[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 114 (Wednesday, September 3, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1641-E1642]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                         HUMAN RIGHTS AND CHINA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LEE H. HAMILTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 3, 1997

  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, former President Jimmy Carter recently 
made a compelling case in the New York Times that good relations with 
China are not incompatible with an American foreign policy that places 
human rights at the forefront of our diplomatic agenda.
  President Carter cogently argued that only through sustained dialog 
and interaction with the Chinese can we, over time, resolve the 
differences that separate our two nations and encourage the Chinese 
leadership to give the people of China the freedoms they so richly 
deserve.
  I commend the article by President Carter and ask that it be placed 
in the Record so that colleagues who might have missed it can have an 
opportunity to study it.

                      It's Wrong to Demonize China

                           (By Jimmy Carter)

       Atlanta.--I spent the spring of 1949 in the seaports of 
     China as a young naval officer on my first submarine cruise. 
     Nearly 30 years later, Deng Xiaoping and I normalized 
     diplomatic relations between our countries. We knew that even 
     with this opening, decades of patience and persistence would 
     be required before the bonds between our greatly different 
     countries would be firm and predictable.
       I consider sound Sino-American relations, along with the 
     importance of maintaining human rights as a foundation of 
     American foreign policy, to be legacies of my Administration. 
     These two goals are not incompatible, but can be reached only 
     if we try to understand each other.
       Americans have benefited from the unprecedented stability 
     and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region made possible by 
     close ties among the United States, China and Japan. But the 
     greatest beneficiaries have been the Chinese people, whose 
     quality of life and human rights have improved enormously 
     during the last two decades.
       Both China and the United States continue to share many 
     interests: maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-
     Pacific region, controlling weapons of mass destruction, 
     preventing conflict on the Korean peninsula and fostering 
     open trade. Unfortunately, many Americans and Chinese have 
     lost sight of the original vision that brought us together. 
     Ill-informed commentators in both countries have cast the 
     other side as a villain and have even forecast inevitable 
     confrontation between the two nations. The accomplishments of 
     a quarter century are at risk.
       Since my Presidency, I have been to China periodically to 
     discuss world and domestic affairs and to visit rural areas. 
     On my latest trip last month, I met with President Jiang 
     Zemin, Prime Minister Li Peng, the chairman of the National 
     People's Congress, Qiao Shi, and other leaders. They 
     expressed concern that our leaders are encouraging Japanese 
     rearmament and extending Japan's defense perimeter to include 
     Taiwan. They also deeply resent American sales of F-16 jet 
     fighters and other weaponry to Taiwan, saying that these 
     deals seem to violate pledges made to them by Presidents 
     Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan and me.
       We also discussed America's concerns, including the 
     mounting trade deficit, human rights and particularly the 
     treatment of the Tibetan people.
       Mutual criticisms are proper and necessary, but should not 
     be offered in an arrogant or self-righteous way, and each of 
     us should acknowledge improvements made by the other.
       Significant changes are taking place throughout China. 
     There is no longer a single unquestioned government policy. 
     Instead, China's top leaders have a wide range of opinions on 
     such issues as the role of parliaments, expansion of the 
     election process and privatization. Since normalization, an 
     increasingly free economic system has transformed the lives 
     of Chinese people. Farmers now retain profits on practically 
     all crops planted on their land, and many villagers own their 
     own businesses. Incomes and educational opportunities have 
     also risen sharply.
       Although congregations must still register with the 
     Government, membership in Christian churches is booming. The 
     pastor of the church we attended in Shandong Province knew of 
     only 200 believers in his rural county after the Cultural 
     Revolution, and they had no churches or Bibles. There are now 
     15 congregations in 11 churches, 3,000 members have been 
     baptized, and Bibles are distributed freely.
       A 1987 law mandates elections in nearly a million villages. 
     Citizens can choose among multiple candidates, including 
     those who are not members of the Communist Party, in a secret 
     ballot, and many nonparty members have been chosen as village 
     leaders. The Carter Center has observed some of these 
     contests. Arbitrary power is still exerted by some political 
     leaders, but progress is being made in promoting the rule of 
     law. Some citizens are even bringing lawsuits against 
     government agencies that violate their rights.

[[Page E1642]]

       Citizens are more free to move from one place to another, 
     and the nation has been opened to outside interests and 
     influence. Until 1985, no outsiders were permitted to enter 
     the rural county we visited; now village leaders are trying 
     to expand their 45 joint ventures with foreigners.
       President Jiang's long overdue state visit to Washington in 
     October--the first by a Chinese leader in 10 years--will 
     provide an opportunity to address human rights and other 
     issues.
       American criticism of China's human rights abuses are 
     justified, but their basis is not well understood. Westerners 
     emphasize personal freedoms, while a stable government and a 
     unified nation are paramount to the Chinese. This means that 
     policies are shaped by fear of chaos from unrestrained 
     dissidents or fear of China's fragmentation by an independent 
     Taiwan or Tibet. The result is excessive punishment of 
     outspoken dissidents and unwarranted domination of Tibetans.
       But frank discussions on these and other issues can 
     sometimes yield real progress. In private discussions in 
     1979, Deng Xiaoping agreed to address the issue of religious 
     freedom, and great improvements were made. In 1987, after a 
     visit I made to Tibet, and after subsequent conversations 
     with the exiled Dalai Lama, discussions were arranged between 
     his emissaries and Chinese Government officials. 
     Unfortunately, the Tiananmen Square tragedy aborted the 
     initiative.
       In spite of our differences, China and the United States 
     must continue to pursue ways to co-exist peacefully and 
     productively. In addition to summit meetings, ordinary 
     Americans and Chinese can help. For example, more than 
     100,000 Chinese students have attended American universities 
     since 1979, providing an invaluable cultural and intellectual 
     exchange for both countries.
       Only through continued dialogue at many levels can be 
     resolve differences and build a foundation for better 
     understanding.

     

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