And online censorship by countries such as china. Richard gere chaired the International Campaign for tibet testifies at the Senate Finance subcommittee hearing. The Senate Committee on finance come subcommittee on International Trade cousins and Global Competitiveness will come to order. I know this seems a little strange with an empty room except for three witnesses live in front of me and many of our colleagues are going to be joining us virtually, but i want to welcome all of you nonetheless to this important hearing. This subcommittee continues to do its work in exploring the unfair trade practices of foreign governments, especially china and russia. The topic of censorship in china is a common one because its a growing effect on business in the United States. Last fall, for example, the National Association had its Market Access blocked in china because an individual american citizen using a media platform not even allowed in china expressed a political opinion. Now the topic has become much more important. The lack of timely and Accurate Information but of the covid19 due to chinese censorship has contributed to the havoc wreaked on our economy and health and indeed the pandemic. This story is nothing new. For some joining us today chinese censorship has long been growing and has long had a negative effect on people around the world such as those in tibet or the uighurs in sinjar province. First i want to set the scene for what censorship actually is at the simple dictionary definition is a good place to start. The suppression of provision of any parts of media that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or threat to security. Today well focus on how the use of censorship has become a barrier to global trade. When the World Trade Organization was founded, two exception to the principle of National Treatment and mostfavorednation were created. Those are for public morals and National Security. Notably, theres no exception for a country to restrict trade because it deems something politically unacceptable. The discussion over reforming the w. T. O. Multilateral talks on ecommerce and the prospect of a face to bilateral trade deal with the china progressing, this subcommittee is uniquely positioned to inform congress, the public and executive branch on the use of censorship as a nontariff barrier to trade. We will help determine if the suppression of information, data, goods and services via Digital Media by countries like china constitute a trade barrier in violation of the w. T. O. As well as multilateral and Bilateral Agreements and practices. If so, we will look to determine the economic damage caused the human, cultural, business and political ramifications, and what remedies are currently available or should be created to combat this unfair trade practice. On a bilateral basis what is clear is the lack of reciprocity in countries like china or russia and the United States. The Chinese Government spends billions of dollars to promote its topic and overseas, a form of offensive censorship. For years russians broadcast state propaganda in the United States and has justly been designated as a foreign agent. The lack of reciprocity accident of our system of Free Expression to promote these countries agenda online, in the become entertainment as well as our education system. Meanwhile china and russia do not grant the United States the same access to its markets or media. Instead, china has been expelling our media come having kicked out three wall street journal and other reporters earlier this year over chinese censorship of covid19. For centuries countries locked trade through physically restricting access to their ports. Today the same thing happens but with firewalls, filters and outright restrictions to access your can fact nearly 100 of Global Internet traffic travels through through a crisscrossing network of undersea cables that form the backbone of Global Digital trade. These cables are another front in the Global Technology race with Companies LikeHuawei Marine rapidly moving to control the media by which content and trade is censored. In the era of information where data is a new gold, the block your filtering of that traffic by nationstates is a growing. This censorship is fragmenting our markets, culture, and understanding of one another. The internet itself is becoming less global. Countries like china and russia are not only building their own infrastructure to cut themselves off from the world, but exporting their authoritarian model to other nationstates to effort such as the digital silk road. Its imperative that congress support our nation in meeting this challenge, and thats what i am working together with all of our colleagues in the senate and in the house to include parts of the chips for america act in the National Defense authorization bill currently on the senate floor. If we are forced to rely on china to build our networks and our technology, the world we know will be much less for your and open to expression of opinions and do business. This bill will help us create our own Domestic Production capacity for high in semiconductors that underpin the technology we use in our daily lives. It will also let the United States remained a Global Leader in promoting free trade of goods, information and speech. Finally i look forward to discussing what remedies are available to address the abuse of censorship is a nontariff barrier to trade. Last fall a i chineseamerican constituent of mine in texas reported he was censored here on american soil by the Chinese Government. His american we chat account we shut down for supporting protests in hong kong. His response was, quote, if you censorship in china, fine, but in this country, im a republican but i suffer the same as democrats. We are all censored. I look forward to explain this topic in the same bipartisan fashion in which we always hope to proceed. Its time for congress to ask hard questions, and thats why with called our panel of four experts you today to discuss this issue. Let me now recognize Ranking Member casey. Mr. Chairman, thanks are much for this hearing and what you think eyewitnesses for being with us today. This is, as the chairman has noted, the third in a series of hearings held by the subcommittee outlining Chinese Governments Civil Military agenda and efforts to influence the economic and geopolitical order in a manner that benefits its authoritarian and anticompetitive practices. Just yesterday, the Chinese NationalPeoples Congress passed a National Security law for hong kong that significantly erodes hong kongs special status and based on available reporting, will deny the people of hong kong the right to protest, assemble or the right to criticize their government. The United States congress has been clear time and time again the citizens of hong kong must enjoy certain rights that are distinct from mainland china, and efforts to undermine the status quo is an affront to the people of hong kong and decades of International Agreement regarding the status of hong kong. As ive said this before when it comes to china, we must work with our allies to execute a clear and coordinated strategy. This applies to trade and to the Chinese Governments most recent efforts to erode the rights of the people of hong kong. Here in the United States, we are in the midst of a Public Health and jobs crisis. So much suffering all across our country. We have seen the cost of our reliance on a Single Source supplier, and more to the point our reliance on production from a nonmarket economy. Last year, senator cornyn and i began this effort by outlining the main issues related to Market Access in china. We then focused