Congressional Record—House H8849
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
September 25, 2018 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8849 For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to three citizens of the United States died and (18) The United States regularly grants stand with me in the support of H.R. 6580. more than a dozen others, all from Walnut, visas to Chinese diplomats and other offi- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The California, were injured, undermining the cials, scholars, and others who travel to the question is on the motion offered by ability of the Government of the United United States to discuss, promote, and dis- States to provide consular services to the play the perspective of the Government of the gentleman from Florida (Mr. RUTH- victims and their families, and failing to China on the situation in Tibetan areas, even ERFORD) that the House suspend the meet China’s obligations under the Conven- as the Government of China restricts the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 6580, as tion on Consular Relations, done at Vienna ability of citizens of the United States to amended. April 24, 1963 (21 UST 77). travel to Tibetan areas to gain their own The question was taken; and (two- (8) Following a 2015 earthquake that perspective. thirds being in the affirmative) the trapped dozens of citizens of the United (19) Chinese diplomats based in the United rules were suspended and the bill, as States in the Tibet Autonomous Region, the States generally avail themselves of the amended, was passed. United States Consulate General in Chengdu freedom to travel to United States cities and lobby city councils, mayors, and governors The title of the bill was amended so faced significant challenges in providing emergency consular assistance due to a lack to refrain from passing resolutions, issuing as to read: ‘‘A bill to amend the Immi- of consular access. proclamations, or making statements of con- gration and Nationality Act to provide (9) The Country Reports on Human Rights cern on Tibet. for naturalization processes for the im- Practices for 2015 of the Department of State (20) The Government of China character- mediate relatives of first responders stated ‘‘With the exception of a few highly izes statements made by officials of the who die as a result of their employ- controlled trips, the Chinese government United States about the situation in Tibetan ment, and for other purposes.’’. also denied multiple requests by foreign dip- areas as inappropriate interference in the in- A motion to reconsider was laid on lomats for permission to visit the TAR.’’. ternal affairs of China. the table. (10) Tibetan-Americans, attempting to SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. visit their homeland, report having to under- f go a discriminatory visa application process, In this Act: different from what is typically required, at (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT- RECIPROCAL ACCESS TO TIBET TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional ACT OF 2018 the Chinese embassy and consulates in the United States, and often find their requests committees’’ means— Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, I to travel denied. (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations move to suspend the rules and pass the (11) The Country Reports on Human Rights and the Committee on the Judiciary of the bill (H.R. 1872) to promote access for Practices for 2016 of the Department of State Senate; and stated ‘‘The few visits to the TAR by dip- (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and United States officials, journalists, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House other citizens to Tibetan areas of the lomats and journalists that were allowed were tightly controlled by local authori- of Representatives. People’s Republic of China, and for ties.’’. (2) TIBETAN AREAS.—The term ‘‘Tibetan other purposes, as amended. (12) A September 2016 article in the Wash- areas’’ includes— The Clerk read the title of the bill. ington Post reported that ‘‘The Tibet Auton- (A) the Tibet Autonomous Region; and The text of the bill is as follows: omous Region . is harder to visit as a (B) the areas that the Chinese Government designates as Tibetan Autonomous, as fol- H.R. 1872 journalist than North Korea.’’. (13) The Government of China has failed to lows: Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- respond positively to requests from the Gov- (i) Kanlho (Gannan) Tibetan Autonomous resentatives of the United States of America in ernment of the United States to open a con- Prefecture, and Pari (Tianzhu) Tibetan Au- Congress assembled, sulate in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region. tonomous County located in Gansu Province. SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. (14) The Foreign Correspondents Club of (ii) Golog (Guoluo) Tibetan Autonomous This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Reciprocal China reports that— Prefecture, Malho (Huangnan) Tibetan Au- Access to Tibet Act of 2018’’. (A) 2008 rules prevent foreign reporters tonomous Prefecture, Tsojang (Haibei) Ti- SEC. 2. FINDINGS. from visiting the Tibet Autonomous Region betan Autonomous Prefecture, Tsolho (Hai- Congress finds the following: without prior permission from the Govern- nan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, (1) The Government of the People’s Repub- ment of such Region; Tsonub (Haixi) Mongolian and Tibetan Au- lic of China does not grant United States (B) such permission has only rarely been tonomous Prefecture, and Yulshul (Yushu) diplomats and other officials, journalists, granted; and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, located in and other citizens access to China on a basis (C) although the 2008 rules allow journal- Qinghai Province. that is reciprocal to the access that the Gov- ists to travel freely in other parts of China, (iii) Garze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous ernment of the United States grants Chinese Tibetan areas outside such Region remain Prefecture, Ngawa (Aba) Tibetan and Qiang diplomats and other officials, journalists, ‘‘effectively off-limits to foreign reporters’’. Autonomous Prefecture, and Muli (Mili) Ti- and citizens. (15) The Department of State reports that betan Autonomous County, located in (2) The Government of China imposes in addition to having to obtain permission to Sichuan Province. greater restrictions on travel to Tibetan enter the Tibet Autonomous Region, foreign (iv) Dechen (Diqing) Tibetan Autonomous areas than to other areas of China. tourists— Prefecture, located in Yunnan Province. (3) Officials of China have stated that Tibet (A) must be accompanied at all times by a SEC. 4. ANNUAL REPORT ON ACCESS TO TIBETAN is open to foreign visitors. government-designated tour guide; AREAS. (4) The Government of China is promoting (B) are rarely granted permission to enter tourism in Tibetan areas, and at the Sixth the region by road; (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days Tibet Work Forum in August 2015, Premier (C) are largely barred from visiting around after the date of the enactment of this Act, Li Keqiang called for Tibet to build ‘‘major the March anniversary of a 1959 Tibetan up- and annually thereafter for the following world tourism destinations’’. rising; and five years, the Secretary of State shall sub- (5) The Government of China requires for- (D) are banned from visiting the area mit to the appropriate congressional com- eigners to obtain permission from the Tibet where Larung Gar, the world’s largest center mittees, and make available to the public on Foreign and Overseas Affairs Office or from for the study of Tibetan Buddhism, and the the website of the Department of State, a re- the Tibet Tourism Bureau to enter the Tibet site of a large-scale campaign to expel stu- port that includes an assessment of the level Autonomous Region, a restriction that is not dents and demolish living quarters, is lo- of access Chinese authorities granted dip- imposed on travel to any other provincial- cated. lomats and other officials, journalists, and level jurisdiction in China. (16) Foreign visitors also face restrictions tourists from the United States to Tibetan (6) The Department of State reports that— in their ability to travel freely in Tibetan areas, including— (A) officials of the Government of the areas outside the Tibet Autonomous Region. (1) a comparison with the level of access United States submitted 39 requests for dip- (17) The Government of the United States granted to other areas of China; lomatic access to the Tibet Autonomous Re- generally allows journalists and other citi- (2) a comparison between the levels of ac- gion between May 2011 and July 2015, but zens of China to travel freely within the cess granted to Tibetan and non-Tibetan only four were granted; and United States. The Government of the areas in relevant provinces; (B) when such requests are granted, diplo- United States requires diplomats from China (3) a comparison of the level of access in matic personnel are closely supervised and to notify the Department of State of their the reporting year and the previous report- given few opportunities to meet local resi- travel plans, and in certain situations, the ing year; and dents not approved by authorities. Government of the United States requires (4) a description of the required permits (7) The Government of China delayed such diplomats to obtain approval from the and other measures that impede the freedom United States consular access for more than Department of State before travel. However, to travel in Tibetan areas. 48 hours after an October 28, 2013, bus crash where approval is required, it is almost al- (b) CONSOLIDATION.—After the issuance of in the Tibet Autonomous Region, in which ways granted expeditiously. the first report required by subsection (a), VerDate Sep 11 2014 07:06 Sep 26, 2018 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00105 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A25SE7.100 H25SEPT1 dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with HOUSE H8850 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE September 25, 2018 the Secretary of State is authorized to incor- and other officials from China access to some foreign media are based.