[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 90 (Tuesday, June 24, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H4229]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          REJECT MFN FOR CHINA

  (Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to reject most-
favored-nation trade status for China. An increasing volume of evidence 
signals that this policy of engagement has failed to create democratic 
changes in China, nor has it helped our own national interest.
  While we blindly extend MFN to China, that Communist regime continues 
its aggressive foreign policy. China challenges all measures of 
civilized international behavior. It has sold chemical weapons and 
missiles to terrorist nations. Domestically, the Communist regime that 
rules China continues to treat its citizens with ruthless brutality. 
Any type of religious events are brutally brought down by the regime. 
Catholic priests have been murdered; women are forced to have 
abortions.
  Even President Clinton admits that the human rights situation has not 
improved despite assurances that engagement will improve the lives of 
the Chinese.
  While China reaps the benefits from trade with the United States, we 
have a $40 billion trade deficit with Communist China with no evidence 
that it will decrease in the near future. Both Democrat and Republican 
administrations continue to stubbornly praise a one-way engagement by 
the United States. The United States can do much better.

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