[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 110 (Friday, July 30, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1706-E1707]
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. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 27, 1999

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of extending normal trade 
relations status to China for another year. I oppose this resolution 
and call upon my colleagues to vote against it.
  As events over the past week have shown, the human rights situation 
in China needs to improve. Increased respect for human rights must be 
accompanied by political and democratic reforms. But let us not forget 
that our own country's record on certain human rights issues is less 
than perfect, as has been noted by such organizations as Amnesty 
International. Over 1.8 million Americans are in jail, most of them for 
non-violent crimes and many of them--and this is not an accident--
coming from our country's worst schools. Given our own record, we 
should avoid hypocrisy in our insistent demands for reform in China.
  Rather, we should be pragmatic in our efforts and pursue a productive 
engagement with Chinese society. The only way we can convey our values 
to other countries is to have a presence there, and to let them see who 
we are and how we succeed in having a better life. That means that 
along the way we must also raise our own country's standards and 
expectations so that we can show by example.
  Entering the next century, the United States is experiencing a 
remarkable economic boom. However, as we work to maintain our 
technological leadership and the growth of 21st century jobs, we should 
also keep in mind the

[[Page E1707]]

jobs lost to many of those at the lowest end of the economic spectrum. 
We must do much more to assist those who need skills and training in 
order to get new, better-paying jobs, and we must ensure full and real 
opportunities for all the children in our country. That is central to 
our task so that we can be a beacon to China and the world and use our 
policy of engagement to its fullest.
  The question before us today is what are the best and most 
appropriate means to achieve our goals. The most effective way to bring 
about improvements in human rights and political and religious freedoms 
in China is through continued engagement with the Chinese government 
and increased contacts with the Chinese people about our way of life. 
Withdrawal and ceasing to do business with China by removal of NTR 
status will harm, not improve, the situation.

  We must also remember that history has shown that using trade as a 
weapon can work only if there is a consensus among our trading partners 
that we will work collectively and apply similar policies. I led the 
fight on trade with South Africa, but the effectiveness of that effort 
depended on the participation of numerous other countries. By contrast, 
in the case of our embargo against Cuba, we stand alone. The failure of 
this outdated and misguided policy has proven that our unilateral trade 
sanctions do nothing to advance our objectives and only give our 
foreign competitors an advantage.
  Too many other countries are ready and willing to fill the vacuum we 
would leave in the huge Chinese market as a consequence of withdrawal 
of NTR status. We would merely lose exports and the jobs they create. 
As also shown by our experience with Cuba, punishing a country through 
trade does not help the cause of democracy or promote fundamental 
freedoms. Isolationist policies do not promote the free exchange of 
ideas. Isolationist policies do not bring leaders to the negotiating 
table. What isolationist policies do is further separate people.
  We should also not forget that the benefits of trade--of engaging 
fully in the global marketplace, including through trade with China--
are considerable for our country. Jobs supported by exports pay 13 
percent more than the average U.S. job, and the number of export-
related jobs in the U.S. grew four times faster than overall private 
job growth from 1986-1994. U.S. exports to China have almost tripled 
since 1990, increasing steadily in nearly every year, and trade with 
China supports over 200,000 export-related jobs. Market access 
provisions in a WTO accession agreement with China would further open 
Chinese markets to U.S. products and services.
  The United States must not withdraw from the world economy of the 
next century--a world economy that will be built increasingly on trade, 
trade and more trade. Our country's economic future will largely rest 
on educating and training our young people for the world economy of the 
21st century--not by turning away from the reality of trade's benefits.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote no to this resolution. 
Continuing dialogue and interchange with China, I truly believe, is the 
more rationale and better course of action than terminating the 
discussion.

                          ____________________