WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., on Thursday joined a bipartisan letter to the Chinese ambassador to the United States warning the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime of the consequences of a violent crackdown on peaceful protesters. The letter, which was signed by nearly half of their Senate colleagues, comes in response to demonstrations that have erupted across China against the CCP’s severe COVID-19 restrictions.

“We caution the CCP in the strongest possible terms not to once again undertake a violent crackdown on peaceful Chinese protesters who simply want more freedom,” the senators wrote. “If that happens, we believe there will be grave consequences for the US-China relationship, causing extraordinary damage to it.”

The letter was spearheaded by Senators Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, and Jeff Merkley, D-Wash. Senators Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., John Thune, R-S.D., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Todd Young, R-Ind., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Angus King, I-Maine, Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., James Lankford, R-Okla., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Rick Scott, R-Fla., John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Tim Scott, R-S.C., Rob Portman, R-Ohio, John Hoeven, R-N.D., Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Mike Braun, R-Ind., Steve Daines, R-Mont., Richard Burr, R-N.C., Ted Cruz, R-Texas, John Kennedy, R-La., Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Ben Sasse, R-Neb., Deb Fischer, R-Neb., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, also joined the letter.

Read the full letter here or below.

Ambassador Qin Gang 

Embassy of the People’s Republic of China 

3505 International Place NW 

Washington, D.C. 20008-3025 

Dear Ambassador Qin:

We are following the current peaceful protests in China over your government’s policies very carefully. We are also closely watching the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) reaction to them.

In 1989, the Chinese Communist Party and People’s Liberation Army undertook a violent crackdown on peacefully protesting Chinese students, killing hundreds, if not thousands.

We caution the CCP in the strongest possible terms not to once again undertake a violent crackdown on peaceful Chinese protesters who simply want more freedom. If that happens, we believe there will be grave consequences for the US-China relationship, causing extraordinary damage to it.

Sincerely,