A Resolution Condemning the Government of the People’s Republic of China for Engaging in Transnational Repression (S.Res.226)

(Pending in the Senate)

This bipartisan resolution was introduced in the Senate by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) on May 14, 2025 (S.Res.226), for himself and two original cosponsors, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Sen. John R. Curtis (R-UT). 

The purpose of this bill is to condemn the Government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for engaging in transnational repression—coordinated campaigns to harass, threaten, and silence individuals living abroad, especially critics of the Chinese government.

Background:

Senator Merkley emphasized the importance of the resolution in a May 16, 2025 press release, saying “Republicans and Democrats are united in sending a clear message that we will not tolerate this brutal oppression, both within China and outside its borders.”

Senator Sullivan highlighted the issue in a May 16, 2025 press release, explaining “The Chinese Communist Party’s aggressive repression of dissent and appalling human rights record extend far beyond China’s borders. Even American citizens and others lawfully living in our country have found themselves victims of the CCP regime’s intimidation and coercion tactics.”

This resolution:

  • Condemns the PRC’s surveillance, threats, coercion, and intimidation of people outside China, especially in the United States. 
  • Defends the rights of individuals in the U.S.—particularly political dissidents, human rights defenders, Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Hongkongers—to live without fear of foreign government interference. 
  • Declares the PRC’s transnational repression campaign to be a violation of US sovereignty. 
  • Recognizes the PRC’s harassment, threats, and detention of family members still living in China as a form of transnational repression.
  • Supports U.S. government efforts to investigate and hold accountable the perpetrators of transnational repression.

Read more:

UHRP Report: Repression Across Borders: The CCP’s Illegal Harassment and Coercion of Uyghur Americans 

UHRP Report: Uyghurs Surveilled and Harassed in 22 Democratic Countries, Research Reveals

UHRP Report: China Perpetrating Transnational Repression of Uyghurs on Massive Scale

Visit the UHRP U.S. Legislation Tracker for other bills endorsed by the Uyghur Human Rights Project.