ICYMI: Sen. Cruz Op-Ed in The Dallas Morning News: U.S. Showing the Wrong Priorities with China

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today penned an op-ed for The Dallas Morning News, outlining the need for the U.S. to focus on human rights in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), rather than exclusively prioritize economic dealings with the Communist regime. Sens. Cruz and John Cornyn (R-Texas) last week sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, urging the administration to press the PRC to release jailed human rights activist Guo Feixiong. 

Read Sen. Cruz’s op-ed in its entirety here. Excerpts are available below: 

During a trip to Beijing last month for the eighth U.S.-China Strategic Security & Economic Dialogue, Secretary of State John Kerry remarked: “After all, that’s the purpose of government — to represent the people and to meet the needs of our people, both of us — even though, as President Xi said, we have different systems, different culture, different history. We acknowledge that. We respect that.” 

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The call by Kerry to respect China, and the suggestion that the Communist Party of China “represents the people” and “meets their needs,” were devastating blows to the hundreds of political prisoners languishing in China today.

One such prisoner is Yang Maodong, better known as Guo Feixiong. Guo is serving a six-year term in Yangchun Prison for organizing peaceful protests against press censorship. Currently on the 78th day of a hunger strike, he has lost at least a third of his body weight.

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The fact of the matter is that we have real leverage over China, which is extremely sensitive to criticism of its human rights record. We know this to be the case with Guo.

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American attention to and focus on Guo’s case are exactly what is needed now. The spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Beijing has reportedly “urged” China to release Guo, but bolder action is needed on the part of the Obama administration. Time is running short.

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