Kudlow: Human Rights Are Very Important Part of US–China Talks

WASHINGTON—White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said that Chinas human rights violations, as well as the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, are key parts of the ongoing trade negotiations with Beijing.

“Human rights is a very important part of this,” Kudlow told Fox Businesss Maria Bartiromo on Oct. 21. “That includes the freedom and democracy movement going on in Hong Kong. President Trump has made that very clear.”

Kudlow said the Trump administration has been engaged “in a very difficult struggle with China regarding trade, the economy, technology, human rights, [and] national security.”

“Now these things may be adjudicated over time. I dont know. We are now having a more realistic view of China and the competition between the two countries,” he said.

China faces increased condemnation from the administration in recent months for its detention of more than a million Uyghur Muslims in so-called re-education camps in Chinas northwestern region of Xinjiang.

“I want to make clear that Chinas repressive campaign in Xinjiang is not about terrorism. Its about Chinas attempt to erase its own citizens,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters during the United Nations General Assembly in September.

The Trump administration blacklisted 28 Chinese organizations on Oct. 7 for their involvement in human rights violations in China.

The list includes eight leading artificial intelligence and video surveillance companies that “have been implicated in human rights violations and abuses in Chinas campaign targeting Uighurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities,” according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

In addition, Beijings encroachment on Hong Kongs autonomy has been a growing concern for Washington.

The U.S. House of Representatives last week unanimously passed a series of measures to support the ongoing pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong. On Oct. 15, lawmakers passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which requires the U.S. government to review each year whether the city should retain its trading privileges.

The “one country, two systems” framework that governs the relationship between Hong Kong and Beijing through 2047 allows the city to retain extensive autonomy and freedoms, including a separate legal system. This arrangement has enabled the United States to deal with Hong Kong as a separate entity and offer special treatment in the areas of visas, trade, and investments.

Lawmakers now want to make sure that Hong Kong is sufficiently autonomous to receive special treatment from the United States.

In addition, the House passed the Protest Hong Kong Act, which bans the export of crowd control equipment to the city, where police have been accused of using excessive force against protesters.

The bills still must be passed in the Senate and sent to the presidents desk to be signed into law.

Trade Truce

With respect to the recent partial trade deal with China, Kudlow voiced optimism, saying both sides “made a lot of progress.”

“So far, the mood music coming out of Beijing has been pretty good,” he said.

On Oct. 11, President Donald Trump announced that the United States reached a “phase one” trade agreement “in principle” with China, on intellectual property, financial services, and agRead More – Source