Thursday, October 6, 2016

Representative Chris Smith suppresses the truth in Congressional-Executive Commission on China 2016 Annual Report

Key words: Congressional-Executive Commission on China, Chris Smith, tell the truth, NED, NDI, American meddling, Hong Kong, booksellers, China

Congressional-Executive Commission on China background

The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) was created by Congress in October 2000 with the legislative mandate to monitor human rights and the development of the rule of law in China, and to submit an annual report to the President and the Congress. The CECC consists of nine Senators, nine Members of the House of Representatives, and five senior Administration officials appointed by the President.

The Chairman of the CECC is Representative Christopher Smith (Chris Smith).

Chris Smith (courtesy Chris Smith Twitter account)

CECC 2016 Annual Report

The CECC has just released its annual report for 2016, which includes a section on Hong Kong in an open letter to President Obama. 

Congressional Executive Committee on China
2016 Annual Report

Here’s a link to the report: 
https://www.cecc.gov/media-center/press-releases/cecc-releases-2016-annual-report

Here’s what Chris Smith wrote to President Obama:

Challenges to Hong Kong’s ‘High Degree’ of Autonomy

The actions of the Chinese and Hong Kong governments during the past reporting year continue to raise concerns about the future of the guaranteed freedoms, autonomy, and rule of law that distinguish Hong Kong from mainland China and underpin Hong Kong’s financial reputation and prosperity.

The disappearance, alleged abductions, and detention in mainland China of five Hong Kong-based booksellers is one of the most grave violations of the “One Country, Two Systems” policy since 1997.

While recent LegCo elections saw some young activists associated with the “Umbrella Movement” protests of 2014 gain elective office, the process was marred before voting commenced, as the Hong Kong authorities disqualified candidates who refused to sign a loyalty pledge affirming Hong Kong as an “inalienable part of China.”

Given the important economic interests the United States has in Hong Kong, and China’s international commitments to protect a “high degree of autonomy” in Hong Kong, the Commission’s report recommends that the administration continue to issue annually the report on Hong Kong outlined in Section 301 of the United States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992. 

In addition, the report recommends that the Administration and Congress work together to determine whether separate treatment for Hong Kong, which is allowed under the Act, is merited if Hong Kong’s autonomy and its guaranteed freedoms are further eroded. 

Congressional Executive Committee on China
2016 Annual Report - Letter to President Obama
Section on Hong Kong

What was suppressed from the report

The report talks about “Principled U.S. leadership”, so this post challenges Chris Smith to tell the President and the people of Hong Kong the truth about what the US Government, through the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is doing in Hong Kong.


1. What does Chris Smith know about the NED

Research shows Chris Smith is actually one of the NED’s biggest supporters. According to a NED Democracy Net press release on 5 March 1999:

‘Representative Chris Smith Calls NED Most Cost-Effective Item in Budget - Washington, D.C. - Congressman Christopher Smith (R-N.J.) praised the work of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), calling NED "the most cost-effective item in the federal budget."

Smith, who chairs the House Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights called attention to the Endowment's efficiency and effectiveness in promoting democracy around the world at a hearing of his subcommittee yesterday’.

NED Press Release on Democracy Net dated 5 March 1999
Chris Smith praising the NED

This shows Chris Smith is fully aware of what the NED is and what they are doing.

2. Were the Hong Kong ‘booksellers’ funded by the NED?

Chris Smith talks about the ‘bookseller’ case, but failed to brief the President about NED programs in China. Here are details of NED grants supporting subversive activities in China since 1994:

http://nedactivitiesinchina.blogspot.com/search/label/China

Many of the grant recipients are publishers. We would like to know if the Hong Kong ‘booksellers’ are among the publishers who were being funded by the NED?

As an aside, perhaps Chris Smith could also brief the President on how many of the lawyers caught up in the so-called 709 crackdown are NED funded. At the same time, it might be a good time for Chris Smith to explain to the American public exactly how their tax payer dollars are being squandered on failed programs in China.

