[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 68 (Tuesday, June 6, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E893-E894]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  AUTHORIZING EXTENSION OF NONDISCRIMINATORY TREATMENT (NORMAL TRADE 
           RELATIONS TREATMENT) TO PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. TIM ROEMER

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday May 24, 2000

  Mr. ROEMER. Mr. Speaker, today we are considering an incredibly 
important piece of legislation, legislation that will affect the way 
our Nation and our world move into the next millennium. However, I 
would like to outline three simple points that should show why 
supporting Permanent Normal Trade Relations for China is the right 
thing to do, both for the benefit of the United States and the people 
of China. Those three points are the economic benefits to American 
workers and business, the human rights benefits for the people of 
China, and the necessity to move forward into a more productive and 
challenging relationship with the government of China.
  First, and most important to our communities and constituents, is the 
way in which PNTR for China will help Americans economically.
  Many people become understandably confused over the complexities of 
trade policy. However, the necessity of PNTR can be easily explained. 
China will soon be joining the WTO, and that is not a matter to be 
decided in Congress. However, as part of the terms of their accession 
to the WTO, China has been required to negotiate a bilateral trade 
agreement with the United States. We won those negotiations.
  The agreement that was reached requires China to throw open their 
doors to American business and agriculture. They will reduce tariffs on 
American-made products from automobiles and aircraft landing systems, 
to soybeans and pork products. They will dramatically reduce existing 
quotas on American made products. They will increase the access to 
their domestic economy by opening up distribution and marketing 
channels. All of these changes mean that American businesses will be 
able to sell more of their products to more Chinese people. At the same 
time, the United States gives up nothing to the Chinese--not one single 
thing. There is absolutely nothing in this agreement that would 
encourage an American company to move to China. In fact the agreement 
actually gives American companies more incentive to stay in the United 
States. More exports to China means more jobs for Americans at better 
wages. Passing PNTR will change the status quo, and allow us to export 
American products, not American jobs.
  However, if this body fails to pass this measure today, the United 
States will not be able to take advantage of that deal. The current 
status quo will remain, and American companies will find it 
increasingly difficult to sell their wares to a booming Chinese market. 
In fact, due to the fact that the European Union, and other countries 
in Asia and around the world have similar agreements with China, 
American companies will actually be worse off than they are now! The 
other WTO members will be able to market their products to China more 
efficiently than we can, effectively shutting the United States out of 
the China market.
  The choice is simple: Economic stagnation and regression, or 
commercial growth and prosperity. We need to respond to the new global 
economy, driven by a technological revolution, with a new fair trade 
policy.
  The choice is just as clear on the issue of human rights.
  It may be easy for people in Washington, D.C. to speculate what 
policies might be best for the Chinese people. However, when it comes 
to improving the human rights and political freedoms of people in 
China, I tend to place more weight on what the people in China, 
fighting those fights every day, think is best for themselves.
  The following human rights advocates strongly endorse this new 
policy:
  Martin Lee--chairman of the Democratic Party of Hong Kong which 
struggles daily to maintain the freedoms that are unique to that 
region;
  Xie Wanjun--chief director of the China Democracy Party, most of 
whose members are now in detention in China;
  Nie Minzhi--a member of the China Democracy party who is under house 
arrest as we stand in this chamber today;
  Zhou Yang--a veteran of the 1979 Democracy Wall movement;
  Bao Tong--a persecuted dissident and human rights activist;
  Dai Quing--an environmentalist and writer who served time in prison 
after Tiananmen Square;
  Zhou Litai--a pioneering Chinese labor lawyer who represents injured 
workers in legal battles against Chinese companies;
  Even the Dalai Lama himself, probably the most famous Chinese 
dissident in the world, supports WTO accession.
  All of these people have been fighting for democracy and freedom in 
China on the ground, day-to-day. They all say the same thing: Support 
PNTR for China. They say this because they have seen how the annual 
renewal of NTR for China has become a bargaining chip for an oppressive 
government. They have seen firsthand how engagement with the United 
States has made China a more open society. They don't want to become 
isolated from the world. They want to join us in freedom and democracy.
  Working to ensure human rights in China is the right thing to do. 
However voting against PNTR is not the way to do it. We need to listen 
to the brave people fighting the good fight on the ground in China, and 
we need to pass PNTR. Very prominent Americans, such as Gen. Colin 
Powell, Rev. Billy Graham, and President Jimmy Carter agree with this 
approach.
  Finally, I want to stress the need for a change in our relationship 
with China. While we have come to see some improvement in China since 
the late 1970's, the Chinese government has still remained insular, 
resistant to change, and unwilling to allow sweeping reforms. The 
relationship between our two countries has warmed, but it has not 
completely thawed.
  Voting against PNTR is telling China and the rest of the world that 
you like things the way they are today; that you prefer the status quo. 
As a an elected representative to Congress however, I cannot in good 
conscience say that keeping the status quo with China is best way for 
our country to proceed in this new millennium.
  Isolation and recriminations in the face of repression get us 
nowhere. One only has to look next door to China to North Korea. We cut 
that country off from the world fifty years ago, and look what happened 
to them. North Korea is easily one of the most unstable, irrational, 
and hostile nations on this planet. Human rights and political freedoms 
are non-existent, and on top of it all, their people are slowly 
starving to death in a massive famine. Is that what we want China to 
become? Do we want to shut China off from the world? Will we refuse to 
challenge and engage the Chinese government?
  I say that pursuing a policy of thoughtless isolationism is not only 
economical suicide for the American worker, it is also callously 
dismissive of those brave souls in China who are trying to create 
change and fight for human rights.
  We must vote for PNTR today. We must actively work to make our world 
a better place for our children. We must reach out to the Chinese and 
attempt to lead them down the right path to embrace our values of 
democracy, open markets, and human rights. We must help them become a 
modern nation. The

[[Page E894]]

United States will probably be the main beneficiary of this evolution 
in China, but it will help the Chinese people some day join our 
fellowship of democratic nations with a respect for universal human 
rights.

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