Dem Rep. Krishnamoorthi: Downplaying of China’s Abuses Is Due to Money and Lack of Conditions for Trade Status

On Tuesday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “José Díaz-Balart Reports,” House Select Committee on the CCP Ranking Member Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) stated that the lack of focus on and recognition of the seriousness of China’s human rights abuses is due to “money, and the fact that, when we first, in the year 2000, allowed China into the World Trade Organization and gave them permanent normal trade relations status, we didn’t link that at all to advancement or progress with regard to human rights.”

After Krishnamoorthi said he hopes President Joe Biden brings up China’s human rights abuses during his meeting with Xi, host José Díaz-Balart asked, “I’m so glad that you mentioned these, Congressman, the situation of the Uyghurs in China, the regime of China is a violator of human rights for everyone, but, specifically, how they have been targeting Uyghurs and the Muslim community there, what they’re doing in Tibet and Hong Kong. Why is it, Congressman, that these issues that are so important are not getting the, I guess focus or recognition that they are really critical problems?”

Krishnamoorthi responded, “I think your viewers would be so surprised to learn it has something to do with money, and the fact that, when we first, in the year 2000, allowed China into the World Trade Organization and gave them permanent normal trade relations status, we didn’t link that at all to advancement or progress with regard to human rights. And so, what they did is they basically continued their crackdown on human rights and they engaged in this horrific genocide involving 23 million Uyghur people, Uyghur Muslim people in the northwest province of Xinjiang. But, on top of that, they’ve continued with the cultural genocide of the Tibetan people, repression of Hong Kongers and dissidents of all kinds.”

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