On Tuesday, Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell encouraged Americans to pause and consider the millions who perished under Chinese communism as the People’s Republic observes its 70th anniversary.

McConnell imparted that the current China ruled by President Xi Jinping, which heavily censors its people, resembles “a modern version of Maoist China.”

“From the modern gulags used to incarcerate Xinjiang’s Uighurs, to the high-tech firewalls and censorship that control the flow of information, to the state’s extensive technical surveillance, to all of the Communist Party’s other tools of social and political control, Xi Jinping’s China looks disturbingly like a modern version of Maoist China.”

The Republican senator from Kentucky also took issue with details emerging from Hong Kong, where Chinese riot police are using force to quell protests.

“I especially condemn the continued use of violence against democratic activists in Hong Kong. It is darkly fitting that on the 70th anniversary of the PRC, its agents would be reduced to using force against protesters in Hong Kong who seek to preserve basic personal freedoms. The CCP has always squashed dissent with force.”

Meanwhile, President Trump played nice with Chinese President Xi Jinping amid the ongoing trade dispute.

Read McConnell’s statement condemning communism below:

“On the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, we should pause to recognize the many millions of lives lost under Chinese communist rule.

“From the modern gulags used to incarcerate Xinjiang’s Uighurs, to the high-tech firewalls and censorship that control the flow of information, to the state’s extensive technical surveillance, to all of the Communist Party’s other tools of social and political control, Xi Jinping’s China looks disturbingly like a modern version of Maoist China.

“I especially condemn the continued use of violence against democratic activists in Hong Kong. It is darkly fitting that on the 70th anniversary of the PRC, its agents would be reduced to using force against protesters in Hong Kong who seek to preserve basic personal freedoms. The CCP has always squashed dissent with force.

“The Chinese Communist Party’s methods are not just a tragedy for more than a billion Chinese, who deserve to be treated with more respect and granted more freedoms by their rulers in Beijing. They are also a telling indicator of the threat the PRC poses to its neighbors. If this is how a great power treats its own citizens, just think how it will treat foreign countries who fall under China’s growing economic and military influence.”

The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today!