Reintroduces legislation to rename plaza in front of Chinese embassy
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today reintroduced a bill with U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) to rename the plaza in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C. as “Liu Xiaobo Plaza,” after pro-democracy dissident and Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Liu Xiaobo. Detained in 2008, Dr. Liu along with his wife Liu Xia, remain unjustly imprisoned by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Dr. Liu is most notably known for publishing “Chapter 08,” an anti-Communist manifesto calling for political freedom and human justice.
“I believe that the freedom championed by Dr. Liu is possible for all the Chinese people,” Sen Cruz said. “From Tiananmen Square to Taiwan the evidence is clear that the Chinese desire—and are capable of—democracy. Bold diplomacy works, and I urge my colleagues in both the House and the Senate, as well as the Administration to make Dr. Liu and his brave fellow dissidents’ plight central to all our dealings with the PRC.”
“I’m proud to join my friend Senator Cruz in this effort to both recognize the work of Dr. Liu Xiaobo and send a clear message regarding the United States’ position on basic human rights in the world,” Rep. Meadows said. “Dr. Liu’s life is a symbol of the power of political freedom and justice, and I firmly believe the Chinese people both desire to and are capable of moving forward toward that end.”
Sen. Cruz has spearheaded the effort to rename the plaza in Dr. Liu’s honor since 2014, and delivered speeches on the Senate floor in September, October, and November of 2015 to call attention to Dr. Liu’s plight and human rights abuses in communist China.
The bill is cosponsored by Sens. Pat Toomey (R-Penn.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.).
The full text of the bill can be viewed here.