The Biden administration has recently been under fire from Representative Victoria Blackburn, after they lifted sanctions on Chinese Communist Group in its first 100 days of office. The issue draws more attention considering the current US-China relations are deteriorating and personal tensions between the two countries remain high.
The Commerce Department, which is responsible for implementing the Biden administration’s decision, defended its decision citing support for humanitarian efforts and international trade. Representative Blackburn has questioned the decision on the grounds that the Chinese Communist Group may use any profits they make for malicious purposes.
The Chinese Communist Group is an organization that has been heavily involved in human rights abuses. Throughout its long tenure, it has been accused of prisoners’ violations of due process, unfair trials, unjustified detention, and enforced disappearances. This is in addition to its affiliation with forced labor camps. Given this active participation in human rights abuses, it is safe to assume that the lifting of sanctions may potentially assist the Chinese Communist Group in continuing its wrongs.
It is unclear why the Biden administration chose to lift the sanctions. As the US-China relations remain strained and any potential negotiations remain uncertain, this decision may cause further deterioration. Also, critics have argued that the decision is in direct contradiction with the definitive stance the Biden administration has taken on the issue of human rights.
It is understandable why Biden may have wanted to initiate a reconciliatory process by lifting the sanctions, but the ethical implications of this decision must be taken into consideration. It is unclear what the motives behind the decision may be, but it is generally agreed upon that any negotiating platform should not involve concessions to human rights violations.
The Biden administration should further consider the ethical implications of its decision and verify if further sanctions should be imposed if the Chinese Communist Group continues their human rights abuses. As such, it is important to pay close attention to both the US-China relations and the progress of the changes to the sanctions policy.