Bill Schulz on China and Human Rights

Why are China's human rights policies important to the United States?

The U.S.-China relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world. It's important both economically, in terms of energy, and in terms of security. When China violates human rights it can affect the U.S. directly. The lack of the rule of law, for example, jeopardizes contracts, jeopardizes intellectual property rights. Violations of labor rights tempt U.S. corporations to shift U.S. jobs overseas. And a country that doesn't respect human rights is not a reliable partner. That bilateral relationship is put in jeopardy if we don't have a reliable partner in China. So in many many ways the relationship between the U.S. and China around human rights is absolutely critical.

What has the United States done so far to promote human rights in China?

U.S. policy toward human rights in China over the years has varied from one extreme to another. From the extreme of saber rattling, rattling our fists at China, calling them names; to the opposite extreme, taking a very quietistic approach, failing to engage China at all, trusting that growth in investments, growth in the economy in China will bring about a middle class and that that middle class will automatically demand its rights. Well, neither of those extreme policies has worked. We have undertaken some specific efforts to free prisoners, we've raised issues about religious freedom, but we haven't had a consistent overall strategy toward China, and that's what we need now.

How Can the United States better promote human rights in the country?

Our new report lists a dozen or more ways in which the United States can reengage with China over human rights. Here are some of the most important ones. First and probably most important, the United States has got to speak with one voice. We recommend, for example, the creation of an interagency working group to coordinate the departments and the bureaus so that the United States is sending one message, so that our priorities are clear. But then there are some very specific things that the U.S. can do. China is learning, for example, through its tainted milk scandal, that an independent press, that independent lawyers, can raise issues and prevent calamities and corruption such as that tainted milk scandal. So the U.S. should support the training of journalists, the training of lawyers, to help China recognize what its own interests are. The U.S. should review the 1992 memorandum on prison labor, which precludes the introduction into the U.S. of products made by China in Chinese prisons, but has simply not been enforced. Well, we should either enforce it or we should revoke it. And finally, I'll mention the fact that the U.S. should support those who are finding ways to breach the Chinese firewall on the Internet, because the Internet is one of the most important and successful ways of spreading news about human right throughout China.