[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 29, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H514]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       GRANTING CHINA PERMANENT MOST FAVORED NATION TRADE STATUS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 19, 1999, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WOLF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to voice my concern about 
granting China permanent normal trade relations. According to the 
recently released 1999 State Department human rights report on China, 
it says, ``human rights deteriorated markedly throughout the year.'' 
Every Member ought to read the report before they vote.
  The State Department's human rights report describes the People's 
Republic of China as ``an authoritarian state in which the Chinese 
Communist party is the paramount source of power.'' Did my colleagues 
know that the human rights report, it says that the Chinese Government 
carries out ``numerous executions after summary trials''? Did my 
colleagues know that more people were executed in China last year than 
anywhere else in the world? My goodness, this Congress and this 
administration wants to give China MFN. For example, the State 
Department reports that a radio station in China reported that eight 
people were arrested and quickly executed right after being sentenced.
  Do my colleagues know that the report says that China has still not 
accounted for those missing or detained in connection with the 1989 
Tiananmen Square demonstrators? Eleven years. The moms and dads do not 
know where their children are. And this administration and this 
Congress wants to grant China permanent trade status? Shame.
  Do my colleagues know that the State Department says that the Chinese 
Government has, ``Intensified its efforts to suppress this dissent.''? 
The report says that by last year's end almost all the leaders of the 
China Democracy Party were serving long prison terms or were in custody 
without formal charges.
  Do the Members of this body know that the report says that the 
Chinese Government sentenced numerous leaders of the Falun Gong 
spiritual movement to long prison terms and sent them to psychiatric 
hospitals? Do the Members know, does the Clinton administration know, 
does anybody care? The American people care. I do not know who cares up 
here or in the administration.
  Do my colleagues know that the State Department reports that the 
Chinese Government ignores its own laws that are supposed to provide 
for fundamental human rights? Do my colleagues know that the report 
says the Chinese Government ignores these laws in practice with abuses 
that include extrajudicial killings, torture, mistreatment of 
prisoners, forced confessions, arbitrary arrests, detention and lengthy 
incommunicado detention? I have been in Beijing Prison Number One, and 
I can tell my colleagues that it is grim.
  Do my colleagues know the report says the Chinese Government 
continues to restrict freedom of religion and has intensified controls 
on unregistered churches? Do my colleagues know that the report says 
the government infringes on its citizens' privacy rights, freedom of 
movement, freedom of press, freedom of free assembly?
  Do my colleagues know that the report speaks to violence against 
women, including coercive family planning practices, which sometimes 
include forced abortions and forced sterilization? They track the women 
down and force them to have an abortion. The report speaks to 
trafficking, prostitution, discrimination against women, trafficking in 
women and children, abuse of children, discrimination against disabled 
and minorities. These are all problems. This is in the State Department 
report that every Member ought to read.
  Do my colleagues know the report says that the Chinese Government 
continues to restrict tightly workers' rights and forced labor in 
prison facilities remains a problem? Do my colleagues know the report 
says child labor persists in China?
  Do my colleagues know the report says that ``Particularly serious 
human rights abuses persist in minority areas, especially in Tibet.''? 
The Chinese government has plundered Tibet. They are persecuting the 
Muslims; they are persecuting the Catholic Church; they are persecuting 
the Protestant Church. Do my colleagues know that the report says that 
unapproved religious groups, including Protestant and Catholic groups, 
continue to experience varying degrees of official interference, 
repression and prosecution?
  Do my colleagues know the report says that the Chinese ``government 
continues to require all places of religious activity to register with 
the government.''? Do my colleagues know the report says that Chinese 
authorities, guided by national policy, make strong efforts to control 
unapproved Catholic and Protestant churches? Religious services were 
broken up and house church leaders or adherents were harassed and 
fined, detained, beaten and tortured? This is in the State Department 
report.
  I could go on with other examples of human rights abuses by the 
Chinese Government, but I would end by asking if my colleagues know 
that the Chinese Government refuses to allow Catholics to recognize the 
authority of the Pope in matters of faith and morals?
  Do my colleagues know the report says that numerous Catholic bishops 
and believers have been imprisoned and beaten? Do my colleagues know 
the report says that in May of last year, Bishop Yan Weiping was found 
dead in Beijing shortly after being released from prison? Do my 
colleagues know, looking at this picture, that this report says that 
the whereabouts of some of these bishops, like Bishop Su, reportedly 
arrested in 1997, are still unclear?
  Every Member ought to read this report. And after reading this 
report, I know my colleagues will be with the American people and they 
will not support permanent normal trade relations for China.

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