IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 445 

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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 13, 2017 

Mr. MEADOWS (for himself, Mr. MCGOVERN, and Mr. SMITH of New Jersey) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Affairs 

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, 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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•HRES 445 IH 

Whereas Liu Xiaobo began his work as a visiting lecturer at 

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

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 three days; 

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

square; 

Whereas Liu Xiaobo was detained and jailed for his role in 

the protests (1989–1991), and then jailed again for advocating that the Chinese government redress its 

wrongdoings in the student protest (1996–1999); 

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 Chinese 

Communist Party 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 Beijing court 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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•HRES 445 IH 

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, two weeks 

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

Whereas in May 2011, the United Nations Working Group 

on Arbitrary Detention issued opinions declaring that the 

Chinese government’s imprisonment of Liu Xiaobo and 

the detention of Liu Xia both contravened the Universal 

Declaration of Human Rights; 

Whereas Liu Xiaobo has also received over 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; 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes the life and accomplishments of 

3 Liu Xiaobo; and 

4 (2) calls for the Chinese government to release 

5 Liu Xiaobo’s wife, Liu Xia, from house arrest, and 


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•HRES 445 IH 

1 allow her to settle in a place or country of her own 

2 choosing. 

Æ 


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