By Cristina Cevallos, First Place winner of the 2024 Human Rights Essay Contest – Graduate Division
Through a wide range of human rights violations, including religious persecution, censorship, restrictions on freedom of expression, organ harvesting, the arrest of political opponents, arbitrary detentions, and invasions of privacy, the Chinese Communist Party (hereinafter CCP) has demonstrated its pervasive control over every aspect of the country’s society, and it looks like it will continue to do so. 1 As Secretary of State, fulfilling the responsibilities of conducting the foreign policy of the United States (hereinafter U.S.), promoting democratic values and human rights, and advising the President on international matters, addressing this situation holds particular importance. Inspired by the ideas of Liddell Hart, and with the goal of halting these violations while protecting U.S. interests, an Indirect Approach Strategy emerges as a highly suitable recommendation. 2 The core idea is to avoid direct confrontation with a tenacious adversary and rather destabilize it by targeting its vulnerable areas, gradually leading to a win without the need for open conflict. In this case, instead of confronting the powerful CCP head-on to force a retreat from its ongoing abuses, the strategy aims to weaken its position and thereby achieve this objective through the following
means:
Framing the Issue as a Matter of National Interest
As a first step, it is essential to convince the President that this issue deserves attention and is of genuine concern to the nation as a whole. The following arguments can be presented:
a) The U.S. was founded on the principles of freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights. While actively defending these values reinforces its global legitimacy and leadership, inaction could be seen as complicity or weakness, thereby undermining the country’s moral authority and international credibility.
b) It is an opportunity to strengthen alliances with countries and international organizations that share the same values.
c) Exposing human rights abuses damages the international image and legitimacy of the Chinese government, U.S.'s primary geopolitical rival, weakening its global influence.
d) Addressing this issue is a matter of national security because these violations contribute to regional instability, conflict, and transnational repression, namely, the CCP’s efforts to target critics beyond its borders.
Although presidential endorsement of this strategy is essential, the involvement of other actors is equally necessary. Within the executive branch, the following entities play a central role: the U.S. Department of State, through the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL, hereinafter); the White House, through the National Security Council; the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom; and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.
The latter should identify the four main violations that need to be addressed most urgently in order to prepare the governmental plan. This way, an official presidential speech can be made, containing key ideas that communicate the problem and demands. This message can then be shared through interviews, social media, and press releases to deliver a firm yet diplomatic message. It is worth saying that legislative support is also needed to ensure the full implementation and success of
this strategy.
Law enforcement
As a second step, it is important to recognize that several laws already exist to address this issue, but they need to be actively promoted and enforced. Some of these include:
● The Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which allows for the imposition of sanctions on individuals and foreign entities responsible for serious human rights violations.
● The Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, which mandates specific sanctions on Chinese actors and requires periodic reports to Congress on violations in Xinjiang.
● The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which mandates annual evaluations of Hong Kong’s autonomy status and sanctions against officials and entities involved in suppressing protests or democratic freedoms.
● The State Department Foreign Operations Appropriations Act, which prohibits granting entry to foreign officials involved in human rights violations.
Additionally, more bills should be passed, such as the Hong Kong Judicial Sanctions Act (S. 5454/H.R. 6153), which proposes sanctions against Hong Kong officials responsible for enabling escalating repression by the CCP; the North Korean Human Rights Reauthorization Act (S. 584/H.R. 3012), which aims to protect North Korean refugees and victims of human trafficking in China; the Transnational Repression Policy Act (S. 831/H.R. 3654), which seeks to impose sanctions on individuals conducting harassment and intimidation operations against U.S. residents; and the Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2023 (S. 761/H.R. 1154) calling for a strategy to deter this atrocity.
Supporting organizations
As a third step, it is essential to support institutions that work to promote human rights in China, especially those producing content and advocating for dissidents and political prisoners. 3 The DRL’s Human Rights and Democracy Fund can provide financial support and technical assistance to American NGOs and civil society organizations. Notably, it has recently issued grants for programs advancing internet freedom with secure communication technologies. 4 Furthermore, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts are tasked with supporting audiovisual productions that promote American values, including democracy and human rights. Therefore, they can provide grants for documentaries or films that help raise awareness of these violations. In parallel, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) can support similar organizations operating from abroad by funding initiatives led by civil society actors, independent media, or academic institutions.
Furthermore, it is crucial to secure the support of renowned international figures from the artistic and media spheres, such as actors, musicians, journalists, and influencers, to bring these issues into the public discourse.
