III 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 361 

Recognizing the threats to freedom of the press and expression in the People’s 

Republic of China and urging the Government of the People’s Republic 

of China to take meaningful steps to improve freedom of expression 

as fitting of a responsible international stakeholder. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 24, 2014 

Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. MENENDEZ, and Mr. CORKER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the threats to freedom of the press and expression in the People’s Republic of China and urging the 

Government of the People’s Republic of China to take 

meaningful steps to improve freedom of expression as 

fitting of a responsible international stakeholder. 

Whereas, in its 2013 World Press Freedom Index, Reporters 

Without Borders ranked China 173rd out of 179 countries in terms of press freedoms; 

Whereas China’s media regulator, the State Administration 

of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, enforces a system of strict controls, including an extensive 

licensing system and government supervision by the Chinese Communist Party; 


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•SRES 361 IS 

Whereas domestic radio and television broadcast journalists 

in China must pass a government-sponsored exam that 

tests their basic knowledge of Marxist views of news and 

Communist Party principles; 

Whereas this state supervision of the media distorts and 

blocks free and open coverage of key issues including 

Tibet, political unrest, and corruption by government officials, as well as Chinese foreign policy; 

Whereas China’s media regulator officially bans journalists 

from using foreign media reports without authorization 

and forbids news editors from reporting information online that has not been verified through official channels; 

Whereas the Congressional-Executive Commission on China 

(CECC) has documented several instances of reprisals 

against and harassment of independent journalists and 

newspaper staff by the Government of the People’s Republic of China, including Chinese journalists working for 

foreign-based websites and newspapers; 

Whereas the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China has 

noted that foreign journalists continue to face challenging 

work conditions, visa denials or delays, and various forms 

of harassment, and 70 percent of journalists surveyed in 

the FCCC’s 2013 annual survey stated that ‘‘conditions 

have worsened or stayed the same as the year before’’; 

Whereas, according to the CECC, authorities in China appeared to maintain or enhance policies to block and filter 

online content, particularly sensitive information about 

rights activists, official corruption, or collective organizing; 

Whereas China is the world’s second largest economy and the 

United States second largest trading partner and has 


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•SRES 361 IS 

been a member of the World Trade Organization since 

2001; 

Whereas China’s growing economic importance increases the 

need for the Government of the People’s Republic of 

China to act transparently and respect international trading regulations; and 

Whereas official government censorship denies the people of 

China, including nearly 600,000,000 Internet users, their 

freedom of expression, undermines confidence in China’s 

safety standards, and causes increasingly serious economic harm to private firms that rely on unfettered access to social media as a business model: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) reaffirms the importance of freedom of the 

3 press to efforts by the United States Government to 

4 support democracy, mitigate conflict, and promote 

5 good governance domestically and around the world; 

6 (2) expresses concern about the threats to free7 dom of the press and expression in the People’s Re8 public of China; 

9 (3) condemns actions taken by the Government 

10 of the People’s Republic of China to suppress free11 dom of the press, including the increased harass12 ment of Chinese and international journalists 

13 through denial of visas, harassment of sources, phys14 ical threats, and other methods; and 


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•SRES 361 IS 

1 (4) urges the President to use all appropriate 

2 instruments of United States influence to support, 

3 promote, and strengthen principles, practices, and 

4 values that promote the free flow of information to 

5 the people of China without interference or discrimi6 nation, including through the Internet and other 

7 electronic media. 

Æ 


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