Asa Hutchinson: “So the administration's decision not even to consider human rights abuses when dealing with China has proven, I think…”

“So the administration's decision not even to consider human rights abuses when dealing with China has proven, I think, disastrous for the people of China and they have been removed from the threat of any repercussions; that is, the Chinese Communist government in their trade relationship with the United States and the Chinese Communist leaders have succeeded in jailing every last dissident in a country of over 1 billion people. So rather than seeing expanded liberties, we have seen those contracted by the jailing of every last dissident as our country has turned a blind eye to the atrocities that have escalated, and the oppressive government in China has strengthened its hold on fully what is one-fourth of the world's population. Since the United States formally delinked American trade with China from its human rights performance of abuse, much has changed, but nothing has changed for the better. I had in my office yesterday--I share this with the Senator from Missouri--a number of Chinese political dissidents, democracy dissidents, those who had raised their voices on the side of freedom. One was a former editor with the People's Daily, a Communist Chinese newspaper. He resigned that position because they would not allow him to speak the truth.”