[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 87 (Friday, June 20, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H4122-H4123]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  MOST FAVORED NATION STATUS FOR CHINA

  (Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks and include extraneous 
material.)
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I wish to share with my colleagues an 
extraordinary letter that I received last night. Over the past several 
weeks there has been a perception that virtually all Christian leaders 
in this country support revocation of Most Favored Nation trading 
status for the People's Republic of China.
  Just yesterday we heard here in the Capitol from many Christian 
missionaries who have been on the ground in

[[Page H4123]]

China working to spread the gospel, and then last night I received what 
I believe to be an unprecedented letter from the Reverend Billy Graham, 
and I am going to ask unanimous consent to have it included in the 
Record and I will have copies of it here for my colleagues on the House 
floor.
  Mr. Speaker, in this letter he says, ``I am in favor of doing all we 
can to strengthen our relationship with China and its people. China is 
rapidly becoming one of the dominant economic and political powers in 
the world and I believe it is far better for us to keep China as a 
friend than to treat it as an adversary.''
  This is a very potent message. While the Reverend Graham does not 
want to get involved in the MFN debate, he makes his position very, 
very clear about the need to maintain engagement. I urge my colleagues 
to oppose the resolution of disapproval when it comes up next week.
                                      Montreat, NC, June 19, 1997.
     Hon. David Dreier,
     Congress of the United States, House of Representatives, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Dreier, Thank you for the telephone calls 
     concerning the People's Republic of China that you have made 
     recently to both me and my son, Ned, who heads a ministry 
     which works closely with the churches of China. Ned and I 
     have discussed the issue and felt that it was important 
     enough for me to write directly to you. Like you, I have 
     great respect for China's long and rich heritage, and I am 
     grateful for the opportunities I have had to visit that great 
     country. It has been a privilege to get to know many of its 
     leaders and also to become familiar with the actual situation 
     of religious believers in the P.R.C.
       The current debate about renewing China's ``Most Favored 
     Nation'' trading status no doubt raises many complex and 
     difficult questions, and it is not my intention to become 
     involved in the political aspects of this issue. However, I 
     am in favor of doing all we can to strengthen our 
     relationship with China and its people. China is rapidly 
     becoming one of the dominant economic and political powers in 
     the world, and I believe it is far better for us to keep 
     China as a friend than to treat it as an adversary. 
     Furthermore, in my experience, nations respond to friendship 
     just as much as people do.
       While I will not be releasing a formal public statement on 
     the M.F.N. debate, you should feel free to share my 
     sentiments with your colleagues. May God give you and all 
     your colleagues His wisdom as you debate this important 
     issue.
           With every good wish,
     Billy Graham.

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