[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 162 (Tuesday, November 16, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H12080-H12081]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        U.S.-CHINA WTO AGREEMENT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to report to my colleagues 
of the good news we received just yesterday that American and Chinese 
trade negotiators have reached what appears to be a very good agreement 
to bring China into the World Trade Organization.
  Now, in plain English, this is a win-win-win deal for American values 
and American interests. First, it is a win for fairness. In the world 
of global trade, the United States plays by rules. We open our market 
to everyone, which is a huge benefit to America's consumers and 
businesses alike. But, unfortunately, as we all know, everyone else 
does not follow those same rules. They do not all fall in line that 
way.
  Up until now, China has been at the top of the list of those who fail 
to follow those rules.

                              {time}  2015

  But now they are agreeing to play by the rules. Of course, we know it 
will take a lot of diligence and effort to actually press the Chinese 
to live up to their commitments, but this is the only way that we can 
move forward.
  Second, this is a win for our world-class American workers and 
businesses. Mr. Speaker, the fact is that the Chinese market has 
largely been closed off from foreign competition. America's world-class 
businesses, manufacturers, high-tech companies, entertainers, farmers, 
financial institutions, and on and on and on, have never been able to 
effectively compete for sales among the 1.3 billion consumers in China.
  Now, of course, we need a reality check here. Let us not live under 
some illusion that China is the key to the future of the world economy. 
But let us also agree that China is an important emerging economy in 
the key Asian-Pacific region. Business leaders across the globe and in 
every part of America know that being shut out of China, especially as 
China opens up to the world, would be a huge mistake. We finally have a 
deal to get our guys on to the playing field so that we, as Americans, 
can compete.
  And guess what? I am very confident, Mr. Speaker, that our guys will 
win most of the time, because America's businesses and America's 
workers are the most competitive and the most efficient on the face of 
the Earth.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, this is a win for American values inside China, 
values like the rule of law and personal freedom. Again, let us not 
lose sight of reality. There is a lot wrong with how the Chinese 
government does business. We all know about that, and we all decry 
that. Just like it has not followed the rules of international trade 
and business, it has also failed to follow the rules of fundamental 
human rights and freedom.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope that this trade deal, which will bolster the rule 
of law in Chinese business and trade dealings, will move individual 
rights forward in China.
  I was especially pleased that Martin Lee, the leading advocate of 
democracy for the Chinese people, based in Hong Kong, supports bringing 
China into the world trade system of rules and laws for this reason. 
That is certainly a very good and positive sign.

[[Page H12081]]

  Mr. Speaker, the relationship between the United States and China is 
both complex and varied. No agreement, no trade deal, can solve every 
problem or answer every question. But this trade agreement moves the 
ball forward on very key issues.
  It is a win-win-win for fairness, new markets, and our Western values 
in China. It is a good deal for America.

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