[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 101 (Wednesday, July 16, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S7620]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         MFN STATUS WITH CHINA

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, tomorrow we will be voting on Senator 
Hutchinson's amendment with regard to most-favored-nation status with 
China.
  I intend tomorrow to vote for the amendment offered by my friend from 
Arkansas, Senator Hutchinson. I would like to emphasize, however, first 
and foremost, that this is a sense-of-the-Senate resolution. It is not 
binding. It does not in any way alter or reverse the President's 
decision to extend most-favored-nation trading status with China. As we 
all know, the House of Representatives already has voted against a 
resolution revoking China's MFN status.
  So, Mr. President, this amendment is more a chance to make a 
statement--frankly, for me, a chance to express my frustration with 
certain activities taken by the Chinese Government.
  Let there be no misunderstanding. I believe that China needs to 
reassess its actions in a number of areas because I believe Congress--
certainly this Senator--is losing patience.
  Let me be a bit more specific. I am very concerned first about 
China's weapons proliferation activities particularly in the Middle 
East. In the past 2 years, it has been reported in the media that China 
has supplied Pakistan with key components to develop its own nuclear 
weapons program as well as ballistic missiles to deliver such weapons. 
China also has been the source for Iran's growing cruise missile 
capability, which poses a clear threat to our military personnel and 
commercial shippers in the Persian Gulf.
  Further, I am concerned about Chinese state-owned companies knowingly 
supplying assault weapons to criminal gangs in California. 
Representatives of these companies were arrested in a sting operation 
just last year and are now awaiting trial in California. I am very 
concerned about repeated human rights violations throughout China as 
well as religious persecution and religious repression.
  I am very concerned about the hideous practices of forced abortions 
and sterilization in China. I am concerned about the possible reversal 
of various political liberties such as free speech and assembly in Hong 
Kong.
  These are all very serious issues, and I believe that we need to take 
action to try to address each one. My vote tomorrow in favor of this 
sense-of-the-Senate resolution will be an expression of these concerns. 
However, I believe there are far more effective ways to demonstrate our 
commitment to these issues than just the sense of the Senate before us. 
I suggest if we truly want to address all these issues constructively, 
we should bring before the Senate legislation that is targeted for its 
clear solutions.
  For example, the Senate recently passed legislation offered by my 
colleague who just spoke a moment ago, the distinguished Senator from 
Utah, Mr. Bennett, which calls on our President to enforce our Nation's 
nonproliferation laws against China for its efforts to supply Iran with 
cruise missiles. I was a cosponsor of this legislation, which, by the 
way, passed the Senate unanimously.
  We can do more. We could and we should bring before the Senate the 
legislation that was introduced by my colleague from Pennsylvania, 
Senator Specter, legislation which would impose penalties on countries 
guilty of supporting or tolerating religious persecution, and I am a 
proud cosponsor of this bill.
  We should bring before the Senate the legislation introduced by the 
Senator from Michigan, Mr. Abraham, which would impose targeted 
sanctions against China in cases of religious persecution and against 
Chinese companies for illegal weapons transfers into the United States.
  This bill would also increase United States support for human rights 
and democracy-building initiatives in China, including Radio Free Asia 
and the National Endowment for Democracy. I am proud to be an original 
cosponsor of this legislation as well.
  If we truly want to take strong, constructive action in regard to 
China, the options are clearly before us. The sense-of-the-Senate 
resolution before us is not the best way to address all of the issues 
of concern we have with China, but it is, I believe, helpful to send a 
signal to the Government of China that the people of the United States 
are genuinely concerned about the direction China has taken in a number 
of areas. Again, it is just a signal. But we should use the opportunity 
to make this signal strong and very clear.
  I believe, as I have stated, that we can do much more, more that is 
constructive and more that I believe can make a real and positive 
difference for the people of China. I hope in the weeks and months 
ahead we will take these actions.

                          ____________________