[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 7 (Wednesday, February 2, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 2, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                          SLAVE LABOR IN CHINA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Wolf] is recognized for 60 minutes.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, the issue that I would like to speak about is 
the issue of slave labor in China.
  As a beginning, let me say that Congressman Smith and I, several 
years ago, visited China, and we visited Beijing Prison No. 1, which is 
a prison camp operated by slave labor. There are many people from 
Tiananmen Square that are in this prison camp making goods and socks 
and shoes for the export to the United States.
  Now, we found inadvertently the Chinese were running these camps, and 
I think the American people should know that much of the goods coming 
into the United States are made by slave labor.
  So tonight I want to talk a little bit about that.
  The Chinese denied it. But I would like to submit into the 
Congressional Record a Library of Congress documentation that the 
Chinese did not tell the truth.
  In fact, it is clear to say that the Chinese Government has been 
caught in a lie.
  But we found these men who had been arrested for human rights in 
Tiananmen Square in prison.
  Now, we hear a lot about prison and slave labor, and there is a big 
issue about whether the United States will grant a most-favored-nation 
status to China.
  President Clinton has said that he will not renew MFN unless the 
Chinese live under certain conditions, the prohibition of slave labor, 
stop the persecution of those in the church, and do a number of other 
things.
  Well, we get so tied up in the words of human rights. What does 
``human rights'' mean? So I would like to bring to the attention of my 
colleagues a report by the International Society of Human Rights.
  Sometimes when people talk about human rights, they think we are 
talking about the right to vote or the right to move around or the 
right to speech.
  I am talking about basic, fundamental human rights and in some cases 
torture.

       Forced labour was first instituted throughout China after 
     the Communists took power in 1949, although it was practised 
     even earlier in territory under their control. The system was 
     based on the Soviet Union's forced labour codes drawn up in 
     1933, with the emphasis on work as a means of re-education. 
     Thus the slogan chosen by the Chinese state to sum up the 
     forced labour philosophy was laodong gaizao (labour 
     transforms.)
       In practice, there is often very little difference in the 
     conditions experienced by prisoners in different categories 
     and indeed, several different categories may share the same 
     camp. All Re-education Through Labour prisoners are victims 
     of a significant violation of their human rights--they have 
     been sent to prison without trial by local party officials. 
     Local communist parties in China have the power to send 
     anyone in their area to prison for up to three years if they 
     so chose purely by making an administrative decision--the 
     sentence can subsequently be extended indefinitely.
       Forced Job Placement prisoners are also victims of an 
     iniquitous system. These are prisoners who have completed 
     their jail terms in full, but must continue to carry out 
     forced labour as though they were still serving a sentence. 
     They are usually paid a wage, but this is invariably less 
     than half the amount they could expect to receive if they 
     were not confined in the jiuye system. In all other respects, 
     they experience the same camp regime as any other prisoner.
       Estimates as to the number of camps currently in existence 
     vary--the actual number is a state secret of the PRC. Some 
     put the figure as high as 5500. ISHR estimates that at least 
     3000 laogaidui camps are currently in operation, based on 
     Chinese Government statistics. A big camp such as Beijing 
     Qinghe Farm may have as many as 80000 inmates, others only a 
     few hundred.
       The number of prisoners in the laogaidui excluding jiuye 
     prisoners is at least 10 million and probably near 15 
     million. These include `counter-revolutionaries', class 
     dissidents, anti-party/anti-socialist thinkers, historical 
     revisionists, and, of course, victims of the crackdown which 
     followed the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989. Estimates of 
     the number of people caught up in the jiuye system range from 
     8 million to 10 million.

