Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 3334 - STOP CCP Act

STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY

(House Rules)
(Rep. McClain, R-MI, and nine cosponsors)

The Administration opposes H.R. 3334, the "STOP CCP Act," which would impose mandatory sanctions and visa restrictions on members of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party determined to have played a significant role in certain People's Republic of China (PRC) policies regarding Hong Kong, Taiwan, and minority groups in China, among others. The bill would thus require sanctions and visa restrictions against a broad swath of PRC leadership.

The Administration has deep concerns about PRC policies related to human rights violations, Hong Kong, Tibet, Xinjiang, and transnational repression, and believes it imperative for the international community to hold the PRC accountable for its actions. The Administration is also deeply committed to promoting peace and stability and maintaining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. The Administration has multiple authorities to impose sanctions for wrongdoing by PRC actors. This bill, however, would make the imposition of sanctions and visa restrictions mandatory against an entire tier of PRC leadership. The legislation's mandatory sanctions against PRC leadership would likely cut off any channels of communication between our two governments and undermine the Administration's efforts to build diplomatic consensus on China, thereby destabilizing U.S.-PRC relations and undermining U.S. national interests while having virtually no discernible impact on the PRC's approach to human rights or Taiwan. It is imperative that flexible sanctions policy be preserved so that the Administration can hold PRC officials accountable as appropriate while responsibly managing the U.S.-PRC relationship to prevent competition from veering into conflict.