Preview Screening at the U.S. Capitol: "Free China: The Courage to Believe"

Followed by Forum: How Our Next Government's China-US Policies Shapes Our Future

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Directed by Michael Perlman of "Tibet: Beyond Fear" and co-produced by New Tang Dynasty (NTD) Television, the award winning 53-minute documentary tells the remarkable survival stories of best-selling author Jennifer Zeng, a mother and former Communist Party member, and Dr. Charles Lee, an American Chinese businessman. Both Jennifer and Charles, along with hundreds of thousands of peaceful citizens in China, were tortured and subjected to slave labor for their spiritual beliefs. Through its story-telling, the film puts a human face on the Chinese state's human rights abuses:  arbitrary detention of dissidents, harvesting organs from live prisoners of conscience, and export of products made by forced prison labor to the West. The film also examines how Chinese citizens are awakening to demand their rights of conscience, and the internet war of censorship and anti-censorship.

Home to 1.3 billion people, China is now the second largest economy in the world. From its environmental policy, its consumption of natural resources, to its labor and trade practices, what happens in China can significantly affect the rest of the world.  Therefore, whether China acts as a responsible actor on the world stage has profound implications to our planet. This film and the panel discussion expose related questions, and provide clues to potential answers.

When: Thursday, September 20^th at 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Where: Orientation Theater North, U.S. Capitol Visitors Center
What: Film Screening from 7-8 p.m. followed by Panel Discussions
Film's website: http://freechina.ntdtv.org
RSVP (required by noon, Thursday): http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4351872568

Sponsored by Congressman Chris Smith (Chairman of the Congressional Executive Commission on China)

Panel Discussion with (partial list of panelists):

Rep. Chris Smith, Chairman of Congressional Executive Commission on China
Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, Chairwoman of U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Dr. Charles Lee, Spokesperson for Global Service Center for Quitting the Chinese Communist Party
Dr. Samuel Zhou, VP of NTD Television & Founding Member of Internet Freedom Consortium Group
Members of Congress (Invited)

SOURCE New Tang Dynasty Television