1972-1989: First Stop Macau

In 1972, President Nixon visited China, becoming the first sitting US president to do so. That same year, a young John Kamm journeyed to Macau, hoping to use his Chinese language skills. He found himself in the right place at the right time with the right people.

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1990-1999: Mixing Business with Human Rights

In the aftermath of June Fourth, many were unsure how and if to engage with China. John Kamm had an idea: release political prisoners. The next decade would see US-China relations resume, Hong Kong return to China, the Taiwan Strait Crisis, the establishment of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, and the formal delinking of human rights from trade with China.

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1999-present: Dui Hua Means Dialogue

As the world hurtled towards the new millennium, Kamm’s unique approach to advocacy was garnering attention after several prisoner releases. As the dynamic between the two powers changes, with China becoming the largest US foreign creditor and the world’s second largest economy, Dui Hua changes to meet the moment.

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Archives

"John Kamm Remembers" stories have been published for years and in different iterations. You can find all of the stories in the order they were published, starting with the most recent one.

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