[WASHINGTON, DC]  Representative Dan Lipinski (D-IL) joined 20 Members of Congress in sending a letter last week to President Bush calling on him to take immediate steps to advance human rights as he arrives in China today to attend the Beijing Olympics.

"China deserves to be held publicly accountable for continuously flouting international labor and environmental standards, and repressing religious freedoms and political dissent," stated Lipinski.  "China's labor conditions remain abysmal while Chinese pollution tarnishes not only their local environment and the Olympic Games, but the global environment as well.  And their actions against religious and political freedoms are notorious.  These deeds are unacceptable, and we should be holding China more accountable."

Lipinski expressed his deep concerns that U.S. relations with the People's Republic of China suffer from a chronic asymmetry that harms U.S. interests and undermines the advancement of democracy and human rights abroad.  In the letter, Rep. Lipinski urged President Bush to consider taking the following steps to bring progress in human rights:

1. Insist that the Chinese government allow Bush to visit Tibet and meet with ordinary Tibetans.
2. Insist on an opportunity to deliver a brief, uncensored statement to the Chinese people.
3. Attend worship services at a house church or other church that is not controlled by the State Administration for Religious Affairs.
4. Present Chairman Hu Jintao with a list of political prisoners provided by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China and urge that they be released.

American businesses also have suffered as a result of China's unscrupulous practices.  Due to China's artificially low exchange rate, U.S. businesses are continuously undercut by Chinese imports.  This has led to the loss of manufacturing jobs in America and a growing U.S. trade deficit, considerably weakening the U.S. economy.  Chicagoland has been particularly hard hit by unfair Chinese competition, losing over 100,000 manufacturing jobs in the past decade.

"China's authoritarian regime reaps the benefits of participation in the global economy without conforming to the norms and values upon which the international system was built," stated Lipinski.  "I call on President Bush to do his utmost in his remaining days to hold the Chinese leadership accountable for their unconscionable actions."