I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2232
To provide for increased international broadcasting activities to China.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 23, 1997
Mr. ROYCE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on International Relations
A BILL
To provide for increased international broadcasting activities
to China.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Radio Free Asia Act
of 1997’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The Government of the People’s Republic of
China systematically controls the flow of information
to the Chinese people.
(2) The Government of the People’s Republic of
China demonstrated that maintaining its monopoly
on political power is a higher priority than economic
development by announcing in January 1996 that its
official news agency Xinhua, will supervise wire serv-
ices selling economic information, including Dow
Jones-Telerate, Bloomberg, and Reuters Business,
and in announcing in February of 1996 the ‘‘In-
terim Internet Management Rules’’, which have the
effect of censoring computer networks.
(3) Under the May 30, 1997, order of Premier
Li Peng, all organizations that engage in business
activities 
related 
to 
international 
computer
networking must now apply for a license, increasing
still further government control over access to the
internet.
(4) Both Radio Free Asia and the Voice of
America, as a surrogate for a free press in the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China, provide an invaluable source
of uncensored information to the Chinese people, in-
cluding objective and authoritative news of in-coun-
try and regional events, as well as accurate news
about the United States and its policies.
(5) Radio Free Asia currently broadcasts only
5 hours a day in the Mandarin dialect and 2 hours
a day in Tibetan.
(6) Voice of America currently broadcasts only
10 hours a day in Mandarin and 3 1⁄2 hours a day
in Tibetan.
(7) Radio Free Asia and Voice of America
should develop 24-hour-a-day service in Mandarin,
Cantonese, and Tibetan, as well as further broad-
casting capability in the dialects spoken in Xinjiang
and other regions of the People’s Republic of China.
(8) Radio Free Asia and Voice of America, in
working toward continuously broadcasting the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China in multiple languages, have
the capability to immediately establish 24-hour-a-day
Mandarin broadcasting to that nation by staggering
the hours of Radio Free Asia and Voice of America.
(9) Simultaneous broadcasting on Voice of
America radio and Worldnet television 7 days a
week in Mandarin are also important and needed ca-
pabilities.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR IN-
CREASED FUNDING FOR RADIO FREE ASIA
AND VOICE OF AMERICA.
(a) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS
FOR
INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING TO CHINA.—In addition
to such sums as are otherwise authorized to be appro-
priated for ‘‘International Broadcasting Activities’’ for fis-
cal years 1998 and 1999, there are authorized to be ap-
propriated for ‘‘International Broadcasting Activities’’
$46,900,000 for fiscal year 1998 and $31,200,000 for fis-
cal year 1999, which shall be available only for broadcast-
ing to China.
(b) LIMITATIONS.—
(1) RADIO FREE ASIA.—
(A) Of the funds authorized to be appro-
priated under subsection (a) $26,900,000 is au-
thorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 1998
and $21,200,000 is authorized to be appro-
priated for fiscal year 1999 for Radio Free
Asia.
(B) Of the funds under subparagraph (A),
$1,200,000 is authorized to be appropriated for
each such fiscal year for additional personnel to
staff Cantonese language broadcasting.
(C) Of the funds under subparagraph (A)
authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year
1998, $900,000 is authorized to be appro-
priated for additional advanced editing equip-
ment.
(2) 1998.—
(A) Of the funds under subsection (a) au-
thorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 1998,
$11,800,000 is authorized to be appropriated
for capital expenditures for the purchase and
construction of transmission facilities.
(B) Of the funds under subsection (a) au-
thorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 1998,
$3,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated to
facilitate the timely augmentation of transmit-
ters at Tinian, Marshall Islands.
(c) ALLOCATION.—Of the amounts authorized to be
appropriated under subsection (a), the Director of the
United States Information Agency and the Board of
Broadcasting Governors shall seek to ensure that the
amounts made available for broadcasting to nations whose
people do not fully enjoy freedom of expression do not de-
cline in proportion to the amounts made available for
broadcasting to other nations.
SEC. 4. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment
of this Act, in consultation with the Board of Broadcast-
ing Governors, the President shall prepare and transmit
to Congress a report on a plan to achieve continuous
broadcasting of Radio Free Asia and Voice of America to
the People’s Republic of China in multiple major dialects
and languages.
SEC. 5. REDUCTION IN AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIA-
TIONS FOR MIGRATION AND REFUGEE AS-
SISTANCE.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, such
amounts as are authorized to be appropriated for ‘‘Migra-
tion and Refugee Assistance’’ for fiscal year 1998 shall
be reduced by $21,900,000 and for fiscal year 1999 shall
be reduced by $6,200,000.
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