WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, are warning the Chinese Communist Party against a violent crackdown on the country’s growing pro-freedom protests. In a bipartisan letter with nearly half of their Senate colleagues, Collins and King tell the Chinese ambassador to the United States that violence by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) against the peaceful protesters will cause extraordinary damage to the US-China relationship. 

“The protests in China, and the subsequent crackdowns, are clear evidence that the Chinese Communist Party is not listening to the will of its people. The United States Senate understands the importance of democratic principles—like freedom of expression and freedom of speech—and will always stand up for those values,” said Senators Collins and King. “We applaud the Chinese people for their bravery and urge the Chinese Communist Party to refrain from violent crackdowns on peaceful protesters as we have seen in the past.”

The letter is signed by a bipartisan group of forty-two Senators.

The full text of the letter can be read HERE and below.

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Ambassador Qin Gang 

Embassy of the People’s Republic of China 

3505 International Place NW 

Washington, D.C. 20008-3025 

Dear Ambassador Qin:

We are following the current peaceful protests in China over your government’s policies very carefully. We are also closely watching the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) reaction to them.

In 1989, the Chinese Communist Party and People’s Liberation Army undertook a violent crackdown on peacefully protesting Chinese students, killing hundreds, if not thousands.

We caution the CCP in the strongest possible terms not to once again undertake a violent crackdown on peaceful Chinese protesters who simply want more freedom. If that happens, we believe there will be grave consequences for the US-China relationship, causing extraordinary damage to it.

Sincerely,