[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 39 (Tuesday, March 5, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S1638]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                 China

  Madam President, finally, on China, recent news reports have 
described an emerging trade deal with China that would see the United 
States ease up on tariffs in exchange for the Chinese buying more 
American goods and making some--some changes to its trade practices.
  As the New York Times reports this morning, ``The agreement does not 
appear to require the sweeping changes to China's economy that prompted 
Mr. Trump to begin the trade war.'' If the reports about the emerging 
agreement are accurate, I would say to President Trump, you are heading 
down a precarious road.
  The President's instincts were right when he took a hard line on 
China. I supported his hard line on China. China is killing us in terms 
of stealing our intellectual property, in terms of not letting American 
companies compete fairly in their large market while they are allowed 
to come here, in terms of not creating a level playing field for 
companies no matter what country they are from.
  The President was right when he said we have to do something about 
it. In fact, as he began on this road, he did a lot more than previous 
Presidents. Both President Bush and President Obama did less to get 
China to understand the seriousness of this problem than President 
Trump did. He knows that.
  When you are getting close to a victory, to relent at the eleventh 
hour without meaningful, enforceable, and verifiable structural reform 
to China's trade policies would be an abject failure of the President's 
China polices, and people will shrug their shoulders and ask, what the 
heck did he begin this for if he will not complete it?
  We need to put an end to the forced transfer of American technology 
and American know-how as a ransom for doing business in China. We need 
to put an end to China's systemic theft of American intellectual 
property. A big hack from China was found out just last month. Our 
companies need the same unfettered access to China's markets that we 
allow Chinese firms to have to markets in America.
  This may be our last shot. If the President squanders his own efforts 
now, there will be lasting and untold consequences for generations to 
come.
  The President is too focused on trade imbalances. That is short term. 
Those come and go. The reason our trade balance is so bad is because of 
all of the structural things China does to make it harder for us to 
export to China and easier for them to import here after stealing a lot 
of our know-how. A temporary narrowing of the trade deficit would be 
cold comfort to the millions of American workers who have suffered and 
will continue to suffer the abuse of China's policies.
  When the President was headed to North Korea, I said to him: When it 
comes to North Korea, don't let March go in like a lion and come out 
like a lamb.
  The President did the right thing on North Korea, and I got up here 
and said that he did. He backed out when the North Koreans wouldn't 
give him much and resisted the opportunity of a photo op, which we know 
is hard for him to resist. He should do the same thing on China.
  He got a lot of credit for backing out on North Korea. The President 
will get a lot of credit if he stands up to China and will eventually 
win because the Chinese economy is hurting. They just reduced their own 
biased estimates on growth. It is lower.
  My plea to President Trump is this: Stand firm. We will win this 
fight that you correctly began, but don't back off for some temporary 
salve. America's future depends on it. The income of our workers and 
the number of good-paying jobs we create all depend on our standing 
tough with China right now when we sort of have them where we want them 
and completing a strong deal. Please, Mr. President, don't back off. 
When it comes to China trade and your actions, don't let March come in 
like a lion and go out like a lamb.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Republican whip.