                              {time}  1830

  Let me read to you from this report about life in the camps. It says, 
``Life in the camps is governed by five regulations. One, ablebodied 
prisoners must undergo forced labour.'' Then it goes on to say what 
those different things are.
  Then it says, ``To show prison officials that they are truly 
reformed, prisoners are expected to inform on each other,'' the old 
Communist system whereby you inform on the next person. ``The system 
dictates that they must devise false accusations if they can find 
nothing else to report.'' Those who do not inform are regarded as 
rebels and are punished accordingly by the use of torture.
  A typical day in this prison camp has been described by a former Tang 
Bouquao, who was imprisoned in 1989 for his part in the student 
democracy movement. He said that they would begin with the singing of 
three songs by all the prisoners. ``Without the Communist Party, there 
would be no new China.'' ``Socialism is good,'' and, ``Learn from the 
good example of Lei Fang.'' Then there would follow three questions 
with answers to be shouted by the prisoners: ``Who are you?'' And the 
prisoners would shout, ``Criminals.'' ``Where are you?'' Then the 
prisoners would shout back, ``In prison.'' Then, ``Why are you here?'' 
Then the prisoners would shout back, ``To inform ourselves through 
labor.''
  They went on to say there was a strict regime for prisoners for whom 
solitary confinement is not sufficient punishment. Their prisoners are 
forced to sit--so when you hear the term ``slave labor'' and ``human 
rights'' out of the Clinton administration, out of Republicans and 
Democrats in Congress, this is what we are really talking about. We are 
trying to put a real face on the problem.
  ``Prisoners are forced to sit motionless for 10 hours every day on a 
tiny stool just 6 inches high which is, in turn, on a raised platform 
about 14 inches square. The ordeal is agonizing. Prisoners must look 
straight at the wall in front and both hands are kept in the lap. Any 
movement is punished by blows administered by the guard with an iron 
rod.''
  Now listen to this: ``Beatings with sticks and electric prods are 
another universal form of punishment in the prison camps. All camp 
guards carry a large battery-powered truncheon capable of giving a 
50,000-volt electric shock. When used on prisoners, this causes severe 
pain and temporary paralysis.''
  During torture, these batons are applied to the most sensitive parts 
of the body, such as the nipples or the genitals. This is known as what 
they call an ``electro-curing therapy.'' The prisoner ``is ordered to 
kneel down and face the wall,'' says the prisoner describing the 
practice in the Changsha prison, where he was imprisoned in 1989 and 
1990. Once the prisoner is in the state of terror, the guard begins to 
poke him in the neck with a live baton. This makes him scream in pain 
and turn around involuntarily, begging the guard for mercy. As a 
result, he then suffers severe shocks to his face, making him whip his 
head around again and again. Then the guard administers further shocks 
to his ears. This is repeated until the victim collapses or passes out.
  So, when we hear of the MFN, are we going to give the Chinese MFN, 
are we going to give them that right? We are then talking about the 
punishment, brutal, barbaric punishment of innocent peasants who have 
been arrested in China and tortured for missing quotas.
  Let me go on to tell you and read another paragraph. Liu Gang, a 
student activist arrested for his part in the 1989 democracy movement, 
was detained at the Lingyuan, a prison camp No. 1 labor reform 
detachment. Here he has to do at least 10 hours' work every day for the 
week; punishment for missing a quota: to be beaten with fists, batons, 
and leather belts. He has been chained in leg irons.
  Every time he hears somebody in the Congress or in the administration 
say, ``Wait a minute, there has been reform in China, they are making 
progress,'' think of this young man who has been tortured in the way 
that he has been. Punishment for missing quotas: Leather belts, chained 
in leg irons, receives death threats from guards. He spent 8 months of 
the last 18 in solitary confinement.

