[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 89 (Monday, June 23, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H4217]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                         SUPPORT MFN FOR CHINA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from California [Mr. Dreier] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, in about 15 hours we will be casting one of 
the most important national security, trade, foreign policy votes of 
this year, and I am referring of course to the vote which will call for 
ending normal trade relations with the People's Republic of China. It 
is very important this year because, as we sit here on the verge of the 
reversion of Hong Kong to China, the termination of a 99-year-old 
lease, it seems to me that we have a responsibility to recognize the 
plight of the people of Hong Kong.
  It is very fascinating to observe the message which has emerged from 
Hong Kong. There is no more respected fighter for political pluralism, 
human rights and economic freedom than Martin Lee. Martin Lee has been 
an outspoken advocate, having fought diligently in Hong Kong for all of 
these things, and he has sent a very strong message on this vote which 
we are going to face tomorrow. He said, ``The nonrenewal of MFN would 
hurt U.S. Badly. This is something we cannot afford when we are already 
undergoing a critical transition.'' No one, no one is fighting on the 
front line for human rights and those things which we as Americans feel 
so strongly about than Martin Lee.
  The Governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, has said, ``I say to you on 
behalf of the whole community in Hong Kong that you will not help U.S. 
by damaging our economy and damaging confidence in our future. The best 
way to help U.S. is by renewing MFN and continuing the policy of 
engagement towards China.''
  Now these are two people who are right there on the scene. It is very 
easy for the U.S. to sit here in Washington, DC and do what makes the 
U.S. feel good rather than doing good. The fact of the matter is there 
are people there and there are people here in this House who 
fortunately understand how important it is.
  Today in the Wall Street Journal there was a great piece written by 
some extraordinarily patriotic Americans. Ronald Reagan's Ambassador to 
the United Nations Jeane Kirkpatrick, our former colleague and former 
HUD Secretary Jack Kemp, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, 
former presidential candidate and great business leader Steve Forbes, 
the former Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander; in today's Wall 
Street Journal they wrote:

       China has undergone significant liberalization and reform 
     that have resulted in greater freedom for the Chinese people, 
     and we believe that China is well on the road to major 
     development, modernization and fuller participation in the 
     processes of the democratic and law-abiding nations of the 
     world. We know it is not there yet. The U.S. debate should 
     focus on what policies we should follow to enhance, and not 
     hinder, these favorable trends, and on what policies are most 
     effective in dealing with problem areas.

  Now, Mr. Speaker, that is why today the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
[Mr. Fox], my colleague, has joined along with the gentleman from 
Illinois [Mr. Porter], chairman of the Human Rights Caucus, the 
gentleman from California [Mr. Matsui] from the other side of the 
aisle, the gentleman from Arizona [Mr. Salmon], someone who came up 
with many of the great ideas, the gentleman from Arizona [Mr. Kolbe], 
in putting together legislation that we will be introducing called the 
China Human Rights and Democracy Act, geared toward that last sentence 
that I mentioned in the Wall Street Journal piece that appeared today.
  We should look at positive ways. We have been dealing with Members 
who have opposed MFN like the gentleman from New York [Mr. Solomon], 
the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Smith], and others. I am hoping that 
they will join as cosponsors of this legislation when we introduce it 
because all it is, is positive movement by increasing funding for the 
National Endowment for Democracy which has played a role in encouraging 
village elections, where 800 million Chinese have participated with 
secret ballots, with noncommunist candidates in generating and 
selecting their own leaders, and we also called for increasing that 
very important message which we have all fought for through Radio Free 
Asia and the Voice of America.

  So I hope that many will join this legislation that the gentleman 
from Illinois [Mr. Porter] and I and others are introducing, and let me 
close, Mr. Speaker, by addressing an issue which has gotten a great 
deal of attention.
  There is a view that religious leaders in this country stand en masse 
opposing normal trade relations with China. Well, I was very pleased 
last week to have received a letter from the Great Reverend Billy 
Graham who does not want to get involved in the MFN debate and he made 
that very clear. But he did say the following in his letter to me.

       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 to keep China as a 
     friend than to treat it as an adversary.

  Mr. Speaker, I hope very much that my colleagues will join tomorrow 
by voting no on the resolution of disapproval.

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