[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 25 (Wednesday, March 8, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H704]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  PERMANENT TRADE RELATIONS FOR CHINA

  (Mr. ROEMER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ROEMER. Madam Speaker, today the President of the United States 
sends up the permanent normal trade relations bill to the United States 
Congress. This will be one of the most important trade and foreign 
policy votes not only of this Congress but maybe of our careers. I 
would hope there would be bipartisan support for this bill, bipartisan 
support for making sure that we change the status quo today.
  Right now, China has access to our markets. We do not have fair 
access to the Chinese markets. Under this new bill, we give up nothing 
and we get new access in agriculture, telecommunications, industry 
across the board to the Chinese markets. If we are going to support in 
a bipartisan way constructive engagement with the Chinese as five 
previous Presidents, Democrats and Republicans, have done, we need to 
engage the Chinese when we disagree with them on human rights and the 
Catholic Church. We need to engage the Chinese on the trade deficit. 
But we must pass this permanent trade relations act in a bipartisan 
way.

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