The criticisms of Kerry’s rhetoric come in the wake of his recent interview with Foreign Policy, where he stated: “We have differences on economic rules, on cyber. We have other differences on human rights, geostrategic interests, but those differences do not have to get in the way of something that is as critical as dealing with climate.”
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have repeatedly condemned China’s forced labor camps, which have targeted Uyghur Muslims in China’s Xinjiang region, with Congress having moved on multiple resolutions aimed at pushing back against the abuses.
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But multiple Republicans on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs said they interpreted Kerry’s comments as a willingness to ignore the genocide of Muslim ethnic minorities to strike a climate deal.
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“Demanding the CCP stop committing genocide doesn’t ‘get in the way’ of climate change negotiations, and to imply climate issues are more critical than the lives of millions of oppressed people living in China is insensitive and improper,” Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Michael McCaul (R-Texas) told The Post in a statement.
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“I would urge Secretary Kerry to reconsider his priorities if he is going to continue to negotiate behind closed doors with human rights abusers and U.S. adversaries.”
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) deemed the comments “pathetic,” bashing the Biden administration’s climate plan as giving China an economic edge and potentially weakening the United States’ standing.
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“It is pathetic John Kerry is excusing the Chinese Communist Party’s disgusting enslavement and murder of the Uighurs to make this slimy climate arrangement possible,” he said.
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“The CCP are cheaters who never play by the rules, that is a fact. Our country should not get involved in a one-sided, disastrous climate plan that we know the CCP won’t follow and will weaken any economic leverage we have with China.”
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Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas) echoed Burchett’s sentiments, referring to Kerry’s comments as “disgusting and morally wrong.”
“Right now, communist China is actively committing genocide by forcing millions of Uighur Muslims into labor camps and subjecting many to crimes against humanity.”
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“The United States cannot turn a blind eye and brush off these abuses.”
While Kerry has come under fire from Republicans for his comment, a State Department spokesperson dismissed accusations it’s willing to overlook China’s human rights abuses, announcing that the administration has called for Beijing to “end these atrocities immediately” and has vowed to work with allies to combat China’s human rights abuses while still working on their climate goals.
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“As Special Presidential Envoy Kerry has noted, climate is a critical standalone issue. Other aspects of the U.S.-China relationship — including U.S. interests and values like human rights – will not be traded for climate progress,” the spokesman said in a statement.
“We can compete with the PRC and call out their egregious actions, including their widespread human rights abuses, while at the same time working to tackle the climate crisis.”
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