III 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 223 

Honoring the life and legacy of Liu Xiaobo for his steadfast commitment 

to the protection of human rights, political freedoms, free markets, democratic elections, government accountability, and peaceful change in the 

People’s Republic of China. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 19, 2017 

Mr. CRUZ (for himself, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, and Mr. GARDNER) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the life and legacy of Liu Xiaobo for his steadfast 

commitment to the protection of human rights, political 

freedoms, free markets, democratic elections, government 

accountability, and peaceful change in the People’s Republic of China. 

Whereas Liu Xiaobo was born on December 28, 1955, in 

Changchun, People’s Republic of China; 

Whereas Liu Xiaobo received his bachelor’s degree in literature from Jilin University in 1982, his master’s degree at Beijing Normal University in 1984, and his doctorate degree in 1988 in literature, after publishing several best-selling books over the course of pursuing his 

doctorate degree; 


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•SRES 223 IS 

Whereas Liu Xiaobo began his work as a visiting lecturer at 

universities across the world, including Columbia University in New York, New York; 

Whereas over the tenure of his career, Liu Xiaobo authored 

18 major publications; 

Whereas Liu Xiaobo was active in the Tiananmen Square 

protests, where he initiated the Tiananmen Four Gentlemen Hunger Strike, which lasted 3 days; 

Whereas Liu Xiaobo has been credited for saving many students’ lives by helping to negotiate their evacuation from 

Tiananmen Square; 

Whereas Liu Xiaobo was detained and jailed in 1989 through 

1991 for his role in the protests, and then jailed again 

in 1996 through 1999 for advocating that the Government of the People’s Republic of China redress its 

wrongdoings in the student protest; 

Whereas Liu Xiaobo married Liu Xia in 1996, who has stood 

bravely by his side as a partner and fellow activist; 

Whereas, on December 9, 2008, a diverse group of more than 

300 Chinese scholars, writers, lawyers, and activists 

issued Charter 08, a manifesto calling on the Communist 

Party of China to abandon authoritarian rule in favor of 

democracy, the guarantee of human rights, and the rule 

of law; 

Whereas Liu Xiaobo was one of the original drafters of Charter 08 and was taken into custody just days before the 

manifesto was released; 

Whereas in December 2009, a court in Beijing sentenced Liu 

Xiaobo to 11 years in prison for ‘‘inciting subversion of 

state power’’ for his involvement in drafting Charter 08; 


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•SRES 223 IS 

Whereas Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on 

October 8, 2010, ‘‘for his long and non-violent struggle 

for fundamental human rights in China’’; 

Whereas Liu Xiaobo’s wife, Liu Xia, has been held in extralegal home confinement since October 2010, 2 weeks 

after her husband’s Nobel Peace Prize award was announced, and has reportedly suffered severe health problems over the years that required hospitalization; 

Whereas in May 2011, the United Nations Working Group 

on Arbitrary Detention issued opinions declaring that the 

imprisonment of Liu Xiaobo and the detention of Liu Xia 

by the Government of the People’s Republic of China 

contravened the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; 

Whereas Liu Xiaobo has also received more than a dozen 

awards and honors from several international groups for 

his work as a defender of the press, an outstanding 

democratic activist, and a defender of human rights; 

Whereas Liu Xiaobo was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer 

in May 2017; 

Whereas Liu Xiaobo died on July 13, 2017, while serving his 

11-year prison sentence; and 

Whereas Liu Xiaobo dedicated his life to human rights, not 

only in his own country, but across the globe: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes the life and accomplishments of 

3 Liu Xiaobo; and 

4 (2) calls for the Government of the People’s Re5 public of China to release Liu Xiaobo’s wife, Liu 


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•SRES 223 IS 

1 Xia, from house arrest, and allow her to settle in a 

2 place or country of her own choosing. 

Æ 


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