  I saw Undersecretary Rubin testify the other day, saying he would 
like to see us continue MFN. I would say to Mr. Rubin, when you talk 
about continuing MFN, you are talking about continuing to punish this 
young man who is in prison.
  They go on to say that another common form of torture is to restrain 
prisoners for long periods in positions which give rise to excruciating 
pain.
  For example, Harry Wu has a new book out which you can find in any 
bookstore. Harry has been in prison for 19 years. He was tortured 
tremendously. He has since escaped from China and is committed to doing 
away with these slave labor camps. What does Harry Wu say? He said that 
while he was at the Tuanne prison camp, guards tied prisoners up by 
their thumbs and hung them up by the rafters. Is Mr. Rubin, the deputy 
secretary of the Department of the Treasury, listening to this?
  Harry Wu said, ``Hanging by your thumbs.'' I would like to say that I 
have heard Mr. Rubin talk about this issue. Mr. Rubin should learn from 
Secretary Bentsen, because I believe Secretary Bentsen has a good 
statement out on slave labor and understands the problem. He says they 
would hang by their thumbs. He says guards have tied prisoners up in 
handcuffs, leg irons which are used, as well as a shackle board, which 
is a wooden plank to which prisoners are strapped using manacles 
attached to each corner.
  The ultimate sanction in the camp is death. There have been a lot of 
people killed in these camps. Again, keep in mind, in these camps we 
found the Chinese using Tiananmen Square demonstrators, making socks, 
socks that, unfortunately, many here in America wear, making them for 
export to the United States. People who had demonstrated for their 
human rights.
  It says guards are able to kill prisoners out of hand without fear of 
action being taken against them. Many camps where work is carried on 
out in the open, four red flags are set out to mark the areas in which 
prisoners must work. Any prisoner straying beyond the bounds of these 
flags will be shot on the spot.
  Has anyone here seen ``Schindler's List''? ``Schindler's List'' is 
one of the most popular movies today. This is ``Schindler's List'' 
taking place today in China.
  For those who talk about MFN, I say until the Chinese recognize and 
stop the slave labor and the export of goods by slave labor, there 
should be no MFN.
  I take President Clinton at his word. In fact, the other night I was 
sitting right over here and President Clinton said he was going to be 
tough on the issue of slave labor. I got up and gave the President a 
standing ovation, saying. ``Right on, Mr. President; hold on to what 
you said.''
  I could go on and on and talk about the prison labor punishment, but 
I think you get the point.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California.
  Mr. HUNTER. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate the fact that the gentleman from 
Virginia, Mr. Wolf, and one or two other Members have really explored 
this area. I remember the gentleman coming back from a tour in China. 
He and the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Smith, asked to see some of 
the kids who had demonstrated at Tiananmen Square, and they were told 
by the guards that, ``They are not here right now.'' ``What do you 
mean, they are not here?'' And he said, ``They are next door in the 
textile factory working to make textiles that will be sold to Americans 
in places like Sears' and Kmart and presumably other places where we 
sell fabrics and clothes made by those folks around the world.
  We are obviously not upgrading their standard of living by allowing 
the Chinese rulers to export slave labor-made products, which is what 
they are doing, and yet they have, I think, a $19 billion trade surplus 
with America. For every one of those slaves they are using to make 
fabrics and clothes, we have Americans in this country who do not have 
jobs, who have lost their jobs in the textile factories.
  Mr. WOLF. The gentleman is exactly right. That is the other point. I 
am glade the gentleman raised it, because I was not going to raise it 
tonight. These slave labor people are competing with people from 
Buffalo and Toledo and through California and Akron and all the places 
around the country in the textile mills in the South and are putting 
our people out of business.
  How can we compete with somebody who is paying nothing to a slave 
laborer who is being tortured working 10 hours a day, 7 days a week. It 
is really displacing and ruining American jobs. We are in competition 
with slave labor. It is a disgrace and I commend the AFL-CIO because 
they have been one of the champions against giving MFN to China because 
of what they are doing with slave labor.
  Let me cover another point. In America, we prize the freedom of 
worship. We are a diverse Nation, from different backgrounds and 
different religions. But freedom of religion is very, very important.
  Several weeks ago, I had asked for a visa to go to China. The Chinese 
would not give me a visa. They will give a visa to any Member of 
Congress who wants to go for trade, who wants to continue MFN. But 
Congressman Chris Smith and I were not granted a visa until the last 
moment, until it was too late for me to go.
  Congressman Smith went. And Congressman Smith and his delegation met 
with some different people. They met with a Bishop Su, 62 years old 
Bishop Su was arrested after he finished meeting with Chris Smith and 
giving holy communion to those in the delegation. After the delegation, 
Congressman Smith left China. While Secretary Bentsen was in China, the 
Chinese arrested the bishop and put him in jail.
  Bishop Su was picked up by the security police on January 20. He had 
not been returned for a number of days. Fortunately, last week Bishop 
Su, because of the pressure, and I take my hat off to Congressman Smith 
and Amnesty International and Pueblo and other groups, he was released. 
Some of the other people picked up were not released. Let me tell you 
something about the bishop.
  Bishop Su has already served 15 years in prison. Once he was beaten 
so hard with a board that it was left in splinters. His captors then 
beat him with a board from the door frame. Another time he was enclosed 
and forced to stand in a room the size of a closet filled with water up 
to his thighs. He suffered hearing loss because of being beaten around 
the head. During his last prison term, from 1989 to 1992 or 1993, he 
was in prison labor where he had to haul boulders in a wheelbarrow. One 
of them rolled on him and crushed his ankle, ribs, and head. Then he 
recovered and had to go back to work.
  When you are talking about MFN, we cannot lose any business, we have 
got to work with the Chinese, they are making progress, think about 
Bishop Su. Who is thinking about him? Are the rich lobbyists in 
Washington who represent the Chinese interests thinking about him? No 
way. No way. And many Members in Congress want to see MFN continued. 
Are they thinking of Bishop Su? Are they thinking of Harry Wu? The 
answer is no.
  Let me tell you about a couple other people that they met with. A 
Protestant sister, and there are Catholic priests, Catholic bishops, 
Protestant ministers, and Buddhist monks, those of the Hindu and Moslem 
faith, have been persecuted and tortured. All religions in China have 
been tortured.
  Religious persecution in the laogaidui is particularly severe in 
Tibet, since Tibetan Buddhism is closely associated with opposition to 
Chinese rule. There are thousands of prisoners of conscience including 
many Buddhist monks and nuns, who are subject to continuing brutality 
if they refuse to renounce their beliefs. The regime in Tibetan camps 
is exceptionally harsh and new techniques of punishment and torture are 
tested out in Tibet before being introduced elsewhere.
  Palden Gyatso is a monk who has spent 24 years in the laogaidui for 
refusing to accept the Chinese occupation of Tibet. Imprisoned in 
Tibet's Drapchi camp, he was frequently beaten with electric batons. On 
one occasion in 1987, an electric cattle-prod was forced down his 
throat when he refused to declare that Tibet would never be an 
independent nation again. He passed out from the pain and was unable to 
eat or drink for a long time afterwards.
  Tashi Dolma spent 18 months imprisoned without trial in Tibet after 
being found with a political leaflet and a recording of the Dalai Lama. 
She was kicked, punched, and beaten with electric batons during 
interrogation sessions. While in Tibet's Gutsa prison her diet was so 
poor that all her hair fell out and she was forced to stand barefoot in 
cells awash with freezing water. In common with a number of others, she 
was forced to give blood.
  Working conditions are also more difficult than elsewhere--the high 
altitudes and rarefied air in many parts of Tibet make it particularly 
difficult for prisoners to struggle through long hours of labor. 
However, the large number of prisoners in Tibet and the lack of 
development in the region means that there is no productive work for 
many--up to 100,000 prisoners may now be warehoused on the Tibetan 
plateau.
  The reason I am doing this unpleasant special order is because I was 
tired. People would say, you know, human rights, I think we can work on 
them. We can move the Chinese along a little bit. They are making some 
progress. They can demonstrate once in a while.
  I am not talking about the right to vote. I am talking about the 
right to live and not be tortured.
  These individuals from southern China, several women, shared with us 
about two prison sentences she endured over 15 months, one for 45 days 
and the second for 110 days. During one term in jail, about 120 people 
had gathered for worship with a foreign evangelist. They were arrested 
for meeting illegally and having contact with foreigners. She and her 
husband were both beaten. She was held upside down by her feet. This 
must be a great Chinese torture tactic. Upside down by her feet and 
beaten with electrical wire. Some prisoners, and listen to this, some 
prisoners were forced to lie on the floor in the position of Christ on 
the cross. Yet these prisoners were extremely joyful. They said they 
were praying for those who persecuted them. They said because of their 
afflictions, we love the souls of China more.
  I might say that these individuals in China are of no threat to the 
Chinese Government. They are not seeking to change the Chinese 
Government. They are not seeking to bring about overthrow or anything 
like that. They merely want to worship God, whether they be Buddhists, 
whether they be Moslems, whether they be Catholic, or Protestant, or 
whatever. They simply want to worship God as they see fit.