Action through diplomacy
As a fourth step, the U.S. can draw international attention to the issue by raising it in global organizations and forums, such as the United Nations, the G7, and the Asia-Pacific Economi Cooperation. Moreover, it should encourage foreign governments to adopt their own national laws modeled on U.S. legislation addressing human rights abuses. In addition, it should pursue closer engagement with key partners in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly the members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (India, Japan, and Australia), and others such as South Korea and the Holy See, in order to coordinate international pressure. This could include presenting joint statements, organizing international conferences and events, and shaping trade policies aimed at reducing strategic dependence on China.
Economic Pressure
As a fifth step, the U.S should encourage companies to uphold human rights standards throughout their supply chains, authorize sanctions to limit Chinese operations in strategic sectors such as technology and energy, and impose additional tariffs on Chinese products to reduce their competitiveness in the U.S. market. In parallel, the Department of Homeland Security must strengthen enforcement by halting imports from Chinese companies that use forced labor. This requires the strict application of legal provisions, including Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 prohibiting the importation of goods made with forced labor; the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which prohibits the import of products made in Xinjiang unless companies can demonstrate that no forced labor was involved; and the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act imposing restrictions on items produced with North Korean forced labor. Additionally,
Congress should pass pending legislation such as the Uyghur Genocide Accountability and Sanctions Act (S. 1770/H.R. 8124), the China’s Odious and Brutally Atrocious Labor Trafficking (COBALT) Supply Chain Act (H.R. 6909), and the Stop China’s Exploitation of Congolese Children and Adult Forced Labor Through Cobalt Mining Act (H.R. 7981). 5
Engagement in Public Events
Lastly, government officials should continue organizing hearings and conferences with religious leaders, activists, and experts, to highlight human rights violations in China. Likewise, they should participate in the inauguration of monuments and remembrance ceremonies, such as those held by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, which each June hosts a candlelight vigil to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. It is worth noting that several U.S. states have
officially recognized November 7 as “Victims of Communism Memorial Day,” and since 2017, the U.S. President has issued annual proclamations observing this date. In 2019, an official event was held at the White House with the participation of dissidents and survivors of communist regimes. A similar activity could be held with greater emphasis on China. 6
Conclusion
Thanks to this strategic plan, it will be possible to go on the offensive through indirect means, based on clearly defined, measurable, and realistic objectives enabling the Administration to implement a range of coordinated strategies. Exerting this kind of pressure will push China to stop its human rights abuses progressively. At the same time it will reaffirm the United States’ moral leadership.
1 U.S. Department of State, 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: China (Includes Hong Kong, Macau, and Tibet) (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of State, 2024), https://www.state.gov/reports/2023- country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/china-includes-hong-kong-macau-and-tibet/.
2 B. H. Liddell Hart, Strategy: The Indirect Approach (London: Faber and Faber, 1954).
3 Just to mention some of these organizations: Hong Kong Free Press, The Uyghur Human Rights Project, The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, and The Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders.
4 U.S. Department of State, DRL Internet Freedom Annual Program Statement (funding opportunity no. DFOP0016957), Grants.gov (posted ca. Sept. 2024), accessed June 8, 2025, https://www.grants.gov/search- results-detail/356622.
5 According to the 2024 Annual Report of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, North Korean workers were likely subjected to forced labor in China's seafood processing industry. The same report also highlighted the use of child and forced labor in the electric vehicle supply chain in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly in cobalt extraction, where Chinese entities control approximately 80 percent of the country's cobalt production.
6 Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, Victims of Communism Memorial Day 2024, accessed June 6, 2025, https://victimsofcommunism.org/voc-day/.
Bibliography
Congressional-Executive Commission on China. 2024 Annual Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Publishing Office, 2024. https://www.cecc.gov/.
Liddell Hart, B. H. Strategy: The Indirect Approach. London: Faber and Faber, 1954.
U.S. Department of State. 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: China (Includes Hong Kong, Macau, and Tibet). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of State, 2024. https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/china-includes-hong-kong-macau-and-tibet/.
U.S. Department of State. DRL Internet Freedom Annual Program Statement. Funding opportunity no. DFOP0016957. Grants.gov. Posted ca. September 2024. Accessed June 8, 2025. https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/356622.
Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. Victims of Communism Memorial Day 2024. Accessed June 6, 2025. https://victimsofcommunism.org/voc-day/.