Congressand China Policy

This thesis studies the mechanism of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China(CECC)which was created in 2000 to monitor human rights and rule of law in China and which submits an annual report to the President and Congress.A bipartisan commission,it is held accountable to both Congress and the Executive Branch and assumes the responsibility of conducting researches and providing policy recommendations.The first part of the paper is an introduction to the basic information of the CECC with a specific focus on the CECC’s commissioners,selection of topics,hearings and annual reports.The paper then analyzes the position of the CECC and patterns of its operation by comparing historical data,examining the contents of the hearings and extracting the main features of its annual reports.The second part focuses on the interaction between the CECC and other participants in the U.S.human rights work toward China,including the Executive Branch,the President,Congress and the mass media.First,I summarize the interactive process reveals the power relations between the CECC and the Executive Branch.It is found that the CECC is in a weaker position in this process due to its congressional background and narrow scope of authority.In addition,the human rights reports of the CECC and that of the State Department are compared.It is found that the State Department has assumed similar responsibilities,making it more difficult for the CECC to have its work va ued in the Executive Branch.In addition,this paper highlights the interaction between the CECC and the media,especially the symbiotic relationship between them.The CECC has been tremendously influenced by the media in terms of topic selection and report writing while the media rely on the CECC’s findings for further reporting.In this process,the media plays a leading role since the original news coverages on China’s human rights situation are setting the CECC’s agenda and also shaping its position on various issues.As a result,the two sides manage to reach a delicate balance by observing the political rules.Based on the above analysis,it is believed that the CECC has a limited impact on U.S.-China relations.Its operation is constrained by the changing political environment,and it is too weak to exert influence on Congress and Executive Branch.In addition,with the Administration embracing reaipolitik,human rights diplomacy has gradually lost ground in the United States.As the CECC was the creation in a particular historical circumstance,it is not necessary to overemphasize its role.However,given the unpredictability of U.S.-China relations at this stage,we still need to pay attention to the CECC’s role in formulating policies toward China.Since the establishment of the CECC,the world has undergone dramatic changes and U.S.-China relations have become one of the most important bilateral relations in the world today.Therefore,this paper goes beyond a simple analysis of the characteristics of the CECC and attempts to provide some insights for the reader to better understand the dynamics of U.S.human rights diplomacy toward China.And the highlight of this paper is the depiction of the participation of all the parties involved in the policy-making process toward China,including the Executive Branch,the President.Congress,the Media and human rights organizations.