democratic Legitimacy in East Asia," April 2007
Kevin O'Brien, "Discussing 'Prospects for Political Reform,'" April 2007
Guo Liang, "The Internet is Changing China," April 2007
Orville Schell, "Discussing 'Cultural Trends,'" April 2007
Please contact Clayton Dube at the USC U.S.-China Institute (1-213-821-4382 or cdube@usc.edu) with questions about the documentary and its themes or screening inquiries. The documentary is also available at the USC U.S.-China Institute’s channel at YouTube.
