Press Releases

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), member of the House Armed Services Committee, sent a letter to the State Department to request the U.S. investigate the disappearances of three Chinese journalists critical to the world learning about the #COVID19 outbreak in Wuhan and prompting the Chinese government to acknowledge the crisis.

“We owe these journalists a debt of gratitude for their sacrifice. As part of our investigation into the origins of this outbreak and the subsequent cover-up by the Chinese Communist Party, the United States should apply diplomatic pressure on the Chinese government to learn these journalists’ whereabouts and ensure their safety,” said Banks.

Please find a copy of that letter sent today below. Let me know if you would like to obtain a .pdf copy.

 

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Nathan A. Sales

Acting Undersecretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights

U.S. Department of State 2201 C St NW

Washington, DC 20520

 

 

Dear Undersecretary Sales,

 

I’m writing you out of concern over the separate disappearances of three Chinese citizen-journalist, each of whom had been independently reporting on the outbreak of COVID-19 in the People’s Republic of China’s Hubei province.

 

Mr. Fang Bin is a clothing salesman in the city of Wuhan. In late January, as coronavirus became an increasing public health problem in Wuhan, Mr. Fang began to upload footage to YouTube of a city stricken by coronavirus; including hectic hospitals, empty streets, health workers in hazmat suits, and a viral video of eight body bags stacked inside of a bus. According to Mr. Fang, he began sharing footage because he “wanted to go and see what’s actually happening. It’s what any normal citizen should do.” On February 2, Mr. Fang reported that he had been questioned by Chinese Communist Party Officials and had his video equipment confiscated. He uploaded his last YouTube video on February 9 and hasn’t been seen since.

 

Chen Quishi is a Chinese citizen journalist who first rose to public attention for his coverage of the pro-democracy Hong Kong protests. Mr. Chen traveled to Wuhan in late January where he began shooting videos of hospitals and interviews with local residents. He was last seen on February 6, and on February 7 his family reported that Chinese Communist Party authorities had informed them that Chen was being detained. In an interview with Jonathan Swan of Axios, China’s Ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, claimed he, “had not heard of” Chen Quishi, despite being asked about him during a CBS Face the Nation interview a month earlier.

 

Li Zehua was an anchor for the state-run channel, China Central Television (CCTV). He resigned in February to independently report on the coronavirus outbreak. On February 26, Li livestreamed his chase and subsequent arrest by Chinese authorities. Li has not been seen since.

 

All three of these men understood the personal risk associated with independently reporting on coronavirus in China, but they did it anyway. They decided that they had an obligation to do what the Chinese Communist Party would not—provide useful and accurate information to the Chinese public about the risks and potential consequences of coronavirus. For their service, the Chinese government imprisoned them—or worse.

 

The State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor’s mission statement is to “champion American values… we stand for the freedoms of religion, speech, and the press.” Historically, the State Department has acted against foreigners who egregiously violate journalists’ rights. After the killing of Saudi Arabian journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo publicly designated seventeen people for their role in the killing of Khashoggi. Under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 2019 (Section 7031(c)), the individuals and their immediate family members are barred from entering the United States.

 

To properly respond to the disappearances of Li, Fang, and Chen, the State Department needs to understand the circumstances around their detention. To that end, I would ask the State Department to officially call on the government of the People’s Republic of China to open an investigation into the three citizen journalists’ whereabouts. For obvious reasons, it’s my opinion that the State Department should then open its own concurrent investigation using diplomatic and civilian channels.

 

When the State Department is able to identify the individuals responsible for Li, Chen and Fang’s mistreatment, I would request Secretary Pompeo to publicly designate them for their role in the detainment of citizen-journalists under Section 7031(C). That statute allows the Secretary of State to block “officials of foreign governments… involved in gross violations of human rights,” from entering the United States. If any of the three citizen journalists were murdered, I would urge Secretary of State Pompeo and Secretary of Treasury Mnuchin to respectively administer visa and financial sanctions under section 1263 of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act to the responsible individuals.

 

Fang Bin, Chen Quishi and Li Zehua sought to protect their countrymen. The Chinese government claims to share their goal, but it persecuted them for providing useful and necessary information to the people it supposedly serves. And these three men are not alone. As of early February, the Chinese government had punished 300 of its citizens for “spreading rumors” about coronavirus. While it censors information at home, the Chinese Communist Party is simultaneously engaged in a global propaganda blitz downplaying its culpability for the coronavirus pandemic. Ironically, part of China’s responsibility for the spread of coronavirus arises from its early censorship of doctors, like the deceased Li Wenliang, who tried to share information about the virus in late December. Of course, censorship of any kind is immoral, but during a global pandemic it threatens the public’s health—in China and abroad. For the sake of justice and the health and safety of the United States, the Chinese people and the rest of the world, I urge you to open an investigation into the disappearance of these three citizen-journalists.

 

Sincerely, 

 

 

 

 

 

JIM BANKS

Member of Congress

 

CC:

 

The Honorable Steven T. Mnuchin, Secretary, U.S. Department of Treasury

The Honorable Mike R. Pompeo, Secretary, U.S. Department of State