3. Protecting Hon Kong’s “high degree of autonomy”

Chris Smith talks about protecting Hon Kong’s “high degree of autonomy”. That is very noble, but if it is the case, can Chris Smith please tell the truth about how the NED has been undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy since 1994 through its grants program. Details of NED grants to fund subversive activities which have threatened Hong Kong’ high degree of autonomy can be found here:

http://nedactivitiesinchina.blogspot.com/search/label/Hong%20Kong

In particular, we would like to know full details of how the following grants from the NED to the American Democratic Party’s National Democratic Institute (NDI) are being used:

NED grant to the NDI in 2012 for programs in Hong Kong

National Democratic Institute for International Affairs - US$460,000 - To foster awareness regarding Hong Kong's political institutions and constitutional reform process and to develop the capacity of citizens - particularly university students - to more effectively participate in the public debate on political reform, NDI will work with civil society organizations on parliamentary monitoring, a survey, and development of an Internet portal, allowing students and citizens to explore possible reforms leading to universal suffrage.

NED Annual Report for 2012
Grants to China (Hong Kong)

This is the US Government grant which was used to fund Hong Kong's color revolution (Occupy Central/Umbrella Movement).

NED grant to the NDI in 2013 for programs in Hong Kong

National Democratic Institute for International Affairs - $400,000 - Enhancing Representative Governance - To strengthen the ability of mainland Chinese civil society organizations (CSOs) to request and publicize information under China's open government regulations, and to strengthen the ability of Hong Kong CSOs to conduct organized monitoring of legislative processes. In both contexts, NDI will work with CSO partners to shed light on government actions and contribute to greater accountability and better governance.

NED Annual Report for 2013
Grants to Asia Regional (Hong Kong)

NED grants to the NDI in 2014 for programs in Hong Kong

National Democratic Institute for International Affairs - Political Processes - $410,000 - Amplifying Citizens’ Voices in Hong Kong & China - To engage Hong Kong civic and political sectors in substantive dialogue around governance and electoral reform processes and to provide civic education for Chinese activists. NDI will assist efforts to promote citizens’ voices in Hong Kong’s political reform process and provide technical assistance to Chinese activists on organizational and advocacy skills. In Hong Kong, NDI will support online platforms and community initiatives that promote citizen-created models of governance. NDI will also conduct a young women’s leadership initiative.

National Democratic Institute for International Affairs - Political Processes - Supplement: $51,210 - Amplifying Citizens’ Voices in Hong Kong - To amplify citizens’ voices in Hong Kong’s political reform process and provide technical assistance to mainland Chinese activists on organizational and advocacy skills. In Hong Kong, NDI will support online platforms and community initiatives that promote citizen-created models of governance. NDI will also conduct a young women’s leadership initiative for up to 20 participants from mainland China and Hong Kong.

NED Annual Report for 2014
Grants to Asia Regional (Hong Kong)

NED grant to the NDI in 2015 for programs in Hong Kong

National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) - Promoting Public Dialogue on Political Reform in Hong Kong and China - $343,750 - To promote public dialogue on political reform in Hong Kong and China. The institute will conduct an expert assessment mission to Hong Kong and draft a report for public dissemination and distribution to the diplomatic community, policymakers, and the media. The institute will invite international scholars and experts to conduct public seminars on comparative models of governance, and will also host workshops on legal advocacy to enable victims of violence to pursue protection, compensation, and justice.

NED Annual Report for 2015
Grants to Asia Regional (Hong Kong)

4. Chris Smith and Conflict of Interest

Finally, we would like Chris Smith to explain to both the President and the people of Hong Kong how the US Congress can allocate US Government funds to the NED for work in Hong Kong and China and he can sit as Chair of a Congressional Commission commenting on Hong Kong and China and yet does not declare a Conflict of Interest in his role and his Commission makes no mention of the NED or its funding.

5. Message to Chris Smith

The reason for raising this is because, if this is what US Democracy really means, you can keep it. Get out of Hong Kong, stop interfering in Hong Kong’s internal affairs and leave us to settle our own affairs through the high degree of autonomy that China has been so graceful to bestow upon us! We don’t need your interference.

Through your stupid meddling, America has cost Hong Kong its political future, so get out and leave us alone, because until you stop meddling, there will be no trust between Hong Kong and Beijing and we will never be able to make any progress on political reform. 

Capiche?

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