  In March, Lai Manping was tortured to death. I think I might end on 
this, as reported by Christian Solidarity International. Let me just 
tell you a little bit about it.
  China's notorious Public Security Bureau, equivalent to the Russian 
KGB, raided a house of 31 believers who had gathered for prayer on the 
evening of March 27 in the village of Taoyuan, Shaanxi Province. Five 
of the Christians, three men and two women, all in their twenties, were 
singled out. They were handcuffed, stripped naked, and beaten 
unmercifully with truncheons. I hope they haven't gotten these 
truncheons from the West on an exchange. The officers demanded each of 
those in attendance, listen to this, take turns beating the three young 
men one hundred times. Those who refused to take part in the beatings 
were than beaten.
  The young men, covered with blood, gaping wounds, were suspended 
above the floor as the officers continued to beat them on their backs 
until they were unconscious and barely breathing. A 12-year-old boy was 
among those brutally beaten, with blood pouring from his head. The boy 
was then lifted into the air and hurled onto the heads of the horrified 
crowd of those who were worshipping.
  Two women were beaten and raped in front of other believers. All five 
were than confined for 8 days to a small room without food, water, or 
the opportunity to relieve themselves. The PSB officers, fearing that 
one of the young men, Lai Manping, 22, might die, released him. Half 
walking and half crawling, Lai tried to reach his home, but was too 
weak to make it. Local villagers found him and carried him to a nearby 
desert farmhouse, where shortly thereafter he died from internal 
bleeding.
  Within days the PSB arrested more than 90 Christians in the area who 
were aware of the incident, in an effort to deflect worldwide 
attention.
  Let the word go forth that the Chinese Government, the more they do 
this, the more worldwide attention they will get. One believer managed 
to contact a CIA source in Hong Kong, and all but two of the detained 
Christians have been released, but only after paying heavy, heavy 
fines. The Chinese Government denies the incident.
  In the last few years, several bishops have died while in detention, 
or what they call ``old people's homes,'' with families discovering 
bruises and signs of torture on their body. New arrests are taking 
place as we now meet.
  Mr. HUNTER. Every time my friend comes to the floor with the type of 
report he has just given us, I thank God that this gentleman is a 
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Because this is 
Washington, DC, the city of the business deal, where almost all of our 
American values with respect to our relations with other nations are 
talked about in the currency of business.
  Are we going to recognize North Vietnam? Perhaps this week the 
embargo will be lifted by President Clinton. That is being couched in 
terms of how much business will be afforded multinational companies, 
including American-based companies.
  Does Red China buy products from the United States, some high-
technology products? Would we like to send more to them? Yes. Can we 
modify the present restrictions against critical military materiel. 
Should we? That is the debate that takes place in Washington, DC, 
always couched in terms of economics, and always advocated by lobbyists 
and representatives of multinational corporations who talk about the 
importance of receiving money and economic benefits as a result of our 
relationships with these countries.

