[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 47 (Wednesday, April 26, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E624]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               INTRODUCTION OF U.S.-CHINA ENGAGEMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARK STEVEN KIRK

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 26, 2006

  Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the U.S. China 
Engagement Act of 2006 with Congressman Rick Larsen. The goal of our 
bill is to ensure American students and businesses are equipped to 
compete with China throughout the 21st century.
  The U.S. China Engagement Act of 2006 provides grants for Chinese 
language instruction programs for American students, expands the U.S. 
diplomatic presence in China, and establishes new trade offices which 
support our U.S. exports to China, ensuring our small and medium size 
businesses are able to compete in Asia.
  This legislation will help give our American students the tools to 
compete in a global marketplace. By one measure, China is now the 
world's second largest economy. According to the Asian Conference, 
50,000 American students are studying Chinese versus 110 million 
Chinese students studying English. The U.S. China Engagement Act of 
2006 will provide resources to primary, secondary and post-secondary 
schools so that all levels of our educational system can provide the 
proper exposure to the Chinese language and economy.
  The U.S. China Engagement Act of 2006 triples funding to the State 
Department for public diplomacy in China and authorizes the creation of 
a new consulate and ten ``diplomatic presence posts'' in larger Chinese 
cities. It also increases the U.S. contribution to the Asia Pacific 
Economic Cooperation, a 21 Member Organization whose goal is to promote 
free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region. America must embrace a 
strong diplomatic partnership to increase the chance our children will 
enjoy a stable, economically prosperous and peaceful future with China.
  Today, China produces more steel than the U.S.; it has more cell 
phone users and is building its own space station. Hundreds of U.S. 
companies from McDonald's to Motorola are heavily invested in the 
Chinese market. China has bought several airplanes from Boeing and 
Chinese purchases of other U.S. exports are climbing at a rate of 15 
percent a year. At her present rate of growth, China's economy has the 
potential to become larger than America's. The U.S. China Engagement 
Act takes steps to help small and medium size American businesses enter 
the China market by increasing resources to the Foreign Commercial 
Service Office of the Commerce Department and creating new export 
promotion programs.
  The U.S. China Engagement Act is an important step in addressing the 
most critical relationship of the 21st century. It is vital that 
Americans be prepared for this relationship. We must be prepared 
diplomatically, educationally, and economically. Our students must have 
the ability to both culturally understand our competition while also 
having the ability to communicate with them in their language. This 
bill will give American students and American businesses the tools to 
compete in the new and expanding market of China.
  I want to thank my co-chair of the U.S.-China Working Group, 
Congressman Rick Larsen, for being the lead co-sponsor on this 
legislation. And I want to thank Senators Lieberman and Alexander who 
have a companion bill. I look forward to working with them on these 
important issues surrounding China.

                          ____________________