[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 54 (Thursday, May 4, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H2598]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               PERMANENT NORMAL TRADE RELATIONS FOR CHINA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Dooley) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DOOLEY of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak out in 
support of the United States Congress granting permanent normal trade 
relations to China. I rise as a Democrat, one who believes that this 
policy of economic engagement is in the best interest of the United 
States on a number of issues.
  When we look at the history of Congress and all of the trade 
agreements that we have had to vote on, seldom, if ever, have we had 
the opportunity to gain increased access to a market and not have to 
have given anything in return.
  This administration was able to negotiate an agreement that resulted 
in the United States not reducing their tariffs 1 percent, not reducing 
their quotas 1 percent, not giving up anything, and in return, we 
achieved significant across-the-board reductions in tariffs. We 
received increased market access into China. We received the 
opportunity to have direct investment to China to over the 50 percent-
ownership level in most sectors of their industry.
  This is an agreement that is good for American workers, it is an 
agreement that is good for American businesses, it is an agreement that 
is good for American farmers.
  One has to understand what is going to be the repercussions of the 
United States Congress failing to support PNTR for China. If we fail to 
vote for this measure, we are going to ensure that there are U.S. 
workers that are not going to benefit from the significant reductions 
in tariffs.
  Just to put this in kind of graphic terms, if my colleagues can 
really think if the United States is still facing the same tariff 
schedule with China as we are today, and maybe it is in the exportation 
of auto parts, and if we are in competition with Canadian factories and 
Canadian workers who have supported the China PNTR who could experience 
a significant reduction in tariffs, it is clearly going to give that 
Canadian company the ability to gain that contract that will result in 
those products flowing into that China market. It will be U.S. workers 
that are on the outside.
  The other thing that is going to result in tremendous benefit to U.S. 
workers and businesses are the provisions of this agreement that 
provide for even added protection against import surges coming from 
China. This agreement will ensure that the United States even has 
greater protection than it currently does today with import surges. So 
if we are faced with a situation as we were in years past with a 
significant increase in the exportation from China of apple juice 
concentrate, which had a significant impact in any Pacific Coast apple-
producing States, or even if we were looking at the importation of 
large amounts of steel, we would now have the ability to take action 
specifically against China in order to deal with the import surges that 
might have resulted in having adverse economic consequences in this 
country.
  Mr. Speaker, there have been a lot of my colleagues that have brought 
up an issue which is one that we have to address, and that is the issue 
of human rights and religious freedoms in China. All of us would like 
to see greater progress in China. But many of us I think agree that the 
best way to influence the internal affairs in China is by embracing 
this policy of economic engagement.
  I was very honored and pleased to have the chance to visit with 
Martin Lee who is recognized internationally as one of the leading 
human rights activists in China, the leader of the Hong Kong Democracy 
Party. It was his commentary in terms of how we can make the greatest 
progress on human rights in China that I think resonated more 
effectively and with greater credibility than anybody I have heard 
address this issue. He is one who believes very strongly that if we do 
support this policy of economic engagement and supporting PNTR for 
China, that we will empower the reformers in China. We will empower the 
people that are trying to do away from the State-run enterprises. We 
will ensure that it is the people that are trying to carry out the 
reforms and bring China into a rule of law regime that their stature 
will be enhanced by our actions here.
  He went on to further state that if the U.S. Congress failed to 
support PNTR, what we would in effect be doing would be undermining 
some of the progress that we have seen over the past decades in human 
rights and religious freedom, that in fact we would be empowering the 
hard-liners there, the people that want to maintain some of the 
centralized control of their economy and their society. He cautioned us 
and actually implored Congress not to take action that would result in 
China's stepping back and not moving forward.
  Another gentleman from the Hong Kong Democratic Party also spoke, and 
he talked about what is happening with the introduction of the Internet 
into China. Just in the last year alone, we have seen Internet usage in 
China increase from 2 million people to 10 million people. It is 
expected that it is going to increase in this year alone to 20 million 
people. In the next 4 or 5 years, it is conceivable and quite likely 
that we will have 100 million people in China with access to the 
Internet. Why is this important?
  I think it is important because I believe the Internet is probably 
greatest tool for the advancement of democracy that we have seen in the 
history of mankind. It will be this increased Internet usage in China 
that will result in more people getting access to information that is 
not controlled by the Chinese government. Support China PNTR.

                          ____________________