                              {time}  1850

  This gentleman, Mr. Wolf of Virginia, has talked about another 
currency. It is a currency of humanity. It is a currency of decent 
treatment for people, of allowing them to worship without being 
oppressed, of allowing them to travel, of allowing them to do the 
things that the kids at Tiananmen Square did which demonstrate against 
a very repressive regime and find themselves making shirts for Sears.
  The gentleman has brought, I think, he awakens in this Congress, 
every time he talks, a renewal and a realization of what we should be 
all about. We should be about the idea of not just spreading American 
dollars around the world and receiving dollars and other currencies in 
trade in turn for the products that we send to these countries but also 
sending American ideals around the world.
  I would say that with respect to Communist China, either we have not 
sent enough ideals or they have not been receptive enough of American 
ideals to justify the benefits that we are conferring upon them. The 
situation that he is talking about, with the young people being 
tortured to death because they want to worship in privacy and in peace 
and in freedom, and young people being maintained basically as slaves, 
because they dared to challenge a repressive regime, then I think the 
Clinton administration has a pretty threadbare case to make to us but 
there is a reason for MFN status for Red China.
  I am aware of the big global politics that are involved. The national 
security ramifications, Americans are worried because Red China has 
nuclear capability. Perhaps they have a desire to ascend to the place 
that has been recently vacated by the former Union of Soviet Socialist 
Republics.
  They have taken some aggressive action in the South China Sea, and we 
are worried about their guns. We are worried about their military 
might. But if Americans abandon their ideals to a little temporary 
feeling of security, then we will be the worse off. And we are better 
off, once again, because of the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Wolf]. I 
thank him for giving this report tonight.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments. I 
wanted to do this early in the session, because I wanted Members, 
although the chamber is empty, there are a few Members here, hopefully, 
Members will read this, and I will send this to the administration, but 
the body ought to know, the Membership ought to know that this is not 
cheap grace, that a vote on MFN, if it comes up, and quite frankly, 
there has been so little progress. If the Clinton administration keeps 
its word, they may not even send it up.
  But this is not a cheap grace vote. This is a serious vote, because 
what we are doing is, we are voting to either punish or condemn or 
support and stand with people like this.
  We have had similar cases. As the gentleman knows, the Congress very 
proudly, several years ago, working with Congressman Smith and 
Congressman Tony Hall, we took away MFN from Ceausescu. Ceausescu was a 
brutal dictatorship. People said, if you take it away, it is going to 
hurt people. If I would go to Romania, the Romanian people would say, 
take it away, take it away.
  We took MFN. We did not give MFN to the Soviet Union, because we 
allowed those who wanted to emigrate to Israel and places like that. We 
stood with those who were being persecuted.
  I, for one, do not want 20 years from now my kids to say, Dad, this 
debate was going on and what did you do.
  I want people to know there are lives involved. So it is not a free 
vote.
  In closing, my last two comments, I hope that the Chinese change. I 
believe anyone has the ability to change. I believe that the Chinese 
have the ability to change in the next 6 months.
  We all know, from the Biblical story of Paul, who had the conversion 
on the road to Damascus, they may very well change. I want them to 
change. I want to give MFN to China.
  I want to see them release these political prisoners, those who have 
hepatitis and who are dying to be with their families. I want them to 
allow the families to leave the country. I want them to allow these 
bishops and ministers and Buddhist monks and those of the Muslim faith 
to be released and worship.
  I have never spoken to a Chinese person, and they are good people, 
they are really kind, good, decent people, who have never said anything 
negative about their Government. I have been with them, those who have 
been persecuted, where they said, can we have a word of prayer to pray 
for the leadership and pray for the Government. They are no threat. 
They are no threat.
  If the Chinese stop exporting goods made by slave labor and close 
these slave labor camps down, we then can give them MFN. We can have a 
good relationship.
  But if we do not do it, I, for one, do not want it on my conscience 
that because of powerful law firms or some company or somebody else 
came by, and you know what, the people, Duncan Hunter, who represent 
the businesses can hire the best law firms on K Street, But these 
people who are in prison, these Catholic bishops have no lobbyist in 
Washington, DC. The Catholic priests have nobody to come and lobby for 
them.
  The ministers, the Buddhists, the Muslims, they have nobody to lobby 
for them.
  I will tell you that when we took MFN away from the Romanians, the 
word went forth on Radio Free Europe. And they found that the U.S. 
Congress, the American people's body, stood with them.
  We have got to make sure that we stand with these people. I would say 
to my Chinese friends, in the spirit of reconciliation, change, allow 
these people out of prison, allow those to worship in their faith, 
close down the slave labor camps.
  All over the world, people who would prefer not to buy products 
derived from torture in labor camps are being sold Chinese goods in 
complete ignorance as to their possible origins. Even where laws exist 
and are enforced, the odds are stacked in favor of forced labor goods 
getting through.
  This is because in both the United Kingdom and the United States 
products are regarded as clean until they can be proved beyond all 
possible doubt to have been created in the laogaidui. Yet the PRC has 
put in place a system which is expressly them in secrecy.
  Each camp has two names to enable it to export without revealing that 
it is a prison. The number and location of camps is a state secret. 
Camp produce can be collectivised with produce from elsewhere and sold 
on by state trading companies at provincial level with no indication as 
to its true origin. Products may be made using cheap electricity 
generated from coal mined in forced labor mines, or using metals 
extracted and processed by prisoners. Plastics and many other raw 
materials are made in camps and used in manufacturing elsewhere.
  I will be the one to say that I think you ought to get MFN. If you do 
not do it, then, quite frankly, I think, one, the Clinton 
administration is bound to keep their word and not grant it. And quite 
frankly, it should not even come up to this body, because when we vote, 
we are not voting on just some right to vote. We are voting on these 
individuals who have been persecuted, tortured and who, at this very 
moment, as Members of the body may be watching this, at this very 
moment people are probably being tortured and punished and up to their 
thighs in this in the slave labor camps.
  I have been in one. There are only two Members of Congress that have 
ever been in one, Congressman Smith and myself. It was probably a 
mistake that they let me in. But I thank the Good Lord that I got in.
  I have seen it with my own eyes. It is not a pleasant place to be. We 
want to make sure that ends.
  So with that and in deference to the gentleman from Texas, who has 
been so patient in waiting, I will not take more time.
  I thank the gentleman for being here and for asking the questions.
  Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record some printed material:

                                          Library of Congress,

                                 Washington, DC, January 18, 1993.
     To: Hon. Frank R. Wolf, House of Representatives, Attention: 
       Karen Feaver.
     From: Tao-tai Hsia, Chief.
     Subject: People's Daily (Overseas Edition) distortion of 
       Federal Register notice on Chinese prison export goods.
       You will find attached a brief report analyzing a recent 
     article that appeared on the front page of the People's Daily 
     (Overseas Edition) in relation to a notice in the U.S. 
     Federal Register to which the article refers. The relevant 
     items--a photocopy of the People's Daily (Overseas Edition) 
     article, of the Xinhua item (in English) on which it is 
     based, and of the Federal Register notice--are also attached 
     for your perusal. I hope you find this material to be of 
     interest.
       Attachments.

