[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 65 (Monday, May 23, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 23, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
RENEWAL OF MOST-FAVORED-NATION STATUS TO THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss the importance of 
renewing most-favored-nation trade status to the People's Republic of 
China.
  I grew up watching ships sail out of the great Port of Seattle, 
taking the finest products of the Pacific Northwest to every corner of 
the globe. The ships that leave Seattle, Tacoma, Gray's Harbor, and 
Everett, carry with them ideas as well as goods.
  Their cargo is our ambassador. It shows our trading partners what can 
be achieved when a country enjoys the highest levels of productivity 
known in the history of civilization.
  Throughout this century, the State of Washington has traded with the 
countries of Asia. The Pike Place Market bustles in Far Eastern 
dialects and flavors. Seattle's International District is an amazing 
mixture of Asian cultures, sights, and sounds.
  We have a long and rich tradition with the Pacific rim. This 
tradition culminated in the APEC conference in Seattle last November.
  I was a delegate to this historic meeting which brought Pacific 
leaders together to exchange ideas on international economics as well 
as politics.
  Mr. President, over these many years, the people of Washington State 
have come to understand the people of Asia. And, international commerce 
has provided an important bridge between our two continents.
  The ideals of our market economy and the foundation of our democracy 
and freedom are embodied in this commerce.
  America's open and free skies allowed the Wright Brothers to invent a 
machine that would become this country's No. 1 export.
  America's bold entrepreneurism allowed a computer whiz to lead one of 
the most successful businesses in the world.
  Today, the Boeing Co. and the Microsoft Corp. are known around the 
world for their top-of-the-line products and their made-in-the-USA 
labels.
  And, so is Nic Hanauer's family business, the Pacific Northwest 
Feather Co. And, Steve Elliott's Seattle Chocolate Co. And, Ken Auld's 
Chukar Cherries from Prosser. And our famous apples from Wenatchee, and 
our wines from Yakima.
  People's lives in the State of Washington, the economic well-being of 
the Pacific Northwest, depends on trade with Asia. This trade should be 
free and unfettered.
  The United States should do all it can to alleviate trade barriers. 
We should relax antiquated export controls. We should insist on respect 
for our intellectual property rights. We should open markets.
  But it is easy to forget the importance of maintaining economic ties 
when we witness the brutality of political repression.
  My State is a pioneer State. The citizens of Washington value their 
liberty--their ability to express their thoughts without retribution 
from the government.
  We have a proud tradition of tolerance, and we are leaders in the 
struggle of all people around the world to live with the same basic 
human rights we enjoy.
  I remember growing numb as I watched the tanks roll through Tiananmen 
Square. I remember explaining to my children that the Chinese 
Government responded violently to a peaceful demonstration of its own 
people.
  I have not forgotten. To this day, I salute those brave students who 
stood up for what they believe in--a set of beliefs I share. The 
freedom of speech, the right of peaceful assembly, the freedom of 
religion, and the basic liberty of political dissent.
  I want human rights for everyone around this globe. I want women and 
men everywhere to be able to organize and mobilize and express their 
political views.
  And, human rights will come to China. Look at the economic miracle in 
south China. Look at the free movement of goods and services, and the 
ideals of political freedom enshrined in that prosperity.
  Listen to the 800 Chinese pilots and maintenance personnel who 
received training through Boeing last year, or the 1,500 Chinese 
visitors the Boeing Co. received in Seattle last year.
  Listen to their stories of hope--of creating a new society in China 
based on the principles they learned from their American counterparts.
  China is a bonanza for American-style business. Thousands of American 
and other Western entrepreneurs are currently engaged in China, and as 
they become part of Chinese culture, Beijing will find it impossible to 
control the spread of ideas. But, Western ideals will only penetrate 
that country if we are engaged there.
  Cutting off trade is not the way to foster these ideals. In fact, if 
history is a teacher, we can learn that China experienced its darkest 
period of human rights abuses when that country was isolated from the 
international community.
  How can we expect to foster democracy if we cut off access to 
American telecommunications? It is far wiser to allow everyone in China 
access to a telephone, a fax machine, and a computer, if we want to 
encourage their political mobilization.
  I have heard arguments to the contrary here on the Senate floor from 
colleagues I deeply respect. I think we all want to get to the same 
end. We want people all over the world to be able to live without fear.
  But we disagree on the way to encourage this.
  China is an enormous country. We should be pursuing negotiations with 
that country's leaders on many levels. We need to appeal to China to 
assist us with ending nuclear proliferation on the Korean peninsula.
  We have to work with China to ensure the people of Hong Kong retain 
their economic and political freedom as their governance changes from 
the British Commonwealth to the People's Republic of China.
  We have to insist the cultures of all ethnic groups in China, 
including the Tibetans, keeping their integrity.
  We have to work with China to improve that country's disastrous 
record on intellectual property protection.
  But revoking, or conditioning, MFN will hurt the very people we want 
to help most in China. It will also hurt us at home. Let me take a few 
minutes to describe how an economic reaction in America to a political 
problem in China will affect everyday people in the State of 
Washington.
  I want everyone in my trade-dependent State to understand the 
importance of this decision to their lives.
  My State is home to the Nation's largest exporter. China has ordered 
64 planes from the Boeing Co., sales worth $3.9 billion. Over the next 
15 years, China will order 800 planes worth $40 billion.
  These orders mean jobs, and not just jobs in the Boeing Co. itself. 
Nearly 100,000 people employed by Boeing support almost another 300,000 
jobs. For example, the manufacture of every 777 plane creates 24 
longshore jobs at the Port of Everett alone.
  If the administration cuts off MFN benefits to China, plane orders 
will be canceled. So will wheat and apple shipments.
  And with these canceled orders, unemployment lines will grow. Farm 
incomes will wither away, and small businesses will close.
  I doubt small business owners in the Puget Sound area would believe 
that the 1989 uprising in Tiananmen Square would hurt their business. 
But, in today's global economy, it could.
  That is why revoking MFN would be disastrous.
  Mr. President, how can I explain to a corner grocer in Everett, or a 
dry-cleaner in Renton, or a farm supplier in Spokane, that their 
businesses are closing to improve human rights in China?
  Will jeopardizing the well-being of the people of Washington State 
really improve the internal political situation in China?
  And, Mr. President, how can we explain to the Chinese people that 
they will no longer have access to the American products and ideas they 
have just begun to embrace?
  Isolating China will crush hope. It will abandon China's future to 
the hard-liners who sent the tanks into Tiananmen.
  It will also keep China underdeveloped and unsafe. Let me give you a 
real example: the Boeing Co. trains pilots, making the skies over that 
massive country safer. If Boeing cannot operate in that market, 
training will stop. Flying will remain dangerous, imperiling Chinese 
passengers, and all foreigners who travel there.
  Mr. President, make no mistake about it--I have had my disagreements 
with Chinese officials.
  I have had very frank discussions on intellectual property rights 
violations with the Chinese Ambassador.
  I have encouraged Ambassador Kantor to take a tough stance on China's 
trade barriers.
  I have worked with Secretary Espy to get more agricultural exports 
from Washington State into China.
  Mr. President, I know unilateral American sanctions will not change 
the political situation of a massive country an ocean away.
  That is why I stand ready to work with the administration to fashion 
a new China policy that will allow negotiations on many fronts, a 
policy that will encourage human rights in China, arms reduction, 
protection of ethnic minorities, and a bright economic trading future.

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