[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 110 (Friday, July 30, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1690]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 DISAPPROVING EXTENSION OF NONDISCRIMINATORY TREATMENT TO PRODUCTS OF 
                       PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. PATSY T. MINK

                               of hawaii

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 27, 1999

  Mrs. MINK of Hawaii. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition 
of providing normal-trade-relations status to the People's Republic of 
China, because China continues to deny the greater part of its 
citizenry the most basic human rights; because it engages in the worse 
kinds of religious, political, and ethnic persecution; because it 
bullies neighboring countries, and because it undermines international 
stability by exporting missiles and nuclear technology to some of the 
world's leading rogue nations.
  Every year, we are told that normal-trade-relations status promotes 
continued economic growth and human rights in the People's Republic of 
China. While this trade has helped China expand its economy and improve 
the living standards of a relatively small number of its citizens, I 
believe it is an absolute stretch of the imagination to argue that 
China's economic growth has benefited the vast majority of its 1.5 
billion citizens who continue to be denied--oftentimes forcibly--the 
freedom to think, speak, read, worship and vote as they wish.
  I simply cannot agree with those who argue that normal-trade-
relations will one day result in improved human rights in China as the 
government of that vast nation continues to violate human rights on a 
massive scale.
  For example, the people of Tibet have been subject to especially 
harsh treatment by the Chinese Government because their culture and 
religion are inseparable from the movement that seeks full Tibetan 
freedom from China--a movement that has been brutally suppressed by the 
Chinese Government since the late 1940's when armed Chinese forces 
drove the Dalai Lama into exile.
  Since then, the Chinese Government has stepped up its efforts to 
discredit the Dalai Lama as well as its campaign to eradicate the 
ancient culture and traditions of Tibet. In May 1994, a new ban on the 
possession and display of photographs of the Dalai Lama, resulted in a 
raid of monasteries in which Buddhists priests were brutally beaten by 
Chinese military personnel.
  And it is not just the Buddhists that have been victims of this 
harassment. Since 1996, all religious institutions in China must 
register with the state. The failure to do so results in the closure of 
such institutions--or worse. For example, Human Rights Watch--Asia 
reports that unofficial Protestant and Catholic communities have been 
harassed, with congregants arrested, fined, sentenced, and beaten.
  Even as recently as July 20, 1999, the Chinese Government has 
implemented large-scale arrests of Falun Gong practitioners in 
different parts of China. Falun Gong is a widely practiced meditation 
exercise that upholds the principles of truth, compassion, and 
forbearance. Although it has no political motivation or agenda, the 
Chinese Government has officially banned it as an illegal operation.
  Sadly, China's policies have not changed since the United States and 
China have normalized trade relations. It has persisted on following 
policies that threaten to make it an increasingly disruptive force 
among all other nations. China's continuing and growing practice of 
selling advanced weapons and nuclear technology to Iran, Iraq and other 
rogue nations, not to mention their theft of U.S. nuclear technology, 
makes it a threat to world peace.
  It should be remembered that, like China today, South Africa had a 
growing economy, a growing middle class--albeit racially limited, a 
significant United States business presence, and a severely repressive 
government. And, just like the arguments supporting normal trade 
relations with China, it was argued that continued and increased United 
States trade with South Africa would bring about the economic, social, 
and political reforms that would inevitably force the South African 
Government to dismantle apartheid.
  However, despite our continued trade relations, the Government of 
South Africa continued and, in fact, stepped up its campaign of 
repression and terror, including kidnapping, torture, jailing, and 
murder, to maintain apartheid. It took a worldwide trade embargo--not, 
increased trade--to convince a previously intractable South Africa to 
transform itself into the open and democratic society that it is today. 
The embargo--not, our previous policy of ``constructive engagement''--
convinced the South African leadership to, among other things, release 
Nelson Mandela from 27 years of imprisonment and recognize the African 
National Congress.
  It took the Western World losing patience with the broken promises of 
the South African Government to bring about change.
  It is time that we lose our patience with the People's Republic of 
China.

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