          Chinese Press Distortion of Federal Register Notice

       A recent front-page item in the official Chinese press 
     attempts to give the misleading impression that China has 
     never exported prison-made goods to the United States and 
     bases its claim on a U.S. Customs finding reported in the 
     Federal Register.
       The January 5, 1994, article in the overseas edition of 
     People's Daily (attributed to a Xinhua News Agency item of 
     January 4), has the following headline: ``China has never 
     exported labor goods to America.'' First, although the text 
     of the article narrows the context, stating that socks of the 
     Qinghe Stocking factory of the Beijing No. 1 Prison produced 
     by convict labor ``were not'' and ``are not likely in the 
     future'' to be exported to America, the headline nevertheless 
     gives the impression that all of China, at all times, has 
     been innocent of exporting prison goods. It may be noted that 
     an English version of the Xinhua item, with the headline 
     ``U.S. Government Scotches Chinese Prison Labor Rumor,'' also 
     states that the factory ``has never exported its products to 
     the U.S.''
       Second, even the text of the article states that reform-
     through-labor institutions have no right to engage in foreign 
     economic trade activities. While this is legally the case, in 
     fact such institutions have engaged in overseas export 
     activities, as different official Chinese sources themselves 
     have indicated and even boasted about.
       Third, the basis for the claim made by the Chinese press is 
     stated as being the U.S. Federal Register of December 12, 
     1993, which contains a U.S. Customs finding in regard to the 
     socks. Examination of the original item in the Federal 
     Register (the relevant issue is actually dated December 13) 
     shows that the Chinese article distorts the wording used. 
     First, the Customs notice refers to a 1992 Customs 
     determination that socks manufactured through the use of 
     convict labor at the factory ``were being, or were likely to 
     be imported into the United States.'' Second, the notice 
     gives a new finding of the Commissioner of Customs, 
     determined after additional investigation of the 1992 case. 
     The recent determination states that ``certain articles of 
     the People's Republic of China are no longer being, or likely 
     to be, imported into the United States, which were being 
     mined, produced or manufactured with the use of convict, 
     forced, or indentured labor.'' Nowhere does it acknowledge 
     that Chinese prison goods, or the kind of socks in question, 
     have never been exported to the U.S.
       Fourth, the determination of the U.S. Customs is made in 
     reference to only one Chinese institution, even though others 
     may have been or may still be exporting their products in 
     order to earn foreign exchange. Because of pressure from the 
     U.S. Congress and the agreement that was worked out between 
     China and the U.S. concerning prison-made goods, the Chinese 
     are definitely more careful about the prison activities and 
     it will be much more difficult now to obtain any 
     incriminating evidence of violation of the agreement. A 
     notable instance of their attempt to control foreign 
     knowledge of the institutions was the issuance in 1991 of a 
     Ministry of Justice circular concerning distribution of 
     Provisions on the Reception of Foreign Guests by 
     Rehabilitation Through Labor Units.
       People's Daily (Overseas Edition) is a mouthpiece of the 
     Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party; Xinhua is 
     the official party news agency. The publication of an 
     officially sanctioned article that so clearly distorts the 
     facts can but call into question the credibility of the 
     Chinese government itself.
       Prepared by Tao-tai Hsia, Chief, and Wendy I. Zeldin, Legal 
     Reseach Analyst, Far Eastern Law Division, Law Library of 
     Congress, January 1994.
                                  ____


 Notices--Department of the Treasury, U.S. Customs Service [T.D. 93-94]

       Determination That Maintenance of Determination/Finding of 
     July 7, 1992, Pertaining to Certain Socks Imported From the 
     PRC Is No Longer Necessary, 58 FR 65235.
       Date: Monday, December 13, 1993.
       Action: Determination that Merchandise is no longer Subject 
     to 19 U.S.C. 1307.
       Summary: On July 7, 1992, the Commissioner of Customs, with 
     the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury issued a 
     determination/finding that certain child or infant and adult 
     socks, possibly identified and/or marketed under the ``Golden 
     Double Horse'' brand name, and manufactured at the Beijing 
     Qinghe Hosiery Factory, People's Republic of China, with the 
     use of convict labor and/or forced labor, and/or indentured 
     labor, were being, or were likely to be imported into the 
     United States. The Commissioner of Customs, pursuant to 19 
     CFR 12.42(f) has now determined, based upon additional 
     Customs investigation, that such merchandise is no longer 
     being, or is likely to be imported into the United States in 
     violation of section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as 
     amended (19 U.S.C. 1307).
       Dates: This determination shall take effect 5 days after 
     the date of publication in the Federal Register.
       For further information contact: Robert K. Neckel, Senior 
     Special Agent, Office of Enforcement, Headquarters, U.S. 
     Customs Service, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, 
     DC 20229 (202) 927-1510.
       Determination.--Pursuant to Sec. 12.42(f), Customs 
     Regulations (19 CFR 12.42(f)), it is hereby determined that 
     certain articles of the People's Republic of China are no 
     longer being, or likely to be, imported into the United 
     States, which were being mined, produced or manufactured with 
     the use of convict, forced, or indentured labor.
       Articles schedule.--Item number from the Harmonized Tariff 
     (19 U.S.C. 1202).
       Child or infant socks.--6115.93.20209 (Textile Category 
     632).
       Adult socks.--6115.92.20004 (Textile Category 332). 
     (Manufactured by the Beijing Qinghe Hosiery Factory)
       Approved: November 15, 1993.
     Samuel H. Banks,
                                   Acting Commissioner of Customs.
       Dated: November 18, 1993.
     John P. Simpson,
                         Deputy Assistant Secretary (Enforcement).
                                  ____


