[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 146 (Monday, October 27, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11237-S11238]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 57--EXPRESSING THE POLICY OF CONGRESS

  Mr. MACK (for himself, Mr. Abraham, Mr. Nickles, and Mr. Craig) 
submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                            S. Con. Res. 57

       Whereas at the invitation of President Clinton, President 
     Jiang Zemin of the People's Republic of China is beginning a 
     state visit to the United States which will culminate in a 
     summit meeting with President Clinton on October 29, 1997;
       Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China, 
     as detailed in successive annual reports on human rights by 
     the Department of State, routinely, systematically, and 
     massively violates the human rights of its citizens, 
     including but not limited to freedom of speech, assembly, 
     worship, and peaceful political dissent;
       Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China 
     routinely, systematically, and massively restricts the 
     ability of religious adherents, including Christians, 
     Buddhists, Muslims, and others, to practice outside of state-
     approved religious organizations, and detains worshipers and 
     clergy who participate in religious services conducted 
     outside state-approved religious organizations, as well as 
     those who refuse to register with the authorities as 
     required;
       Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China 
     routinely, systematically, and massively continues to commit 
     widespread human rights abuses in Tibet, including instances 
     of death in detention, torture, arbitrary arrest, detention 
     without public trial, long detention of Tibetan nationalists 
     for peacefully expressing their religious and political 
     views, and intensified controls on religion and on freedom of 
     speech and the press, particularly for ethnic Tibetans;
       Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China 
     routinely, systematically, and massively engages in 
     reprehensible, brutal, and coercive family planning 
     practices, including forced abortion and forced 
     sterilization, resulting in widespread infanticide, 
     particularly of female infants;
       Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China 
     systematically engages in the proliferation of weapons of 
     mass destruction and advanced ballistic missile technology;
       Whereas the regional and bilateral national security 
     relationships of the United States and the current level of 
     United States military forces in east Asia and the western 
     Pacific region are integral to the maintenance of peace and 
     security in the Asian Pacific region;
       Whereas the People's Republic of China employs mercantilist 
     and protectionist trade practices, including the imposition 
     of tariffs and nontariff barriers with respect to United 
     States imports to that country, which result in a market 
     distortion between the United States and the People's 
     Republic of China; and
       Whereas there are credible and specific reports that the 
     Government of the People's Republic of China has been 
     involved in calculated efforts to subvert the American 
     political process, and that persons believed to have 
     information about such efforts have fled to the People's 
     Republic of China to avoid cooperating with official 
     inquiries into these efforts: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (The House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) declares that it is the policy of the United States 
     with respect to the People's Republic of China--
       (A) to encourage freedom and democracy in the People's 
     Republic of China and to deter the Government of the People's 
     Republic of China from engaging in activities that are 
     contrary to the national security interests of the United 
     States and the peace and security of the Asian Pacific 
     region;
       (B) to encourage the Government of the People's Republic of 
     China to make progress towards improving overall human rights 
     conditions in China and Tibet, including taking concrete 
     steps to assure freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and 
     freedom of association in compliance with international 
     standards on human rights;
       (C) to encourage the Government of the People's Republic of 
     China to channel its emerging power and influence along paths 
     that are conducive to peace, stability, and development in 
     the Asian Pacific region; and
       (D) to support integration of the People's Republic of 
     China into the community of nations;
       (2) urges President Clinton to communicate the policy of 
     the United States, in the strongest possible terms, to 
     President Jiang during their summit meeting and to demand 
     that the People's Republic of China immediately--
       (A) cease persecuting Chinese Christians, as well as 
     members of other religious faiths, and release all persons 
     incarcerated because of religious beliefs, or democracy-
     related activities, in particular Wei Jingsheng and Wang Dan;
       (B) cease coercive population control practices, including 
     forced abortion, forced sterilization, and infanticide;
       (C) cease efforts to subvert the American political process 
     and return to the United States persons involved in such 
     efforts;
       (D) cease nonreciprocal tariff and nontariff barriers 
     relating to United States imports to the People's Republic of 
     China;
       (E) cease resistance to transparency in its trade 
     practices;
       (F) cease exports to the United States of products made 
     with prison labor;
       (G) cease activities leading to proliferation of weapons of 
     mass destruction and advanced ballistic missile technology 
     (such as C-801 and C-802 cruise missiles); and
       (H) cease evasion of United States export controls and 
     other laws; and
       (3) reaffirms the policy promulgated in the Taiwan 
     Relations Act (Public Law 96-8) and insists that the Taiwan 
     Relations Act be fully implemented by the President.

