Congressional-Executive Commission on China

Congressional-Executive Commission on China
Seal of the USCC
Agency overview
FormedDecember 2000
Headquarters
Agency executives
Parent department
United States Congress
Key document
Websitehttps://www.cecc.gov/

The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) is an independent agency of the U.S. government which monitors human rights and rule of law developments in the People's Republic of China. The commission was given the mandate by the U.S. Congress to monitor and report on human rights issues with a particular focus on compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Its reporting covers developments in freedom of expression, the right to peaceful assembly, religious freedom, freedom of movement, freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention or torture, and the right to a fair trial, among others.[1] The commission publishes an annual report to the President of the United States and Congress, typically in the fall of each year. It also maintains a database of prisoners of conscience, holds regular roundtables and hearings, and issues letters to other institutions concerning human rights matters.[2][3]

Creation

The creation of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (along with the United States-China Economic and Security Review Committee) emerged as part of negotiations for permanent normal trade relations with China upon its accession to the World Trade Organization.[4]: 214 

The commission was created in October 2000 under Title III of H.R. 4444,[5] which authorizes normal trade relations with China and establishes a framework for relations between the two countries.[1]

Work

Annual report

The CECC publishes an annual report on human rights and rule of law developments in China, usually in the fall of each year, and covers issues such as freedom of expression, worker rights, religious freedom, ethnic minority rights, population planning, the status of women, climate change and the environment, treatment of North Korean refugees, civil society, access to justice, and democratic governance.[6] The reports draw on a variety of sources, including information from human rights groups, media reports, government, and Chinese Communist Party documents.

Prisoner database

As part of its mandate from Congress, the CECC maintains a partial database of religious and political prisoners believed to be detained in China. As of June 30, 2022, the database contained 10,645 names, of which 2,506 were believed to be detained at that time, while the remainder were released, deceased, or escaped.[7] The database was created with the assistance of the Dui Hua Foundation and Tibet Information Network.[8]

Staff

The commission consists of a staff of researchers and analysts and is overseen by as many as nine members each from the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, as well as one representative each from State, Commerce, and Labor, and two other executive branch employees nominated by the President. The chair of the commission rotates between the majority parties from the House and Senate. The commission is currently chaired by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ).[2]

On December 23, 2022, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced that Todd Stein, CECC deputy staff director, would be one of two individuals sanctioned by China with effect from the same day. The order specified that this was in retaliation to the United States having sanctioned two Chinese officials earlier that month over human rights issues in Tibet.[9] In an emailed comment to The Associated Press, Stein said the sanction order against him did not matter in light of the "thousands of prisoners of conscience jailed by Chinese authorities."[10]

Commissioners

Majority Minority
Senate members
House members
Executive branch
Historical membership
Commissioners, 118th Congress
Majority Minority
Senate members
House members
Executive branch
Commissioners, 117th Congress
Majority Minority
Senate members
House members
Executive branch
Commissioners, 116th Congress
Majority Minority
Senate members
House members
Executive Branch
Commissioners, 115th Congress
Majority Minority
Senate members
House members
Executive Branch
Commissioners, 114th Congress
Majority Minority
Senate members
House members
Executive Branch
Commissioners, 113th Congress
Majority Minority
Senate members
House members
Executive Branch
Commissioners, 112th Congress
Majority Minority
Senate members
House members
Executive Branch
Commissioners, 111th Congress
Majority Minority
Senate members
House members
Executive Branch
Commissioners, 110th Congress
Majority Minority
Senate members
House members
Executive Branch
Commissioners, 109th Congress
Majority Minority
Senate members
House members
Executive Branch
Commissioners, 108th Congress
Majority Minority
Senate members
House members
Executive Branch
Commissioners, 107th Congress
Majority Minority
Senate members
House members
Executive Branch

Historical leadership

Start End Chair Co-chair Ranking Member Vice Ranking Member
2001 2003 Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) Rep. Doug Bereuter (R-NE) Rep. Sandy Levin (D-MI) Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE)
2003 2005 Rep. Jim Leach (R-IA) Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
2005 2007 Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) Rep. Jim Leach (R-IA) Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)
2007 2009 Rep. Sandy Levin (D-MI) Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ)
2009 2011 Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) Rep. Sandy Levin (D-MI) Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE)
2011 2013 Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN)
2013 2015 Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN) Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)
2015 2017 Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN)
2017 2019 Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
2019 2021 Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ)
2021 2023 Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)
2023 2025 Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA)
2025 present Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR)

See also

References

  1. 1 2 H.R. 4444, TITLE III--CONGRESSIONAL-EXECUTIVE COMMISSION ON THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA Archived 2011-09-12 at the Wayback Machine
  2. 1 2 "Congressional-Executive Commission on China". www.cecc.gov. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  3. ↑ "Xinjiang: Chairs Ask Whether World Bank Funding Possible "Crimes Against Humanity"". Congressional-Executive Commission on China. August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  4. ↑ Lampton, David M. (2024). Living U.S.-China Relations: From Cold War to Cold War. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-5381-8725-8.
  5. ↑ "About". Congressional-Executive Commission on China. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  6. ↑ Congressional Executive-Commission on China, 2010 Annual Report, 15 October 2010.
  7. ↑ Congressional-Executive Commission on China, 2022 Annual Report, 2022, p. 44.
  8. ↑ Congressional-Executive Commission on China, CECC political prisoner database Archived 2011-11-14 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 11-13-11.
  9. ↑ Yew, Lun Tian (December 23, 2022). "China sanctions two Americans over Tibet rights controversy". Reuters. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  10. ↑ "China sanctions 2 US citizens over action on Tibet". Associated Press.
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