  United States and Canada--PRC, U.S. Examine Illegal Export of Socks


                       charges said `groundless'

       [Text] Beijing, 4 Jan. (XINHUA)--According to a report from 
     the United States, an investigative report released by the 
     U.S. Government publication the FEDERAL REGISTER [LIAN BANG 
     JI SHI 51146721 6764 0057] has confirmed that the Beijing No. 
     One Prison did not export, and is not likely to export in the 
     future, socks produced by inmates working at its Qinghe Sock 
     Factory. The facts of the case, concocted by Congressman 
     Wolf, member of the U.S. House of Representatives, state that 
     in 1991, ``China's Beijing No. One Prison was exporting goods 
     to the United States''. This case has finally been vindicated 
     by the facts.
       On 27 March 1991, Representative Wolf and others visited 
     the Beijing No. One Prison. When they toured the prison's 
     sock workshop, Wolf attempted to take away without permission 
     several pairs of semifinished socks on the table, but he was 
     stopped then and there by the prison staff. After the tour, 
     the warden gave each and every visitor five pair of socks as 
     souvenirs. A few days later, however, Wolf, through the media 
     outside China, without grounds, accused the Beijing prison of 
     exporting socks it produced to the United States. Testifying 
     to the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations after he 
     returned to the United States, Wolf brazenly accused China, 
     displaying the five pairs of socks given to him as a gift, 
     and claimed they were ``proof'' that China was exporting 
     goods made by inmates in reformatories to the United States. 
     Although China made an immediate clarification and explained 
     the real situation on many occasions, Wolf still disregarded 
     the basic facts and continued his totally groundless charges 
     on many other occasions. Thus, the ``case of the Beijing 
     prison's sock exports'' suddenly created a hue and cry in the 
     U.S. Congress and in the media, creating a very bad 
     impression of China.
       Two years later, in March 1993, the U.S. Embassy in China 
     submitted a request to the relevant Chinese authorities to 
     send some officials to visit the Beijing No. One Prison, and 
     the authorities made arrangements for three officials of the 
     U.S. Embassy in China to visit the prison on 30 March 1993. 
     During the visit, the officials conducted a detailed 
     investigation of the matter regarding Wolf's accusation that 
     the prison was exporting inmate-produced socks to the United 
     States. The officials then reported the results of their 
     investigation to the U.S. Government. Later, Wolf again 
     spread the lies he created and attacked China, without 
     grounds, at another news conference held in the United States 
     in the summer of 1993. The Chinese authorities time and again 
     urged the United States to publicize the results of the 
     investigation conducted by the embassy officials. On 13 
     December 1993, the U.S. Government publicized the results of 
     the investigation the FEDERAL REGISTER, and thus the factory 
     was vindicated.
       An official of the relevant Chinese authorities pointed 
     out, with regard to products produced by reformatories, the 
     policy of the Chinese Government is clear: Reformatory-
     operated businesses do not have the right to carry out 
     economic and trade activities with foreign countries or to 
     conduct import-export business. China has been strictly 
     abiding by the ``Memorandum of Understanding on Banning the 
     Import and Export of Prison-Produced Products'' ever since it 
     was signed by China and the United States. Facts are the most 
     convincing proof.