  Mr. MACK. Mr. President, I rise today to submit a concurrent 
resolution on the Clinton-Jiang United States-People's Republic of 
China summit with my colleagues Senators Abraham, Nickles, and Craig. I 
am compelled to do this for two reasons.
  First, let me provide some context for my comments. I traveled to 
China this past March to address Hong Kong reversion issues, and 
returned concerned about United States-China relations. My concern grew 
from what I perceived as the distance between the shared humanity of 
American and Chinese people, and the distrust of people expressed by 
the autocratic Government of the People's Republic of China.
  My two issues with this summit are these:
  First, we know what President Jiang gets from this visit; we do not 
know what President Clinton will receive in return for the American 
people.
  Second, unfortunately, it seems that the bar has been lowered--the 
administration has lowered expectations for the summit--in order to 
more easily achieve the appearance of a successful summit. If the 
United States abandons realistic and important summit deliverables 
until a possible 1998 Clinton visit to Beijing, United States values 
today will be sacrificed for political gain tomorrow.
  Let me elaborate on these points. What does Jiang get? He gets more 
power in Beijing.
  He is the leader of the largest authoritarian government in the 
world. His top priority, as a Communist leader, is consolidation of 
power and longevity in office.
  His overriding goal for the summit, therefore, is to demonstrate that 
he can deal effectively with the United States. He wants to bring home 
symbolic proof that the United States views the People's Republic of 
China, with Jiang at the helm, as a respected global power.
  This state visit will deliver the symbolism President Jiang so 
strongly seeks.
  What do we get? We do not yet know because there is not an 
articulated United States-China policy.
  President Clinton has no articulated China policy and will not likely 
produce one during this summit. This may be the single most dangerous 
aspect of our relationship with China.
  President Clinton this week must deliver a milestone in a clearly 
articulated policy which supports a coherent and well defined strategy. 
And he must bring the Congress and American people with him.
  To do this, he should attain specific deliverables on human rights, 
weapons proliferation, and trade.
  Therefore, Mr President, today we are introducing this resolution to 
articulate our specific expectations. During this summit, the United 
States should do the following: State United States support for the 
democratization of China; call for progress on human rights, and the 
immediate release of prisoners of conscience, including Wei Jingsheng 
and Wang Dan; call for concrete steps to prevent the proliferation of 
weapons and weapons technology, including nuclear technology and cruise 
missiles; call for concrete progress to cease unfair market practices; 
state United States commitment to maintaining regional peace and 
security by working with our regional allies; and reaffirm United 
States policy promulgated in the Taiwan Relations Act.
  Mr President, I hope that President Clinton will not lose this 
opportunity to gain concrete progress on the vitally important United 
States-China relationship.
  If we solidify Jiang's hold on political power in Beijing, and in 
return

[[Page S11238]]

