[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 116 (Thursday, July 11, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S4785]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                 China

  Madam President, yesterday it was reported that President Trump told 
President Xi of China that the United States would tone down its 
criticism of Beijing's approach to Hong Kong in order to revive our 
trade negotiations.
  If these reports are true, once again, President Trump has made 
another error when it comes to China, for two reasons. First, it is 
crucial always for the United States to stand up for democracy, human 
rights, and civil liberties everywhere--to be the ``shining city upon a 
hill'' that John Winthrop talked about 375 years ago. From Tiananmen 
Square to Tibet, from the brutal suppression of the Muslim minority 
Uighurs to the recent protests in Hong Kong, China's human rights 
record has been an abomination. They want to join the family of nations 
and be treated equally, but in some ways they are like a Third World 
dictatorship.
  America used to champion religious rights, minority rights, and 
democratic values abroad. It helped us in immeasurable ways, not just 
morally but economically and politically. It gave us strength. It gave 
us the moral high ground that the Scriptures have always said was 
important in human dealings. Unfortunately, under this President, that 
doesn't happen.
  Second, the idea that going easy on China's human rights record will 
ease trade talks is exactly backward. I know China. They respond to 
strength, not flattery or capitulation. Every time the President gives 
in to President Xi, President Xi smells weakness and says: I can get 
more out of the Americans.
  I generally am supportive of the President on a tough policy toward 
China on trade. China has ripped us off over and over again, but the 
way to win is to show strength. On some days, the President does, and a 
week later he backs off. There is no consistency. The Chinese smell 
that they can outfox the President. Backing off from fully telling 
Huawei they can't operate was a huge mistake. Huawei, with these 
exceptions, if they are given broadly, will gain economic strength. 
Huawei is a national security problem, but it is also a trade problem. 
When China steals our intellectual property, as Huawei has done, why do 
we then allow them to come into this country when they don't allow our 
best tech companies to go into theirs? It is ridiculous.
  The President's instincts are right, but he is never consistent about 
them. The way to speed successful trade talks, where America secures 
real and enduring concessions, is to keep the full-court press on 
Beijing, on human rights, on foreign policy, and certainly on trade. 
President Trump must not be weak on China for the sake of America's 
role as a champion of democracy and for the sake of driving China to 
accept meaningful reforms to its predatory trade policies.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Scott of Florida).
  The Senator from Illinois.