                       ``federal register'' cited

       [Text] Beijing, January 4 (XINHAU)--A U.S. Government 
     investigation has confirmed that the Qinghe stocking factory 
     of Beijing's Number One Prison has never exported its 
     products to the U.S.
       The investigation report which was published last month in 
     the U.S. Government publication ``Federal Register,'' has put 
     an end to a two-year probe into rumors of exports of prison-
     made goods from China to the U.S.
       On March 27, 1991, during his visit to the stocking 
     workshop of the prison factory, U.S. Congressman Frank Wolf 
     tried to take away several semi-finished products with the 
     intention of keeping them, but he was stopped.
       Later, before they left the prison, the warden gave each of 
     the visitors including Frank Wolf five pairs of stockings as 
     souvenirs.
       But several days later Wolf claimed that stockings produced 
     by the Beijing prison had been exported to the U.S.
       After he returned home Wolf displayed the stockings at a 
     hearing of the Foreign Relations Committee of the U.S. Senate 
     as ``proof'' that china had exported prison-made products.
       Despite the fact that the Chinese side immediately 
     clarified the truth of the matter, Wolf closed his eyes to 
     the facts and continued to spread his allegations on many 
     occasions.
       Two years later, in March 1993, the U.S. Embassy to China 
     made a request to the Chinese department concerned for 
     embassy officials to be allowed to visit the Beijing Number 
     One Prison.
       On March 30, 1993 the Chinese department concerned arranged 
     a visit by three U.S. Embassy officials to the prison. During 
     their visit the embassy officials said that they had made a 
     detailed inquiry about Wolf's allegation and they would 
     report their conclusion to the American government.
       Later, in the summer of 1993, Wolf again spread his lies at 
     a press conference held in the U.S. and accused China 
     groundlessly.
       After repeated requests by the Chinese department 
     concerned, the U.S. Government published the investigation 
     conclusion in ``FEDERAL REGISTER'' on December 13, 1993, 
     which conforms to the facts.
       Speaking about reform-through-labor products, a Chinese 
     Government spokesman said that the policy of the Chinese 
     Government is very clear. ``Reform-through-labor enterprises 
     have no right to conduct foreign trade,'' he said.
       ``Since China and U.S. reached an understanding about 
     banning imports and exports of prison labor products, the 
     Chinese side has always abided by the agreement. And facts 
     are the best proof,'' the official added.


                 npc vice chairman meets anna chennault

       [Text] Beijing, January 4 (XINHAU)--Wang Guangying, vice-
     chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National 
     People's Congress [NPC], met and had a cordial conversation 
     with Mrs. Anna Chennault, a noted American personality, here 
     today.
       The visitor, who arrived here Thursday, is scheduled to 
     leave here tomorrow to travel to some cities in southern 
     China.


                            central eurasia

                                 ______



              Beijing Secretary Meets Kiev City Delegation

       [By reporter Lian Gong (6647 0364): ``Strengthening 
     Understanding, Exchange and Cooperation Between the Two 
     Cities Will Help Promote Development of Relations Between the 
     Two Countries'']
       [Text] Yesterday evening, Chen Xitong, member of the 
     Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, secretary of 
     the Beijing Municipal CPC Committee, and honorary chairman of 
     the Beijing Municipal People's Association for Friendship 
     with Foreign Countries, met with a Kiev city government 
     delegation led by Leonid Kosakivskyy, representative of the 
     president of the Ukraine stationed in Kiev city and state 
     administrative leader of Kiev city.
       During their enthusiastic talks, Chen Xitong welcomed the 
     guests of Kiev city and congratulated Beijing Municipality 
     for establishing friendly relations with Kiev city.
       Chen Xitong happily reviewed the deep impression his visit 
     to Ukraine in 1986 left. He acclaimed Kiev as a beautiful 
     city full of patriotism. He said: Despite the changeable 
     international situation, friendship between the peoples of 
     China and the Ukraine will not change. As Beijing and Kiev, 
     the capitals of the two countries, understand, exchange, and 
     cooperate, they will surely help promote better relations 
     between the two countries.
       Chen Xitong said: The establishment of friendly relations 
     between Beijing and Kiev will write a new page in the history 
     of relations. He expressed the hope that both cities would 
     regard this as a new starting point; realistically develop 
     friendly cooperation in the economic, scientific, 
     technological and cultural spheres; and unceasingly achieve 
     substantial results.
       Leonid Kosakivskyy thanked the Beijing Municipal leader for 
     greeting him warmly and expressed Kiev city's ardent hope of 
     strengthening exchange and developing cooperation with the 
     Beijing Municipality.
       Li Qiyan, Chen Guangwen, Lu Yucheng, Peng Kexun and 
     Plyushko, Ukraine ambassador to China, were also present at 
     the meeting.


              cross-border trade zone planned with russia

       [Text] Harbin, January 4 (XINHUA)--A Chinese city and a 
     Russian city have agreed to build a cross-border free 
     economic and trade zone.
       The agreement, reached between Heihe city in the 
     northeastern Chinese province of Heilongjiang and 
     Blagoveshchensk city of the Amur region of Russia in the Far 
     East, was made public here at a seminar named ``special 
     economic zones for regional development'', jointly sponsored 
     by the United Nations and Heilongjiang Province of China.
       Under the agreement, the free economic and trade zone will 
     extend from either end of the pontoon bridge to be built soon 
     to span the boundary Heilongjiang river.
       The zone, initially blueprinted to cover 20 sq km, will 
     consist of 10 sq km of land from each of the two countries 
     while respective state land ownership remains unchanged.
       As outlined in the agreement, the zone, to be mainly 
     engaged in trade, finance, high-tech industries, 
     transportation and catering, is expected to become a transit 
     center for goods and passengers. It is also designed to be an 
     export-oriented processing base.
       The agreement said the zone will be administered by a joint 
     management commission, to be formed by state-appointed 
     personnel from both China and Russia. The commission, 
     meanwhile, will adopt internationally-recognized practices 
     and regulations governing economic, social, cultural and 
     legal affairs.
       The zone will not be subject to the administration of 
     either single government, the agreement noted.

                          ____________________