on specific initiatives and actions undertaken by the Chinese Government, starting with the belt and road initiative. Today, we turn our attention to censorship. The actions undertaken by the Chinese Government include direct barriers, such as blocking movies from entering their market or restricting content, to blocking internet firms, to dictating content related to chinas territorial and economic claims, to demanding action or inaction by businesses related to taiwan, hong kong, tibet, and the ongoing human rights abuses in xinjian. The Chinese Government has become increasingly assertive in its demands within and outside of its borders. Their mandates related to extraterritorial censorship is particularly troubling. The Chinese Governments response to a message of solidarity for hong kong by the general manager of the houston rockets, brings to light the lengths the government will go to censor speech, no matter where in the world it occurs. The intended message sent by beijings disproportional response is clear the Chinese Government can exert command and control over any enterprise operating in china, public or private. Simply stated, the Chinese Government is using its market power to stifle speech of our firms and people. These actions are inconsistent with our principles; they are inconsistent with our values, and those of our allies. The introduction of the corporate social Credit System takes this activity to a new level. The actions undertaken by the Chinese Government are clearly restrictive and discriminatory. They are insidious and counter to the necessary conditions of a fair, global, economic system. Since the sink was originated, originally scheduled i should say in march, we have seen all too clearly the cost of relying on china, a nonmarket economy, for production of our nations critical capabilities, whether that is personal protective equipment or otherwise. I recently introduced the market economy sourcing act which will begin to rightsize supply chains towards the United States and other market oriented countries. This is but one measure that must be adopted to refocus our trade rules and the Global Economic system. If we hope to sustain market oriented principles for the next 100 years, we must take action now to ensure competition and market principles are not simply words in a textbook, but rather infused into our system of government and governance. When it comes to trade, we must be responsive and creative to address challenges and harness opportunities. There is no doubt congress, citizens and businesses must support and defend the Economic Security of the United States of america. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses and discussing potential responses, which, in my view, should include the required disclosure of these types of requests to the appropriate federal entities, and trade rules that prevent freeriding from nonmarket economies. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you, senator casey. Now i would like to take a few minutes to introduce eyewitnesses and look for hearing from all of you today. I ask all witnesses summarize your written testimony and try to abide by the fiveminute rule. Well come back and ask your questions. All of the written statements will be made part of the record, without any objection. Our first witness is mr. Richard gere. He is chairman of the International Campaign for tibet, headquartered in washington, d. C. Of course mr. Gere is internationally known actor, social activist and philanthropist whos worked for more than 25 years to advocate for human rights for the tibetan people and preserve the tibetan culture. He is also cofounder of tibet house u. S. And creator of the cure foundation. He is cosponsored five historic visits to the United States by the dalai lama. Mr. Gere i understand you had a recent addition to family. Congratulations on your new son and you for being here. Next i like to welcome nigel cory, associate director for trade policy for the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation here in d. C. Mr. Cory is an expert on data and digital trade issues in the Global Economy. He spent eight years working for australias department of Foreign Affairs and trade which includes positions covering Global Economic and trade issues among g20 countries, and at the World Trade Organization. Hes also a diplomatic postings in malaysia and afghanistan. Third i would like to welcome beth baltzan, a fellow in the open markets institute here in d. C. Ms. Baltzan currently focus on the impact of monopoly power on trade and its consequences for National Security. She privacy serve as democratic counsel for the house ways and means trade subcommittee. She spent six years as an associate general counsel at the United States trade representative where she participate in trade negotiations and litigated trade disputes. She has been three years detailed in the Senate Permanent subcommittee on investigations. And finally i would like to welcome mr. Cleve willems who is a partner at Akin Gump Straus Hauer Feld here in washington, d. C. Esther williams currently advise a variety of clients on International Economic law and policy matters. Before he joined the firm he served as the white house at the white house as Deputy Assistant to the president for International Economics buddies represented the United States as a key negotiator with foreign governments and litigated more than 30 w. T. O. Disputes. His work on capitol hill on the House Budget Committee and for the former speaker paul ryan. Thank you very much for being here. Mr. Willems and oliver witnesses, and mr. Gere, if you are there, please proceed with your opening statement. Im here. Somewhere. Thank you for joining us. Yeah, i mean, this a bit bizarre. I certainly prefer the facetoface but lets engage each other anyhow. Chairman cornyn, Ranking Member casey, embers of the committee, thank you so much for your introduction in inviting me to testify. Its been 35 years since i first has been in congress as i was on behalf of our Central American brothers and sisters and then of course on tibet for the last 30 years or so. Tibet has certainly been my compass at is help me navigate through the world and through washington and currently through all of my life if this is the first time i testified he for the senate since i last met with one of your greatest colleagues, john mccain. He was a good man, a good friend. As well as the dalai lama to the tibetan people. He certainly enlisted the best of us. I like john mccain and im sure many of you, i hope our government can deliver at its best known for the american people, but for the millions of people all over the world who look to us, look to the United States and its a democracy and its freedoms and its openness, its source of inspiration and refuge while they live under oppression and bylaws. American leadership is at its best when it sets its of you its view beyond the horizon of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead here with the rise of china in the world today is that something beyond our horizon its right here, right in front of us, in our face and affects our daily lives, our workplaces, our freedoms, our privacy, our health, obviously were finding out, our elections and it will certainly shape the future of our world. After looking at the committees work on the Chinese Government plan since the 249 to replace the u. S. On the world stage and advance the authoritarian model of you were in the world, im happy to offer my experience to this exit accidentally importat conversation. The conversation about the future of our relationship with the chinese is crucial not only to the u