II
Calendar No. 390
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 2232
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
NOVEMBER 10, 1997
Received
NOVEMBER 13, 1997
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
MAY 27, 1998
Reported under authority of the order of the Senate of May 22, 1998, by Mr.
HELMS, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
AN ACT
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:
HR 2232 RS
(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
net-
working 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-
HR 2232 RS
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 31⁄2 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 the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China.
(8) Radio Free Asia and Voice of America, in
working toward continuously broadcasting to the
People’s Republic of China in multiple languages,
have the capability to immediately establish 24-hour-
a-day Mandarin broadcasting to that nation by stag-
gering 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.
HR 2232 RS
SEC.
3.
AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS
FOR
IN-
CREASED FUNDING FOR RADIO FREE ASIA
AND VOICE OF AMERICA BROADCASTING TO
CHINA.
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR RADIO
FREE ASIA.—
(1)
AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—
There are authorized to be appropriated for ‘‘Radio
Free Asia’’ $30,000,000 for fiscal year 1998 and
$22,000,000 for fiscal year 1999.
(2) LIMITATIONS.—
(A) Of the funds under paragraph (1) au-
thorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 1998,
$8,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated for
one time capital costs.
(B) Of the funds under paragraph (1),
$700,000 is authorized to be appropriated for
each such fiscal year for additional personnel to
staff Cantonese language broadcasting.
(b)
AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS
FOR
INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING TO CHINA AND NORTH
KOREA.—In addition to such sums as are otherwise au-
thorized to be appropriated for ‘‘International Broadcast-
ing Activities’’ for fiscal years 1998 and 1999, there are
authorized to be appropriated for ‘‘International Broad-
casting Activities’’ $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1998 and
HR 2232 RS
$7,000,000 for fiscal year 1999, which shall be available
only for enhanced Voice of America broadcasting to China
and North Korea.
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR RADIO
CONSTRUCTION.—
(1) AUTHORIZATON OF APPROPRIATIONS.—In
addition to such sums as are otherwise authorized to
be appropriated for ‘‘Radio Construction’’ for fiscal
years 1998 and 1999, there are authorized to be ap-
propriated for ‘‘Radio Construction’’ $10,000,000
for fiscal year 1998 and $3,000,000 for fiscal year
1999, which shall be available only for construction
in support of enhanced broadcasting to China.
(2) LIMITATION.—Of the funds under para-
graph (1) authorized to be appropriated for fiscal
year 1998, $3,000,000 is authorized to be appro-
priated to facilitate the timely augmentation of
transmitters at Tinan, the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands.
(d) ALLOCATION.—Of the amounts authorized to be
appropriated for ‘‘International Broadcasting Activities’’,
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 na-
tions whose people do not fully enjoy freedom of expres-
HR 2232 RS
sion do not decline in proportion to the amounts made
available for broadcasting to other nations.
(e) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS FOR NORTH KOREA.—
Of the funds under subsection (b), $2,000,000 is author-
ized to be appropriated for each fiscal year for additional
personnel and broadcasting targeted at North Korea.
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. UTILIZATION OF UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL
BROADCASTING
SERVICES
FOR
PUBLIC
SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS REGARDING FU-
GITIVES FROM UNITED STATES JUSTICE.
United States international broadcasting services,
particularly the Voice of America, shall produce and
broadcast public service announcements, by radio, tele-
vision, and Internet, regarding fugitives from the criminal
justice system of the United States, including cases of
international child abduction.
HR 2232 RS
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Radio Free Asia Act
of 1998’’.
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 ‘‘Interim
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 activi-
ties 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 Amer-
ica, as a surrogate for a free press in the People’s Re-
public of China, provide an invaluable source of un-
HR 2232 RS
censored information to the Chinese people, including
objective and authoritative news of in-country and re-
gional events, as well as accurate news about the
United States and its policies.
(5) Radio Free Asia currently broadcasts only 7
hours a day in the Mandarin dialect, 2 hours a day
in Tibetan, and 2 hours a day in Cantonese.
(6) Voice of America currently broadcasts only
10 hours a day in Mandarin, 2 hours a day in Ti-
betan, and 1 hour a day in Cantonese.
(7) Radio Free Asia and Voice of America should
develop 24-hour-a-day service in Mandarin, Canton-
ese, and Tibetan, as well as further broadcasting ca-
pability in the dialects spoken in the People’s Repub-
lic of China.
(8) Radio Free Asia and Voice of America, in
working toward continuously broadcasting to 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 Amer-
ica radio and Worldnet television 7 days a week in
Mandarin are also important and needed capabilities.
HR 2232 RS
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR IN-
CREASED FUNDING FOR RADIO FREE ASIA
AND VOICE OF AMERICA BROADCASTING TO
CHINA.
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR RADIO
FREE ASIA.—
(1) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—
There are authorized to be appropriated for ‘‘Radio
Free Asia’’ $30,000,000 for fiscal year 1998 and
$22,000,000 for fiscal year 1999.
(2) LIMITATIONS.—
(A) Of the funds under paragraph (1) au-
thorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 1998,
$8,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated for
one-time capital costs.
(B) Of the funds under paragraph (1),
$700,000 is authorized to be appropriated for
each such fiscal year for additional personnel to
staff Cantonese language broadcasting.
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR INTER-
NATIONAL BROADCASTING TO CHINA AND NORTH KOREA.—
In addition to such sums as are otherwise authorized to
be appropriated for ‘‘International Broadcasting Activi-
ties’’ for fiscal years 1998 and 1999, there are authorized
to be appropriated for ‘‘International Broadcasting Activi-
ties’’ $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1998 and $7,000,000 for
HR 2232 RS
fiscal year 1999, which shall be available only for enhanced
Voice of America broadcasting to China and North Korea.
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR RADIO
CONSTRUCTION.—
(1) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—In
addition to such sums as are otherwise authorized to
be appropriated for ‘‘Radio Construction’’ for fiscal
years 1998 and 1999, there are authorized to be ap-
propriated for ‘‘Radio Construction’’ $10,000,000 for
fiscal year 1998 and $3,000,000 for fiscal year 1999,
which shall be available only for construction in sup-
port of enhanced broadcasting to China.
(2) LIMITATION.—Of the funds under paragraph
(1) authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 1998,
$3,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated to facili-
tate the timely augmentation of transmitters at
Tinian, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands.
(d) ALLOCATION.—Of the amounts authorized to be ap-
propriated for ‘‘International Broadcasting Activities’’, the
Broadcasting Board of 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 decline in proportion to the amounts made available
for broadcasting to other nations.
HR 2232 RS
(e) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS FOR NORTH KOREA.—Of
the funds under subsection (b), $2,000,000 is authorized to
be appropriated for each fiscal year for additional person-
nel and broadcasting targeted at North Korea.
SEC. 4. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, in consultation with the Broadcasting Board of
Governors, the President shall prepare and transmit to Con-
gress 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 lan-
guages.
SEC. 5. UTILIZATION OF UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL
BROADCASTING SERVICES FOR PUBLIC SERV-
ICE 
ANNOUNCEMENTS 
REGARDING 
FUGI-
TIVES FROM UNITED STATES JUSTICE.
The Voice of America shall produce and broadcast pub-
lic service announcements, by radio, television, and Inter-
net, regarding fugitives from the criminal justice system of
the United States, including cases of international child ab-
duction.