Van Hollen, Sullivan, Merkley, Colleagues Warn CCP Against Violent Crackdown on Protesters

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) in sending a bipartisan letter alongside their Senate colleagues to the Chinese ambassador to the United States warning the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime of the consequences of a violent crackdown on peaceful protesters. Demonstrations have erupted across China in response to the CCP’s severe measures restricting freedoms to contain rising COVID-19 infections.

The letter led by Senators Sullivan and Merkley is signed in addition to Senator Van Hollen by Senators Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) John Thune (R-S.D.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Angus King (I-Maine), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Kennedy (R-La.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho).

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

Dear Ambassador Qin:

We are following the current peaceful protests in China over your government’s policies very carefully. We are also closely watching the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) reaction to them.

In 1989, the Chinese Communist Party and People’s Liberation Army undertook a violent crackdown on peacefully protesting Chinese students, killing hundreds, if not thousands.

We caution the CCP in the strongest possible terms not to once again undertake a violent crackdown on peaceful Chinese protesters who simply want more freedom. If that happens, we believe there will be grave consequences for the US-China relationship, causing extraordinary damage to it.

Sincerely,