[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 46 (Wednesday, April 12, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H2181-H2182]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  WHAT DO WE WANT CHINA TO BE 20 YEARS FROM NOW OR EVEN 50 YEARS FROM 
                                  NOW?

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, I would like to associate myself with 
the remarks of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, remembering 
the genocide of the Armenians, but I would like to add this: that there 
are Armenian children dying today in Armenia. While other nations 
brutalize Armenia, the White House and State Department cut funds for 
Armenia. They are not the only White House and State Department to do 
so, but there is enough of us, instead of making just a resolution, to 
make a binding resolution for the White House to do something about it.
  Also, I should speak to another event I had not planned on speaking 
to tonight, but I actually resent some of the statements made earlier 
tonight. My wife and daughters attend Catholic mass at Saint James 
Parish, and the speaker of this House took the well and shamed those 
Democrats that would use religion for political gain. I heard this 
again tonight. I ask the minority leader to ask to put an end to their 
side of using religion for politics. It does not belong in this 
Chamber. I have attended events at synagogues, at parishes and 
churches, but what I would not attend is a fund-raiser at a Buddhist 
temple.
  The real reason I came tonight, Mr. Speaker, was to talk about PNTR 
for China. I would like to present some thoughts. China is a rogue 
nation. The issue generates strong-held opinions on both sides and both 
Republicans and Democrats are split on this particular issue. Even 
myself, I personally struggled, knowing what a rogue nation that China 
is, the human rights violations, the national security threats, and 
what does it mean applying PNTR to China.
  Communication is the shortest distance between two points of view, 
and I know that my mother, my children and many Americans, if they 
never hear some of the positive points, they are most likely not going 
to support trade with China.

[[Page H2182]]

  I would like to present a couple of those ideas. I recently traveled 
to Vietnam with the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) and some of my 
Democrat colleagues. We were there at the request of Pete Peterson, a 
fellow member that used to reside in this House, is now the ambassador 
to Vietnam. I was asked to help raise the flag over North Vietnam for 
the first time in 25 years. It was very difficult; but while we were 
there, we stopped in Hanoi, and we had a chat with the Communist 
minister, the head of Vietnam.
  I asked a question. I said, Mr. Minister, why will you not engage in 
trade with Vietnam? And his answer was pretty forthcoming. He said, 
Congressman, trade to a Communist means that people will start 
privatizing and having their own things; and if trade is followed 
through in Vietnam, then we as Communists will no longer have power.
  At that moment I said, trade is good.
  What do we want China to be 20 years from now or even 50 years from 
now, Mr. Speaker? I was in China some 20 years ago, and I want to say 
they have come a long way in 20 years, and it is not the same China as 
it was before. One sees democracy sprouting up. One sees things like 
Tianenmen Square and people fighting for democracy. Democracy and 
freedom are viruses to the Communist Chinese. The more that we can 
inject that into China, the more that their leaders go along with a 
better economy.
  China is riding a tiger. There are still those that want, by 
totalitarian rule, to control with national defense and hold people 
under the state command; but also the dictatorship there today 
understands that the economy is important to China. Taiwan supports 
trade in PNTR. Why? Taiwan knows that it will bring China more toward 
the United States and more toward a democracy instead of more toward 
Communism. It is in their best interest, and Taiwan supports it.
  We just attended a brief, many of us, by Brent Scowcroft. He said 
there are no downsides to PNTR; that this is about U.S. products going 
to China. China's products already come to the United States, and there 
is a trade deficit.
  What do we want 20 years from now if we do not trade with China? It 
will be a negative, and we foster Communism instead of a good economy 
for both.

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