must wait until a possible Beijing summit next year before the American 
people get what they desire--trade, human rights, and national security 
progress--the failure of the summit will not be lost on the Congress or 
the American people.
  Nonaction represents an opportunity cost, Mr. President. My question 
to President Clinton is this, ``What price would you have the people of 
the United States and China pay for this week's headlines.''
  Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise to join my colleagues Senator Mack 
and Senator Nickles in cosponsoring Senate Concurrent Resolution 57.
  This resolution concerns the imminent state visit of President Jiang 
Zemin of the People's Republic of China and his summit meeting with 
President Clinton. It expresses the sense of the Senate that that 
meeting should address critical human rights and national security 
issues.
  Mr. President, I have come to the floor several times in recent days 
to express my belief that it would be inappropriate and 
counterproductive for our President to welcome the Chinese Communist 
leader at a state visit without insisting on significant progress on 
the part of the Chinese Government in areas of great concern to our 
country.
  The ceremonial niceties and diplomatic prestige of a state visit in 
my opinion may, particularly if unaccompanied by substantive action, 
give the unfortunate impression that the United States approves of the 
numerous human rights abuses and instances of weapons proliferation 
undertaken by the current Chinese Government. I joined with Senator 
Feingold and Senator Helms in sponsoring a resolution calling on the 
administration to make this a working rather than a state visit so that 
the administration might work on the many issues of concern to both our 
countries without providing undue legitimacy to current Chinese 
practice.
  Let there be no mistake, Mr. President. China is an important player 
on the world scene. We cannot and should not attempt to avoid dealings 
with this nation of a billion people. That is why I supported 
maintaining most favored nation trading status with China. In my view 
it is critical that we remain engaged with the people of China through 
greater trade, private investment and openness. But I also am convinced 
that this administration must do more to add substance to our 
relationship with the Chinese Government.
  Twenty-one gun salutes and red carpets, both used to welcome 
President Jiang on his landing in Hawaii, are inappropriate, given our 
serious disagreements on critical issues affecting American national 
security, human rights, and international peace and stability.
  Amidst the champagne toasts of a state visit, we cannot ignore 
Chinese sales of weapons of mass destruction and nuclear technology to 
countries like Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan.
  We cannot ignore Chinese Government restrictions on the ability of 
Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, and others to practice their religions 
outside of state-controlled organizations and the common practice of 
detaining worshipers and clergy who practice their religion through 
their own organizations.
  We cannot ignore the People's Republic of China's massive, routine, 
and systematic human rights abuses in Tibet, including arbitrary 
arrest, torture and even death for those who seek to peacefully 
practice their religion and/or work for expanded political and human 
rights.
  We cannot ignore the Chinese Government's routine, systematic, and 
massive program of coercive family planning practices, including forced 
abortion, forced sterilization and even infanticide.
  We must forcefully raise these issues with President Jiang. We must 
insist that they be addressed, and that progress be made toward greater 
respect for human rights and the requirements of international peace 
and stability.
  Toward that end, Mr. President, I believe it is crucial that this be 
made a substantive, rather than merely a ceremonial visit. That is why 
I am happy to join Senator Mack and Senator Nickles in introducing this 
Sense-of-the-Senate Resolution, outlining a concrete agenda for the 
Jiang-Clinton summit.
  Specifically, this resolution declares that it is the policy of the 
United States to uphold the Taiwan Relations Act, and insist that 
President Clinton fully implement that important agreement. This act 
provides the framework for strong economic and security relations 
between the United States and the democratic Government of Taiwan. Full 
implementation will protect an important ally and show our commitment 
to freedom in the Asian-Pacific region.
  Further, this resolution declares our policy to encourage freedom and 
democracy in the People's Republic of China and to deter the Government 
of that country from engaging in activities contrary to the national 
security interests of the United States, and the peace and security of 
the Asian Pacific region.
  The resolution encourages the Chinese Government to take concrete 
steps to assure freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of 
association in compliance with international standards of human rights. 
It also declares that United States policy should encourage the 
Government of the People's Republic of China to channel its emerging 
power and prestige along paths conducive to peace, stability and 
development in the Asian Pacific region.
  Mr. President, this resolution is intended to move President Clinton 
to communicate this country's resolve to defend freedom, democracy, and 
international stability, as well as our commitment to encouraging the 
People's Republic of China to integrate itself peacefully into the 
community of nations.
  It also calls on President Clinton to make a number of specific 
demands, including:
  First, that the Chinese Government dismantle tariff and nontariff 
barriers to American exports to China and stop its export to the United 
States of products made with prison labor;
  Second, that the Chinese Government cease persecuting Chinese 
Christians, as well as members of other religious faiths, and release 
all persons incarcerated for their religious or other human rights 
related activities, in particular Wei Jeng Sheng and Wang Dan.
  Third, that it end its coercive population control practices, 
including its practice of forced abortion, forced sterilization, and 
infanticide;
  Fourth, that the Chinese Government stop its activities leading to 
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and advanced ballistic 
missile technology, and
  Fifth, that the Chinese Government stop its evasion of United States 
export control and other laws.
  Mr. President, by making these demands on the Chinese regime, the 
President would put in place the structure needed for a coherent China 
policy; a policy aimed at protecting our national interests and 
improving human rights conditions in China. I firmly believe that it is 
America's duty as well as our interest to make the extra effort 
necessary to improve overall human rights conditions in China and to 
integrate her into the community of nations. I urge my colleagues to 
support this resolution and I call on the President to demand that the 
Chinese Government bring itself into compliance with international 
standards of human rights and put itself on the side of international 
peace and stability.

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