Admin opposes Cruz bill to rename Chinese Embassy address

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration says President Barack Obama would veto legislation to rename the area in front of the Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C. after a prominent Chinese political prisoner.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Tuesday that the bill proposed by Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz of Texas, which has already passed the Senate, would only complicate efforts to impress upon China the need to respect human rights and release Liu Xiaobo.

Liu is a Nobel laureate serving an 11-year sentence on the conviction of inciting state subversion.

Cruz’s bill would make “1 Liu Xiaobo Plaza” the official address of the embassy. Its current address is 3505 International Place. The bill still needs House approval and then Obama’s signature.

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Toner said the White House has indicated Obama would veto it.